Hippie parents Alicia (Tika Sumpter) and Paul Johnson (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) learn to get outside of their comfort zones in the February 11 Valentine's Day episode of ABC's Mixish.
In the show, which takes place in the 1980s, Alicia has to grow comfortable with young Rainbow (Arica Himmel) going on a date with Bryce. She finally comes around after meeting Bryce's parents, but it's her husband Paul who is aghast to discover that Bryce's father, Ken, supports trickle-down economics and presumably President Ronald Reagan. The horror!
Ken: I'm feeling flush. Thank God for trickle-down economics. Am I right?
Rainbow: As far as Dad was concerned, Mr. Olsen just said he loved Ronald Reagan.
Paul gets it in his head that because Ken made a comment about trickle-down economics, he must be a bad guy. Paul even admits he thinks Ken is "a bad person" when Alicia calls him out for it. He then invites Ken out for beers, as a way to entrap him to admit some other undesirable views:
Rainbow: All my dad had to do to prove that he was justified in going "Full Paul" was to show that Mr. Olsen was a bad guy.
Paul: Did you hear the news? Shine -- you know, the, uh, the dish soap -- they're in bed with the oil companies. They're basically rooting for oil spills.
Ken: That doesn't make any sense at all. I mean, I hate to criticize journalists, but that news sounds fake. Like fake news.
Paul: Well, the way I heard it made it sound real. Anyway... Ken, tell me about yourself.
Rainbow: My dad proceeded to use his semester and a half of law-school training to try and trap Bryce's dad into morally incriminating himself.
Ken: My God would never judge people like that. Of course slavery was wrong. Why wouldn't I let a woman drive?
Rainbow: It turned out, this was harder than it seemed.
Paul: Ah, we've had such a great time here tonight, right? W-w-what do you say we both just blurt out our favorite slurs?
Ken: Uh, Paul, I think I know what you're trying to do.
Paul What, bond with another white guy about our favorite slurs?
Ken: The other night, when I mentioned trickle-down, I could tell you didn't like it. And ever since then, you've been pretty hostile. I mean, do you always decide who someone is based on one comment?
Paul: Okay, I'll -- I'll admit it. I made a snap judgment about you, but that's why I'm here -- to get to know you.
Ken: Yeah. Well, if you were actually trying to get to know me, you might have learned that I have three sisters and grew up in Cleveland, and I've volunteered at a homeless shelter for the last 10 years. But you didn't ask about any of that.
Paul: You really volunteer?
Ken: Thanks for the beer.
Hippie dad Paul not only believes making comments about trickle-down economics makes someone "a bad person," but that they truly harbor evil views, as if they could think slavery is anything but wrong. It also plays into the stereotype of conservatives believing in a vengeful, angry God. It's a good thing Ken has enough sense to recognize Paul's behavior and school him for it. Ah, the tolerant left and their assumptions.
