Remember that great episode of “The Dick Van Dyke Show?” I know: I have to be more specific than that. Laura Petrie (Mary Tyler Moore) has her portrait painted as a special gift for husband Rob (Dick Van Dyke). She is wearing a smart black blouse and slacks that he particularly favors, but the quirky artist paints her as nude. Of course, we never see the painting, but the fact was made very obvious. Incensed when she finally sees the finished painting, Laura destroys it by smearing it with paint and runs out of the studio in a huff. Except it isn’t destroyed. It’s hard to relate today how avant-garde this script was on network television in the 1960’s. It is what made “The Dick Van Dyke Show” ground-breaking and popular. So what happened next? Well, it’s a long story, but I’ve always thought Rob would have been quite pleased to have the artist’s version. I guess 60’s television wasn’t quite ready for that.
73 responses to “Museum Quality”
“Museum quality”
Not sure that I ever want to be museum quality.
The only things that I ever see in museums are relics and other objects that are interesting and informative but no longer usable in the modern world.
It’s like the Rock ‘n’ Roll Museum. They have a museum? That’s proof positive that rock ‘n’ roll is gone and that the musicians are not relevant in the way they used to be.
TruckerRon, as to what the difference in my gut-reaction to MTM was caused by– writing or acting– I hadn’t given it any thought at all in my youth. Laura was simply very appealing! Mary Richards was not. But I now suppose each was written that way, and MTM brought them to life as conceived. Plus Laura wore Capri pants! It was also true, as others say, that in the context of a loving relationship, Laura had a certain sparkle in her eyes. I could put myself in Rob’s place as he gazed lovingly into those eyes and imagine what it felt like to have that gaze returned! If I put myself in Lou Grant’s place, I would just feel like her mentor…
Ken: I do believe MTM had a rare talent for projecting the character’s feelings. Do you remember the episode from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, “You Try To Be a Nice Guy”? That ridiculously revealing dress didn’t make Mary look as sexy as those Capri pants. I think it was her character’s reactions that made it simply embarrassing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3qVc-Krw4A
What is it about Tulsa and women rubbing my butt? (Remember the Religious Store Incident?)
We found a great Mexican food eatery in Tulsa, not far from where Jackie has been getting her just-completed radiation treatments. Unlike most restaurants of that genre, the floor plan is that of an old-time diner…booths along one side wall, a counter with round swiveling stools along the other, and tables and chairs in the middle.
Since her sessions were usually over by 1:30 pm, it was an ideal time to eat and miss the lunch-hour rush. However, one day recently she got treated ahead of schedule, and we arrived to find their rush in full swing. The only two vacant seats were at the far end of the counter. But we both like to eat at diner counters, so we happily took those spots.
I was on the very end, next to the kitchen door, where there was a narrow opening for the waitresses to go behind the counter and pick up their orders at the window into the kitchen. In fact, the opening at the end of the counter was so narrow that every cute little señora and señorita that walked by me (all seven of them) rubbed her butt against mine, every time they passed me, in either direction. Whether or not that was intentional, only they could say. But every one of them, every time?
Fortunately, I’m very easygoing, so I didn’t complain or make an issue of it. 🙂
On Oct. 19, I made a purchase [via a well-known auction site] from England. Item was about half a page and maybe 6 layers thick. I was billed about $10.50 – $11.00 for registered mail, and I had no choice in the matter.
It arrived today, three weeks(!) afterwards! It took 4 days just to cross the ocean, apparently via tired seagull. When my item got to Chicago, it spent all of ten days just sitting there. [Normally, the next day it’d be at my local facility, thence to my door.] Then, in the infinite wisdom of the postal people or their robots, instead of sending the item westward towards my residence in northern IL, the powers-that-be sent it to Cincinnati, OH!
I suspect some of my postage was an extra charge for the tour as well as a Chicago storage fee.
A different item sent from New York City last Sunday and expected on Tuesday (according to the site) made it here on Friday, having been sent to St. Louis first. Oh, well – that seems a little better….
I always considered MTM a very attractive woman. While I never watched her as Mrs. Petrie, I often watched her as the foil for Asner, et. al. Yep, the difference was in the writing and the intent. Having a caring, wifely role ought to involve some degree of occasional sexiness, while being an office person with no love interest in sight is entirely different.
No period after “et”.
Rechecking, the Atlantic crossing was much nearer 5 days, being more than 4 days 19 hours.
