# very healthy relationships shown in media **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 7, 2015, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-healthy-relationships-shown-in-media/736876 "2015-11-07T04:28:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![oara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b77776/32.png) [@oara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oara)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-healthy-relationships-shown-in-media/736876/1 "2015-11-07T04:28:30Z")
I haven’t really observed very healthy relationships – romantic relationships or friendships – in real life, and I thought it might be good to expose myself to realistic good relationships as depicted in media. If they become easier to believe in, that’ll help me. For my purposes, the more it shows this and the less time it spends on other stuff, the better. Films, books, television… Perhaps documentaries are a good place to look? Parent-child relationships aren’t very relevant for me here, but feel free to bring them up as well. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-healthy-relationships-shown-in-media/736876/2 "2015-11-07T10:58:10Z")
Coach Eric Taylor and his wife Tami Taylor on Friday Night Lights. (The tv series, not the movie.) ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-healthy-relationships-shown-in-media/736876/3 "2015-11-07T12:27:25Z")
Maxwell Smart and 99 from Get Smart. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-healthy-relationships-shown-in-media/736876/4 "2015-11-07T13:14:26Z")
Nomi Marks and Amanita in\* Sense8\*. While watching it, it actually struck me how unusual it was to see two normal, loving people in a healthy relationship. I’ve started watching\* Dexter\* (I know, I know, I’m 10 years behind on pop culture) and Dexter and his girlfriend (fiance?) have a good relationship. Well, apart from the whole “I secretly kill people” thing . . . ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-healthy-relationships-shown-in-media/736876/5 "2015-11-07T14:07:54Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Coach Eric Taylor and his wife Tami Taylor on Friday Night Lights. (The tv series, not the movie.) Yep, this is the one I was going to say. Hands down winner, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Noel\_Prosequi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b19c9b/32.png) [@Noel\_Prosequi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noel_Prosequi)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-healthy-relationships-shown-in-media/736876/6 "2015-11-07T14:13:49Z")
Gomez and Morticia Addams. Passionate; loving; love each other because of their weirdness, not despite it; adventurous; not consumed by kids’ needs and issues. Great couple. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-healthy-relationships-shown-in-media/736876/7 "2015-11-07T15:38:14Z")
Bob’s Burgers has always impressed me with the simple way they depict a family dynamic that is weird and funny, yes, but also very solidly healthy and respectful. It’s about a family where everyone loves each other and no one ever makes a big deal about it. ---
**Author:** ![bethewave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@bethewave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bethewave)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-healthy-relationships-shown-in-media/736876/8 "2015-11-07T16:01:09Z")
> [@Octarine](#): > > I’ve started watching\* Dexter\* (I know, I know, I’m 10 years behind on pop culture) and Dexter and his girlfriend (fiance?) have a good relationship. Well, apart from the whole “I secretly kill people” thing . . . 5+ year old spoiler below: Anyone who’s watched past the first few seasons knows why this is unintentionally hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![bethewave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@bethewave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bethewave)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-healthy-relationships-shown-in-media/736876/9 "2015-11-07T16:02:55Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Bob’s Burgers has always impressed me with the simple way they depict a family dynamic that is weird and funny, yes, but also very solidly healthy and respectful. It’s about a family where everyone loves each other and no one ever makes a big deal about it. Yes! Good one. Bob and Linda are kind of like Homer and Marge from earlier Simpsons seasons, with the genders swapped a bit. Plus the Chicken and Hawk episode had me unexpectedly in tears. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-healthy-relationships-shown-in-media/736876/10 "2015-11-07T16:09:16Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Bob’s Burgers has always impressed me with the simple way they depict a family dynamic that is weird and funny, yes, but also very solidly healthy and respectful. It’s about a family where everyone loves each other and no one ever makes a big deal about it. I don’t absolutely love the show but I do _like_ it, for that reason. I’d say the Cosby Show’s Cliff and Claire have a great marriage (and they’re always doin’ it) but I can’t really recommend it anymore. ---
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-healthy-relationships-shown-in-media/736876/11 "2015-11-07T16:26:16Z")
Mike and Frankie Heck from _The Middle_. They love each other but neither are all ‘showy’ about it, b/c that’s not what love is. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-healthy-relationships-shown-in-media/736876/12 "2015-11-07T17:06:03Z")
Lois and Hal from Malcolm in the Middle always struck me as having a healthy but realistic relationship with each other. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-healthy-relationships-shown-in-media/736876/13 "2015-11-07T17:49:09Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > Lois and Hal from Malcolm in the Middle always struck me as having a healthy but realistic relationship with each other. Also Francis and Piama from the same show. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-healthy-relationships-shown-in-media/736876/14 "2015-11-07T18:02:21Z")
Elizabeth and Henry McCord from the current series “Madam Secretary”. They also have a great relationship with their three teenage/young adult children, who are dealing with their own foibles. I love that show! 🙂 It’s on right after “60 Minutes”. ---
**Author:** ![TexCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/texcat/32/9041_2.png) [@TexCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TexCat)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-healthy-relationships-shown-in-media/736876/15 "2015-11-07T19:02:00Z")
My first thought was _Mad About You_. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-healthy-relationships-shown-in-media/736876/16 "2015-11-07T19:16:47Z")
> [@Noel\_Prosequi](#): > > Gomez and Morticia Addams. Passionate; loving; love each other because of their weirdness, not despite it; adventurous; not consumed by kids’ needs and issues. > > Great couple. Second. This is my model relationship, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-healthy-relationships-shown-in-media/736876/17 "2015-11-07T19:32:01Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Coach Eric Taylor and his wife Tami Taylor on Friday Night Lights. (The tv series, not the movie.) > [@MoonMoon](#): > > Yep, this is the one I was going to say. Hands down winner, IMO. Yep. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-healthy-relationships-shown-in-media/736876/18 "2015-11-07T22:22:21Z")
And a third vote for Gomez and Morticia. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-healthy-relationships-shown-in-media/736876/19 "2015-11-08T01:20:52Z")
> [@TexCat](#): > > My first thought was _Mad About You_. Didn’t Jamie cheat on him? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-healthy-relationships-shown-in-media/736876/20 "2015-11-08T01:23:43Z")
> [@Honey](#): > > Didn’t Jamie cheat on him? Having a very healthy relationship doesn’t mean no one will ever cheat. Healthy relationships also run into problems. You measure their healthiness according to how these problems are resolved. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-healthy-relationships-shown-in-media/736876.md?page=2)