Alex P. Keaton
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Alex P. Keaton is a fictional character, portrayed by Michael J. Fox, on the 1980s American sitcom Family Ties. Alex is most famous for being an extremely conservative Republican, and a passionate student of economics, which is rooted in his obsession with money. In particular, he was a proponent of supply-side economics. Keaton kept a picture of Ronald Reagan above his bed, and noted an affinity for William F. Buckley, Jr., Richard Nixon and Milton Friedman. His favorite television show was Wall $treet Week, then hosted by Louis Rukeyser. Keaton routinely read The Wall Street Journal, and was an ardent supporter of its conservative editorial page.
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[edit] Early life
Keaton's conservative attitudes contrast sharply with his liberal, former-hippie parents and his three politically unopinionated siblings. His character was born in the late 1960s while his parents were in Africa volunteering for the Peace Corps. Alex's staple was his propensity to always dress up in a shirt and tie while carrying a briefcase, even though he attended a public high school.
At the beginning of the series, Keaton was in high school and determined to attend Princeton University. While visiting Princeton, his sister Mallory, distraught after having just suffered an emotional crisis, barged in on Alex's admissions interview. Torn by his great desire to attend the university, Alex ultimately chose to tend to his sister rather than continue his interview, thus destroying his chances of attending the school.
[edit] College
Alex ended up receiving a scholarship to the fictional Leland College. The college was located close enough to the Keaton home in Columbus, Ohio that Alex continued to live in his parents' house and commute to campus. While attending Leland, he was involved in two major romantic relationships with two characters who were vastly different from his conservative persona. One of these girlfriends, Ellen Reed, was portrayed by Tracy Pollan (who became Michael J. Fox's real-life wife). After they broke up, Keaton pursued a psychology major with feminist leanings, Lauren Miller, who was played by Courteney Cox.
Keaton excelled at Leland College, and was even given the opportunity to teach an economics course as a teaching assistant.
When explored more in depth, it became clear that many of Alex's actions were a result of an image he wanted to project rather than the truth of what he believed. For instance, in college and in high school, Alex was given time on the school radio to play his favorite music. Usually, Alex's musical taste was pre-rock and roll and he admonished all modern forms of music. But in the episode "A, My Name is Alex" it was revealed that Alex secretly enjoyed The Doors, who celebrated the 1960s counterculture. However, he never deviated from his conservative political beliefs.
[edit] Post Graduate
Ultimately, Keaton graduated from Leland College at the end of the series and accepted a job on Wall Street in 1989. As Keaton stayed at home throughout his college years, the departure was a difficult and emotional one for his family.
According to one episode of Michael J. Fox's later series Spin City, Keaton eventually became a Republican Senator from Ohio.
The character of Alex P. Keaton became a symbol of America's move towards more conservative political thinking in the 1980s. In fact, Ronald Reagan once stated that Family Ties was his favorite television show.
[edit] Influences
There is a bar in London, Ontario, Canada named "The Alex P. Keaton", after the fictional character. The bar is located on the corner of Talbot Street and Albert Street. http://www.thealexpkeaton.com/main.htm