Consider how good Mary Tyler Moore was to carry that off while an alcoholic, as was Dick Van Dyke.
Amazing talent since both have admitted to working on alcohol.
Ghost really does have a nice butt. Very firm and tight in his jeans. He accused me of rubbing against it in kitchen today while he was spreading finger sandwiches.
I told him it was true but it was my shoulder colliding due to difference in our heights.
So many comics seem to have alcohol problems. And you have to wonder, if they had worked sober instead, would they have been funnier or not?
Buster Keaton must have worked sober in his better films, because those stunts were too carefully planned and carried out to have been done by someone under the influence.
Many comics have struggled with clinical depression and/or bipolar disorder. Their creativity and wit stems from their deepest pain. Their abuse of alcohol or other substances is often a form of self-medicating, trying to make the pain tolerable.
Kenya: Greater kudu.
https://explore.org/livecams/african-wildlife/african-animal-lookout-camera
Peace,
Oh Jimmy!
I wonder… had an officer told his troops that “we expect the enemy to make an all-out push this morning before ceasing hostilities. Hold the line! Throw everything you have at them, but hold the line!” Would that officer have been praised or court marshaled?
Thank you. Jimmy. I’m proud to have served. Albeit happy it was not in a European trench during WWI.
On the lighter side:
Base Commander (some years ago): “Since Veterans Day falls on a Saturday, what can we do to honor our military veterans? I know, we’ll make everyone not on duty get dressed up, come in on their day off, and march in a ginormous parade on the flight line. After all, most of the veterans we’re honoring probably had to do that sometime during their own service.”
Commander’s Aide: “Brilliant, sir! Absolutely brilliant!”
Me (a member of a different-Major-Command tenant unit shift-worker): “Enjoy being in the parade, guys!”
In November of 1918, my father’s younger and infant brother was so seriously ill with influenza that the country doctor seeing him had warned the family of his imminent death. Two days, later the doctor returned and declared that my uncle’s fever had broken and he would live. Almost at the same moment, the family was surprised and amazed to hear the sound of church bells pealing from all directions. A short time later, they learned that word had been received that the war in Europe had ended.
http://grabsteine.genealogy.net/tomb.php?cem=3782&tomb=109&b=S&lang=de
The above shows the resting place of my grandmother’s brother, Georg Schad, who fell at Flanders Field and is buried there. There are always casualties on both sides, especially among the lower ranks….
This was the closer of my grandmothers, as she lived with us until her death during my 20th year. I daresay she influenced me considerably.
Some information:
https://blog.fold3.com/world-war-i-armistice-signed-november-11-1918-100th-anniversary/?utm_source=tmih&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tmih-nov-2018
Comments also interesting.
The reason for delay was unlike today’s instant communication it would the 6 hrs
to get to all units by messenger.
Rest In Peace
Mark in TTown:
Unfortunately, I can’t remember who interviewed Richard Pryor, but I can recall the question and answer. The interview took place after Pryor set himself on fire while freebasing and then went into rehab.
Interviewer: Now that you are off drugs and alcohol altogether, do you think you are as funny as you used to be?
Pryor: No, but I’m a lot happier.
We were fortunate in our families – my uncle (14 years older than my dad, who turned 13 on 11/13/18), both of Bob’s grandfathers and a great uncle – all came home. My uncle and one of the grandfathers also brought or sent home pictures, pictures that actually had names and locations written on them. I’ve enjoyed looking through them and we shared some of them on Facebook today. Wish it was easier to share pictures here.
OK, I’ll try this again. If it works, you’ll see my Uncle Harry, nicknamed Old Baldy, with a couple of his buddies in France.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10213645919125621&set=pcb.10213645923645734&type=3&__tn__=HH-R&eid=ARB_92VZYHY8JZl0auDRAZiNesXYwwRrXjo6aqLgPa5PZgFveeyUvR9SnQPByLstwliMOHuhxeaegkE7
Mr. Johnson,
Regarding the Armistice Day A&J, could you please share a reference?
I do envy the British custom of wearing a poppy for the day.
We used to wear paper poppies here too.
Facebook friends go to my page. Ghost let me put a photo of him in militsry uniform. He was awfully good looking and still is of course.
“Remember the veteran.”
To my dad, who was part of the occupational force at Nagasaki.
To my father-in-law, who survived the Battle of the Bulge.