Coleman Dead? Whatchootalkinbout Willis?

Sad news about the passing of Gary Coleman this past week, known to most people in my generation as Arnold Jackson, the short wisecracking adopted black son of wealthy corporate magnate Mr. Drummond on Diff'rent Strokes. If there was one show that qualified as "Family Viewing" as I grew up, it was undoubtedly this one, and I have memories of my parents, brother and father sitting in front of the television watching in shared amusement of the life and times of Arnold, Willis, Kimbery, Mr. D, Dudley and the rotating group of maids (Mrs. Garrett, Adelaide, Pearl). For a family that was divided both generationally and culturally, we somehow were able to find common ground in (perhaps not surprisingly) a show about very different people living and loving together in the same family.

At a recent Bible Study, I asked an opening question around how people developed their sense of ethics, and one friend mentioned television, which was a funny but honest answer - probably more true for many of us than we'd like to admit. Arnold Jackson was in center of much of this for me, teaching me (among other things):

• Beware of the bicycle shop owner that offers you liquor and shows you adult cartoons in a private room in the back
• Don't do drugs, and refusing to do so might result in a congratulatory visit from Nancy Reagan
• Having an Asian teacher is okay, but having a teacher who moonlights as a stripper is not
• If Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shows up as a substitute teacher, do not mess with him
• Be nice to handicapped people in wheelchairs
• It's wrong to want to be Jewish just because you get a cool bar mitvah party
• Don't try to be like Mr. T - be proud of just being you
• Leaving your adopted white brother to buy chips by himself might lead to him being kidnapped
• Don't run against your best friend for class president
• Don't try to steal the first issue of Spider-Man in order to get into a gang

As for Coleman, it's sad that his life became a bit of a circus act after his Diff'rent Strokes career, including financial troubles, legal troubles and appearances on television which were more demeaning than nostalgic. In a sad, but true, observation, the actor who played good old Mr. Drummond, Conrad Bain, has somehow outlived his show daughter Dana Plato (who played Kimberly) and now son.

Like many child television stars, his life post-fame may have been tumultuous, but I'll still appreciate some of the good life lessons I picked up from his show.