IN SEARCH OF BARNEY FIFE

Some years ago, as part of a college English class assignment the class was asked to define late night television and such my assignment meant some self imposed t.v. time. Never one to forgo the extensive hours needed for any research assignment and especially an assignment of such magnitude I quickly found myself engulfed in pop culture to an overwhelming degree. So much so that I could not possibly define television in terms suitable for publication, much less a document suitable for grading.

This being said, and at the prompting of many students the Professor reluctantly allowed a little flexibility within the proposed assignment, allowing many students to narrow their research to an era or even specific genre of television. Pushing the assignment envelope I decided to focus my efforts on the character that best represented the human condition, one character which can be found in each of us . . . so began my unknowing search for Barney Fife.

Whether it is the familiarity with late night television or possibly one who has had the opportunity to experience Andy Griffith and Mayberry in its original time slot, Mayberry is and will always be a household word. Creating a vision of americana which may or may not have existed in reality, but certainly exsisited in the minds and hearts of millions of American’s: offering up a warm familiar feeling with each episode and at times removing us from the uncertainties of daily life. While certainly, the endearing character of each town citizen lent itself well to the daily events within this small rural community; seemingly one well-meaning character with an often square peg personality seemed to perfect a normal fit within a world of circles.

While we accept character as a means to generalize unique personalities, we also seem to identify with personalities that are similar in nature to our own and perhaps a side of our own personality that we would prefer to hide from watchful eyes. Perhaps, a part of our personalities that on the surface appears to be quirky, but to family and friends is often perceived as endearing. Whether it is the fumbling of general daily tasks, or an overzealous mind set to rules and procedures, or just an extreme emotional behavior during heighten times of anxiety, we all to often see a little of ourselves in Barney Fife.

Barney Fife as a character was the all familiar modern day Charlie Chaplin, delivering a clown like performance of apprehensiveness, pathetical, and sincerity all within a multilayered yarn ball of humility. Certainly these character traits cannot go unnoticed when we begin to explore our own multi layered personalities, although abrasive in singularity; yet as a whole, these traits define who we are and just maybe, who we want to be. Episode after episode, Barney, Mr. Knotts, made acceptance of our own human frailties more palatable while allowing us to accept our neighbor’s shortcomings a little easier. In short, just as Barney the character struggled within his own shell of emotions and virtues; so goes the human condition.