I’ve talked about it before, but I grew up watching a ton of Full House, to the point where I’ve seen all the best episodes multiple times over the years. The longtime anchor of ABC’s TGIF programming block gave us so many unforgettable characters, but there’s one that annoyed me as a kid and later on as an adult while revisiting Full House as a parent. However, that recently changed when my kids and I watched a large chunk of the all-time great sitcom (Seasons 3 through 5, to be exact), and I experienced a radical change.
No, it’s not Steve (he wasn’t introduced until Season 6), and it wasn’t Becky or Joey or even Kimmy Gibbler. Instead, it’s one of the Tanner girls, and I feel like I owe her a big apology. Let me explain.
Watching Full House As A Kid, I Couldn't Stand D.J. Tanner
Like a large portion of my generation, I watched Full House more than pretty much every other show in the ‘90s. My brothers and I would spend afternoons watching reruns on TBS each summer, and that was after watching its original run earlier in the decade. More times than not, the episodes focusing on D.J. Tanner were the ones that would result in us refreshing our snacks or turning the TV off entirely to play PlayStation or watch a movie.
It's not like I actively despised her or anything like that, it's just that I remember thinking she came off as being bratty, petty, and a tad bit domineering towards her younger sisters. It could have something to do with the fact that, being the middle child, I was drawn to Stephanie and even Michelle to a certain extent. And it also could be because I was a little boy watching Full House all those years ago, and I just didn't feel a connection with a teenage character going through stuff I wouldn't experience for a few more years.
But Then I Watched The 'Shape Up' Episode With My Kids And Learned A Valuable Lesson
So, what changed the way I saw D.J. Tanner? Well, one day my kids and I were watching the Season 4 episode titled “Shape Up,” which pretty much deals with D.J. trying to become comfortable with her body. As I watched on as my older daughter took in the episode and its messages about being comfortable with your changing body, it was like my perception of the character after 30-plus years changed in an instant.
Yeah, D.J. can be a lot at times, but that’s also true for all the characters on Full House. But while watching the episode, I realized that the D.J.-centric episodes were not necessarily for someone like me, but instead someone going through similar life changes. It was an eye-opening and perception-changing experience.
After That, I Realized How Important The Episode And D.J.'s Struggles Could Be For Young Girls
After watching the episode and really thinking about it in the days that followed, I began to see how important of a character D.J. was in the grand scheme of things and how the episode’s messages about the importance of body positivity and self-esteem resonated with millions of kids around the world. I’m not saying that “Shape Up” is a replacement for earnest conversations between parents and children, but it can totally open the door for those kinds of talks.
On a similar note, experiencing this with my kids opened the door for my changed perception of D.J. Tanner after all these years, and I’m really glad it happened.
“Shape Up,” along with the rest of Full House, is currently streaming with an HBO Max subscription if you want to go back and revisit this classic sitcom and all its life lessons.
