User blog:Weavillain/Why Is Rita and Lynn Sr.'s "Irresponsibility" a Bad Thing?

Remember that one time when you wanted to have eat an entire half gallon of your favorite ice cream but your parents that you weren't allowed?

Remember that one time when you wanted to play hopscotch in that suspicious, murky, dark-looking alley but your parents said that you weren't allowed?

Remember that one time when you wanted to stick an entire box of crayons up your sister's nose but your parents said that you weren't allowed?

I sure don't but I think I might've hit the nail on the head for at least some of you, right?

Ah, parents; there to tell us that we can't engage in all the fun but highly dangerous things that we want to do. I'm sure quite a few of us, in retrospect, can appreciate the valuable guidance that our parents bequeathed to us when we were children who really didn't know better. Heck, they still do it for us when we're teenagers and/or adults who don't know any better. Anyways, we might not have known it then but they weren't being stick-in-the-mud fusspots who were programmed to quell any possibility of enjoying ourselves. They just wanted what was best for us and by doing so, they were being responsible.

But then again, maybe you wished your parents could take a page out of Rita and Lynn Sr.'s books when it came to parenting. See, unlike the expected, grounded parenting that any real life parent should both morally and legally be expected to uphold, this fictional married couple can stray from upholding a responsible grasp on their children's wild, wacky behavior.

What do I have to say about it? I don't have a problem with it. In fact, I think it's necessary for the show to function in the highly appealing way that it does and I'll get into that in a bit.

However, some fans can't stand Lynn Sr. and Rita not putting their foot down more often and putting the kibosh on the Loud children's eccentric antics. They think it's a poor reflection on their characters by not behaving the way that real parents ought to.

Well, as you can see, those individuals and I have a bit of a disagreement. A friendly disagreement, I must profess. But regardless, it's a disagreement that urges me to ask them..."Why?"

I mean, don't get me wrong, I think I can see where they're coming from but, not to sound condescending, I don't think that they know what they're asking for when they question, often in puzzlement and ire, why Rita and Lynn Sr. don't "just law down the law already!"

But  here's the thing...what exactly would removing their streak of irresponsibility accomplish? To me, it would create a void where personality, spontaneity, and excitement once resided. Think about it like this:

Responsible Loud parents = Lori's phone habits are heavily controlled, removing the potential of the gags and jokes that center around her phoneaholic tendencies.

Responsible Loud parents = Leni is more sheltered as a result of her dimwitted nature, isolating her from possibly making any meaningful appearances as a character that initiates funny gags and memorable dialogue.

Responsible Loud parents = Luna's loud music playing is allowed nowhere within the Loud house, taking her out of her element in one of her most recognizable pastimes.

Responsible Loud parents = Luan's pranks and jokes are enforced as a rare indulgence and not as a constant form of expression, diminishing her of her identity as a fun-loving character that fancies the whimsical.

Responsible Loud parents = Lynn's boisterousness and highly energetic horseplay is prohibited, stripping her of her unique interactions with those around her.

Responsible Loud parents = Lincoln's "get rich quick" schemes are put on ice, eliminating his most trademark method of displaying his quick wit.

Responsible Loud parents = Lana cannot play in the mud as often and anything generally seen as gross and unsanitary is restricted, removing a huge chunk of material in the gross-out department.

Responsible Loud parents = Lola's temperament is constantly reprimanded or suppressed, diluting her presence and personality.

Responsible Loud parents = Lisa cannot engage in her highly dangerous but eccentric experiments, destroying an outlet of her creativity and scientific curiosity.

I didn't include Lucy because I thought I'd be skating on thin ice with her and wanted to avoid backlash but overall, I hope you're getting the point. A lot of what the Loud children do as characters would absolutely not be allowed by responsible parents and in turn, that recedes their impact as characters. So really, what would more responsible Loud parents be but an annoying hindrance that forces the dynamic of the show to be far less interesting and way more boring and mundane? And that doesn't even include all the countless episodes that hinge on the parents having leeway with their children's actions.

For example, would "Suite & Sour" be allowed to go as far as it did if the parents cracked down on their children harder? Heck, if they were more responsible, they would've held their ground and not allowed them to accompany them in the first place. A more reasonable, accountable Rita and Lynn Sr. would create an environment in which the episode's premise wouldn't be allowed to exist.

Or maybe you don't care for "Suite & Sour". Well, I got new for you. If you have a favorite episode, chances are, there's a good chance that a responsible parent or two would put an end to the events, probably before they could actually begin to form a story.

Now, with all that being said, that's not to say that Rita and Lynn Sr. should never be responsible. "The Sweet Spot" had a great ending because of how they punished their children for destroying the family van after being explicitly told not to act up. I'm not trying to argue for a completely "hands off" approach for them but decrying the lack of responsibility, at every turn, coaxes me to question if you know what you're asking for.

So, three cheers to Rita and Lynn Sr. and three cheers for their irresponsibility!