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Copy Cat

N

nuzguy

This morning saw an episode of Dick Van Dyke in which Rob and the writers were using carbon paper, which in the era of the show was about the only way to make copies unless one used the then wonder machine Thermo Fax.

Amusing to think that people everywhere who were not of t'he early 60s saw the DVD scene and said, "What's carbon paper? Where's the Xerox machine?"
 
I noticed something similar thing in an old episode of Green Acres the other day.
They repeatedly used a dated and politically very incorrect term to refer to Mexican
migrant farm workers ('damp reverse side' is as close as I will paraphrase here). It is
used repeatedly and so often that you can't possibly edit it out every time and have
anything left of the episode. I am kind of surprised that it has not been pulled from
syndication, given our ultra-sensitive level of political correctness. Radio guys have
been disciplined for using the same term on-air.

For the same reason, I Love Lucy is a work of genius. Lucy and Desi took careful and deliberate
steps to avoid including any material that would date the episodes. To a very large degree they
were successful. Aside from a few old cars and hairstyles, many of those scripts would continue
to work today just as well as they did 50 yrs. ago, despite the massive changes that have taken
place since then.
 
Yes, a masterful job of script management. Almost as tricky as avoiding use of the word "pregnant" since the "censors" wouldn't allow it owing to content restrictions of the moralistic 50s. Surprised that during the pregnancy Lucy wasn't photographed in medium close ups then the baby just mysteriously appeared out of nowhere. Hardly logical or even possible but the content cops weren't conserned with practicality. The episode featuring the birth of Little Ricky is classic, from the living room chaos scene when Lucy says "Ricky, it's time" to the hospital setting when Ricky rushes in from the club in full make up. I Love Lucy is a masterpiece in every way. The fact that the show is in syndication more than a half century later is proof positive.
 
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