User blog comment:Weavillain/Why Is Rita and Lynn Sr.'s "Irresponsibility" a Bad Thing?/@comment-4618045-20170614015930

While I understand your concerns, I think your definition of responsible parents is different from mine and that causes me to disagree with you.

To me, while a responsible parent does lay down the law when it's needed, a responsible parent also encourages their children to pursue their passions in a safe, healthy way. Because of this, I don't think Lynn Sr. and Rita becoming more "responsible" would hinder the children's personalities to the extent that you're suggesting. Would it prevent "April Fools Rules" and "Fools Paradise" from happening? Yes, however I didn't find either one of those episodes to be funny to begin with. Would it prevent a good chunk of the gags in "Suite and Sour"? Yes, however you're suggesting that the void couldn't be filled with other forms of comedy.

I will admit that, to an extent, you are right in that there would be some good episodes that would be difficult to pull off if the parents were more active in the children's lives (though good parents can dispense freedom and delegation to some of the older children anyway). But even with that, I would make two claims that are worth considering.

1) It would also eliminate some of the very worst episodes of the show, as they are allowed to occur due to the parents being absent, cowardly, or enabling.

2) The void created by the destruction could be replaced by other forms of comedy and character development, types that usually aren't pursued by most comedies surrounding families. Regardless of your opinion, bad parents have become cliche by this point in this genre and they don't reflect well on the writer's creativity. Incorporating the entire family dynamic without resorting to this trope can lend itself to new ways to create interesting stories.