MovieChat Forums > Everybody Loves Raymond (1996) Discussion > I dont know why Marie was convinced that...

I dont know why Marie was convinced that Ray was a good father


She really wasn't paying any attention in that department. She was blinded by her love for him and sometimes it seemed that he could do no wrong in her eyes. And the truth is that Ray found spending time with his kids boring. He only caved in and did things with and for them when the other adults put pressure on him to do so. And several times he couldnt be bothered to be a father at all, it would just get in the way of his golf games and watching TV and eating junk food. And at one point Debra came right out and demanded that Ray tell her why it was his mission in life to avoid spending time with his family. We never got an answer to that, and that always pissed me off. And later in the series Debra had to yell at Ray to take his boys and go out and "make some damn memories". That's how much of an "excellent father" he REALLY was. But for some reason Marie was under the impression that Ray was a good father and husband. What, just because he didn't cheat on Debra or beat her and the kids, THAT automatically made him NOT a bad father? Marie never stopped to take that into consideration, now did she? Yes, just because Ray was faithful and wasn't physically abusive, he was a "good" husband and father. Give me a freaking break. He whined and complained when anyone asked him to do anything and he was constantly making excuses why he didnt want to do anything or help anybody. Ray Barone was a pathetic wimp with no balls or backbone who did anything he could to avoid conflict or confrontation, and had an unhealthy obsession with everbody liking him, which they devoted a whole episode to at one point. And he has got to be one of the most disgustingly unlikable main characters of a sitcom in television history. And he would get the ever loving s*** beaten out of him on a regular basis if he existed IRL. But the show lasted nearly a decade. Go figure.

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Oh geez, here we go again.

It's just a show. These are actors, playing characters, some not very pleasant, FOR HUMOROUS PURPOSES. Ray's ineptness as a human being, Marie's treatment of those around her, and Debra, Frank, and robert's reactions to the sh*tstorm is why it lasted a decade. Because it was HILARIOUS. Most of the time. Please stop beating this horse, you killed it 42 posts ago.

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Ray wasn't Husband or Father of the Year, no, but there were times where he was a good parent. Like, when he worried that Ally was being bullied on the bus, and then he was upset when he found out that Ally was the bully. Debra acted like bullying was no big deal, and YES IT IS!

Or in The Ball, at the very end on Christmas Eve, when he dresses up as Santa Claus and goes into Ally's room. Or when he bought Ally that expensive dress, even though he thought it was ridiculous to spend that much money on it.

I highly doubt he would have done any of those things if he didn't love his kids.

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He was her baby. He could do no wrong in her eyes.

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