Having a blast rewatching the complete run of "Maude" as a fully formed person. (Damian bought me the Shout! Factory box set.) Last night was notable for two reasons: First Maude had a run-in with one of her subordinates at the real-estate office she manages -- played by one Herb Edelman, aka Stanley Zbornak. And then later, Robert Mandan -- aka Chester Tate on "Soap" -- popped up as Mrs. Findlay's snooty gay friend! (The episode was particularly hilarious until it missed the mark at the end trying to show that “even liberal Maude” has her deep-seated prejudices, only she really hadn’t done anything wrong.)
So far in the first two and a half seasons, Maude has had an abortion. Vivian has had a facelift. Maude has had a facelift. Walter all but had an affair. Walter's drinking spiraled out of control. Walter gave Maude a black eye. Walter became sober. And Maude couldn't stop talking about how the young girl she had staying at the house was from "the ghetto."
I'd say it's hard to believe that my parents actually let me watch this back in the 1970s, only then I remember they really weren't paying much attention to anything my brothers and I did ... it was the '70s!
My earliest memory of Maude was seeing it and thinking Maude was a man. Amazing show!
ReplyDeleteParents had a much more laid-back style in the 70's, didn't they? My siblings and I were expected to entertain ourselves and only show up on time for meals. We were "free-range" children! Once, we built a raft and almost drowned ourselves when it split apart in the middle of the lake (no life jackets, naturally). At supper, our parents might ask what we did all day and we would all simultaneously answer, "Nuuuuu-thing!" We could watch whatever TV we wanted on the four channels we had. I never cared for Maude as a child --I guess it was too "grown-up" for me, but I remember the controversy over the subject matter. I don't remember EVER having TV censored.
ReplyDeleteI have vague memories of an episode about a gay bar
ReplyDeleteJack, I totally lived the same childhood you wrote about. We were wild and free and somehow some of us survived. Great post!
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