Thanks to a recent subscription to Disney plus, our household has been lucky enough to take a nostalgic trip down memory lane to revisit shows from our childhood. Most recently, revisiting the incredibly made ‘Malcolm In The Middle.’ However, perhaps due to financial bitterness, it was only halfway through season one that we noticed something entirely unexpected and upsetting. In reality, you could not make this show again in the modern age. Let’s explore why that’s the case and how times have changed in less than 20 years.
The family in Malcolm In The Middle may appear to be incredibly poor by today's standards; their lifestyle is quite different from the average American. Despite their lack of expensive possessions and seemingly meagre income, they live a comfortable life thanks to intelligent budgeting, creative problem solving and strong familial bonds.
Unlike most middle-class families in America today, who can purchase many luxuries such as cars or smartphones for entertainment purposes, the family in Malcolm In The Middle has limited material resources, which forces them to come up with unique ways of having fun on a budget. Examples include playing board games among themselves or having barbecue cookouts with friends and neighbours.
Although money gives us access to certain things that we want or need at times, it doesn't guarantee happiness, nor does it define our worth as people. This idea is strongly emphasized throughout the show - illustrating how contentment can be found even when you have little material wealth if you learn to appreciate what you already have rather than focusing on what you don’t own yet.
Ultimately this message reveals an essential truth about finding financial stability: buying more stuff will not fill any gaps that aren't already fulfilled emotionally or psychologically through human connections, hobbies and activities that make one feel accomplished regardless of monetary rewards.
Although the family in Malcolm In The Middle can sustain their lifestyle fairly well with Hal's salary, this would be almost impossible for a modern-day young married couple with five children living from two wages - one being a supermarket cashier. The cost of living today is much higher than in the past, so having a single job income may not be enough to cover necessities such as food, housing and education costs. This emphasizes how difficult it has become for low-income families to make ends meet due to inflation and increasing economic inequality.
The family in Malcolm In The Middle serves as an inspiring example of how genuine happiness can still exist despite the lack of financial prosperity, ultimately teaching us all an invaluable lesson about valuing ourselves beyond our bank accounts while being grateful for everything we do possess.