So continuing on my regression back to being a surly teenager, I have been watching classic shows lately while knitting. Currently, I am watching I Love Lucy season 2 and the Mary Tyler Moore Show season 3. I’m pretty sure that my parents thought it was odd that their teenage daughter would stay up all hours of the night to watch those shows and Dick Van Dyke and Get Smart. It was the best when Nick at Nite showed blocks of shows in the summer. Anyway, the two I am watching now are my favorites, because of the strong women characters. I’m pretty sure that I had seen all the episodes but can’t remember since it’s been like 10-15 years.
The third season of the Mary Tyler Moore show is absolutely amazing and just the first disc alone is some of the best comedic episodes ever, in my crazy opinion. The feminist issues that they deal with in those first 8 episodes: inequality/sexism in the workplace, sex, attitudes about unmarried women in their 30s (which was a lot less common then) and body image. Rhoda is my new hero and the actor who played her, Valerie Harper, was involved in the feminist movement before she started to play Rhoda.
I can’t remember if it was in the first or second episode of the season, when Mary finds out she makes $50 a week less than her male predecessor and goes to confront Lou. I found myself yelling at the tv “Mary you tell him that’s bullshit” “tell him to shove it up his ass” “you march back in there Mary” and such. I’m sure the neighbors heard but whatevs. All the issues that they dealt with in those episodes are sadly still issues now, more than 30 years later. Are there any shows on today that deal with those issues? I can’t think of any. I wish there were. If anyone knows of any, please let me know.
Current Listening: Portishead-Dummy
Current Project: Staff Acct Sweater (just button band left!)
Current Reading: The Beach House (on the last disc-I can’t wait)
