That’s his legacy. Nothing he did before (certainly not McCain-Feingold) or since is ultimately going to matter, but THAT choice has to be brought up every time we talk about his impact on GOP politics. 

Oh, no doubt it’s dated! Remember the Beatles spoof or when Rob writes the pop song Bupkis and has it stolen?

Lucy begs to differ, although it was pretty rare. :)

They were subtle but they showed her as having a sex life. She was on the pill. There were a couple of scenes where she invited guys up. A scene where she entered her apartment after a night out, got dressed and left for work. Lots of jokes about the inconvenience of her (lack of) bed.

This makes me even more proud of my mother, who retired a few years ago as an executive for one of the world’s biggest insurance companies. I only wish I could have seen her in NY and Chicago as a twenty-something in her work outfits fighting the man. She may be a Trump supporter and have some totally ass-backwards…

I like Dick Van Dyke, and am even rewatching it (up to season 4 this week) but this show can’t go more than 3 episodes without a reminder that it’s fuckin old. Like when Laura asks Rob for her allowance. Or the entire “Playboy” spoof episode.

And it’s why they wanted Betty White to reprise her “slut” and proud of it role as Blanche on Golden Girls.

Mary had a sex life. She had broken up with a fiancé, and she was on the pill. Quietly, without fuss. It’s one of the things I really valued as I got a bit older.

You really should get a chance to watch Maude if you want to see early treatment of abortion on TV. Later seventies, an All in the Family spinoff starring Bea Arthur. Not only do they talk frankly about abortion, but Maude has one, no guilt.

One of my favorite moments is when Mary was doing a report on the news and Ted kept interrupting her, until she’d had enough and yelled, “Shut up, Ted!” Watching that on Nick at Night as a young lad, I couldn’t understand why she got in trouble for it. Sure, it was a little unprofessional, but Ted was being a jerk! He…

Thank you. It’s hard to overestimate how Laura Petrie’s intelligence, talent, and assertiveness helped pave the way for Mary Richards. There simply had never been a TV wife like her before, and the 60s audience was smart enough to know that the Petries’ relationship was a partnership in which she would put up with no…

Also, it was a real coup because she was the first woman ever to appear on TV in pants, and not a dress.

No one ever thought of Laura Petrie as a put upon wife who didn’t get to shine.

I don’t think any of the women were assumed to be chaste. They just didn’t show it or talk about it.

Sue Ellen Niven (played by the glorious and eternal Betty White) was one of the most snarky, irreverent, and sexually liberated characters. Mary was assumed to be chaste, Rhoda was notoriously unlucky in love, but Sue Ellen was sex-positive. Also note Georgia Engel as the “dumb blonde” who usually had a smart…

The DVD show was amazing and she was great as Laura. I just listened to an interview she did with Terry Gross and hearing her talk about that show was very interesting. She demanded more of Laura than just his wife, as others have pointed out.

I remember an interview about her role as Laura Petrie and MTM wanting to wear capri pants on the show. Back an forth with the studio and they finally relented, as long as the pants “...did not cup her buttocks..”.

But even Laura flirted with a career. I always imagined that one day Laura would go back into the work force and be amazing at what she chose to do.

Calling the brilliant Dick Van Dyke Show the saltmines is a bit much. She was a stay at home wife but one of Rob’s fellow writers was Sally (Rose Marie is still kicking!). And Laura was a fully developed character not just just his wife. They were very much equals.

lol, so do I. I prefer Pest Jet.