In the late 1980s, Growing Pains was one of the most popular shows on television. The sitcom, which ran from 1985 to 1992 on ABC, was centered around the Seaver family, which featured psychiatrist Jason (Alan Thicke), reporter Maggie (Joanna Kerns), and their kids Mike, Carol, and Ben (Kirk Cameron, Tracey Gold, and Jeremy Miller).
One of the most memorable episodes of Growing Pains came early in the show’s run. The episode, titled “Thank God It’s Friday,” aired on Feb. 10, 1987. The storyline features teen Mike and his friends Eddie (K.C.Martel) and Boner (Andrew Koenig) at a party where kids are doing cocaine in the bathroom. Mike refuses to do drugs and leaves the party, but his pals want to stay. When Mike gets home, Papa Seaver informs him that Eddie and Boner stopped by and said, "they didn't go to the bathroom.”
Collider ranked “Thank God It’s Friday” as one of the greatest “Very Special Episodes” of all time, along with Diff’rent Strokes’ “The Bicycle Man” and The Facts of Life episode “Breaking Point,” which both dealt with dark themes.
Not only did the "Thank God It's Friday" episode address the topic of drugs and peer pressure, but Cameron himself broke the fourth wall with a rare direct PSA at the end of the show. Cameron’s PSA was unique in that it was part of the episode and not a standalone clip or commercial.
The actor, who was 16 at the time and a major teen heartthrob, broke character as he walked on set as the party guests from the episode all stopped and froze. He then looked directly at the camera and delivered a message that came straight from the heart.
In his personal PSA, Cameron said, “Hi. You know, a lot of people will tell you that drugs are cool. And they’re the same people who are saying, ‘Everybody’s doing something, what’s your problem?’ Well, they’re wrong. Everybody’s not doing drugs, and you don’t have to try them to be cool. Look, I’m not trying to tell you how to live your lives, but I am telling ya, you don’t have to do something you don't want to just to keep your friends happy. I mean, if that’s the way they feel, maybe they’re not your friends. And maybe they’re not as cool as you thought they were.”
“And one last thing,” Cameron continued as the camera zoomed in closer to his face. “I’m not being paid to say this. This is how I feel. And if you think that makes me uncool, then you’re wrong.”
Kirk Cameron watched the clip with his son 40 years later
Nearly 40 years after his Growing Pains PSA first aired, Cameron looked back on it on his podcast The Kirk Cameron Show, alongside his youngest son, James. After the clip played, Cameron, 55, said to his son, “My goodness. James, is that so cringey? Does that just make you feel so…is that embarrassing ?” James replied that it was hilarious to see his dad with a mullet as a teen.
“You know, what's so interesting to me is that was during the Just Say No movement back in the 1980s under ...I think Nancy Reagan launched that, President Ronald Reagan's wife,” Cameron recalled of the anti-drug movement. “And I'm just looking at all the people in the background, and I recognize a lot of those people. Those were actors that were on the show and friends of mine that I've lost touch with. But that was super cool.“
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, help is available 24 hours a day through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Hotline at 1-800-662-4357.
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