Positive pop culture role models from your childhood

[Guest]

When you were growing up, who is someone from pop culture that you look back on as having the most positive impact on you?

For me, it's Uncle Phil (James Avery, The Fresh Price of Bel-Air). Big letters for a big man who helped raise me.

I grew up in the golden age of family sitcoms, but when I look back on them he's the only positive father figure who stands out. Danny Tanner (Bob Saget, Full House) was so bland that he barely existed except to deliver an exasperated face and a moral at the end. Tim Taylor (Tim Allen, Home Improvement) was a man-child and definitely not someone you should emulate. And Carl Winslow (Reginald VelJohnson, Family Matters (who also has the coolest name in the history of the world)) was definitely good hearted but had a huge temper and was out of line more often than not.

Uncle Phil was the GOAT. He could only ever be considered an antagonist in the typical sitcom dad way if you ignored that Will was an antihero. He stood in Will's way a lot, but it was always out of concern for him when he was making a mistake. Watching him mentor Will over the years, trying to steer him toward good choices and being there for him even when he messed up really stuck with me throughout my life. I'm actually giving myself The Feels by writing this.