# Why do we like The Addams Family so much? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 26, 2012, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-like-the-addams-family-so-much/610760 "2012-01-26T18:42:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-like-the-addams-family-so-much/610760/41 "2012-01-27T22:01:03Z")
Tangentially, I believe Charles Addams never named his characters. The names Gomez, Morticia, Fester, Wednesday & Pugsley were creations of the TV writers. I think. ---
**Author:** ![florez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9e5f3/32.png) [@florez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/florez)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-like-the-addams-family-so-much/610760/42 "2012-01-27T23:24:49Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > I hope this is a whoosh… > > it was Grampa & Lily Munster. Right you are, I must be getting old. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-like-the-addams-family-so-much/610760/43 "2012-01-28T00:05:33Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Tangentially, I believe Charles Addams never named his characters. The names Gomez, Morticia, Fester, Wednesday & Pugsley were creations of the TV writers. > > I think. The characters were unnamed in the original cartoons, but Charles Addams named them for the show. ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-like-the-addams-family-so-much/610760/44 "2012-01-28T00:27:49Z")
I think a lot of people feel that they are at heart free-spirited eccentrics who are misunderstood by the bland normals. The Addams Family exaggerates and celebrates the eccentric. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-like-the-addams-family-so-much/610760/45 "2012-01-28T00:34:23Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > And funny. She slays me. Only if you ask nicely. ---
**Author:** ![Satchmo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/satchmo/32/4223_2.png) [@Satchmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satchmo)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-like-the-addams-family-so-much/610760/46 "2012-01-28T00:37:20Z")
> [@Snake\_Plissken](#): > > I dont see anyone saying they are Pugsly. As a child, I wanted to be Gomez, but I was Pugsly. Now that I’m grown, I want to be Gomez, but I’m Uncle Fester, though not as cool. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-like-the-addams-family-so-much/610760/47 "2012-01-28T01:11:48Z")
> [@Sister\_Vigilante](#): > > It’s dark humor and I love dark humor. I wish I had a lion living in my basement and a scary butler. > > And frankly, I am Wednesday and always have been. I believe there’s one other (former?) Doper who may challenge you. She even goes by Wednesday on another board in which you participate. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-like-the-addams-family-so-much/610760/48 "2012-01-28T01:48:17Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I believe there’s one other (former?) Doper who may challenge you. She even goes by Wednesday on another board in which you participate. Cool! A Wednesday duel! We can sell tickets. Will there be mud? ---
**Author:** ![Ken001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@Ken001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ken001)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-like-the-addams-family-so-much/610760/49 "2012-01-28T01:57:06Z")
Huh! Learn something every day. I always thought the Addams Family were an update/copy based on the Munsters. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-like-the-addams-family-so-much/610760/50 "2012-01-28T02:45:39Z")
What was the deal with Lurch? Was he a zombie, a Dr. Frankenstein creation of Gomez? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-like-the-addams-family-so-much/610760/51 "2012-01-28T02:51:50Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > What was the deal with Lurch? Was he a zombie, a Dr. Frankenstein creation of Gomez? He’s Lurch. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-like-the-addams-family-so-much/610760/52 "2012-01-28T03:35:46Z")
and the best butler in the world. i love lurch. and what about thing? no house is complete without thing and lurch. also the addams are very polite… hhhhmmmm, perhaps they originated in canada. i know who the cool people in work are when, they say “mail’s here” or “thank you, thing” when i reproduce the “mail’s here” sound. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-like-the-addams-family-so-much/610760/53 "2012-01-28T03:56:10Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > when i reproduce the “mail’s here” sound. Give! Give! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-like-the-addams-family-so-much/610760/54 "2012-01-28T05:08:46Z")
It’s actually “Mail’s In”. [http://www.ilovewavs.com/Events/GotMail/Mail21.wav](http://www.ilovewavs.com/Events/GotMail/Mail21.wav) ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-like-the-addams-family-so-much/610760/55 "2012-01-28T14:08:13Z")
I loved the show as a kid, although I thought it went downhill rapidly when they added Cousin Itt. It must have been Ted McGinley’s first role. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-like-the-addams-family-so-much/610760/56 "2012-01-28T14:29:49Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > It’s actually “Mail’s In”. > [http://www.ilovewavs.com/Events/GotMail/Mail21.wav](http://www.ilovewavs.com/Events/GotMail/Mail21.wav) Cool. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-like-the-addams-family-so-much/610760/57 "2012-01-28T21:26:59Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > What was the deal with Lurch? Was he a zombie, a Dr. Frankenstein creation of Gomez? One of the triter shows had them pretending to work for Lurch, since he told his mother he was rich. So Lurch is just Lurch. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-like-the-addams-family-so-much/610760/58 "2012-01-28T21:41:46Z")
I still remember “You Rang?” I still use it occasionally though I look more a middle-aged version of Gomez. And, yes, Morticia was hot. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-like-the-addams-family-so-much/610760/59 "2012-01-28T23:01:20Z")
As to the original TV show, what made it interesting to a lot of people was that the standard TV family sitcom before that was really, really bland. To actually show a family that was clearly “off” in major ways was refreshing. (But also scared off people who don’t like refreshing. Hence the show didn’t last long. _Everybody Loves Raymond_ type shows _still_ win.) Within the limits of the time, I don’t think they could have pushed things much further. _All in the Family_ was still 7 years away. The cartoons and the first 2 movies were very different. And quite good in their own way. I think people might like only one of the forms and not the others due to these differences. ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-like-the-addams-family-so-much/610760/60 "2012-01-28T23:13:07Z")
At one point we had on our answering machine my husband saying “You rang?” in his best Lurch voice. Very few people left any messages after that. Sadly, he deleted it and all the telemarketers came back. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-like-the-addams-family-so-much/610760.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-like-the-addams-family-so-much/610760.md?page=4)