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TV and Movie Theme Songs Of Our Youth

azdr0710

By + azdr0710
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longtime lurker Mentor

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The theme music from M*A*S*H is iconic, but the original song and lyrics used in the 20th Century Fox film the TV series was based on was another story. One gay blogger included it among his "12 songs that make me want to run away screaming". http://everydayheterosexism.blogspot.com/2015/01/12-songs-that-make-me-run-away-screaming.html

 

"Suicide is Painless" (M*A*S*H, 1970. Originally by Johnny Mandel and Mike Altman).

 

The movie was about a soldier in the Korean War who thought he was gay because he couldn't perform properly with ladies. He therefore intended to commit suicide, until his buddies convinced him that he was straight after all. A song suggesting that gay people commit suicide? Great.

 

Now... I personally think this writer over-reacted a little here. The song was relating suicide to the war experience rather than to gay soldiers. However I do agree that the infamous sequence when the medic is "straightened out" by a lady nurse is highly questionable, just like "Hot Lips" being exposed to the crowds in her shower to prove she was a "natural blonde". Then again, the film was so hypercritical of the military that some of the offense was intended to have impact.

 

Yet the TV show got rid of all of the macho heterosexism that was tolerated more in 1969 when the movie was filmed than in 1972 post-feminist and gay rights movements. Removing the lyrics was one plus.

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longtime lurker Mentor

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The list would not be complete without Dallas...Ahh Patrick Duffy, Dack Rambo and God bless Sue Ellen...

 

 

After seeing it hit and miss during its initial run (mostly in the later years), I did eventually see ALL of the episodes on DVD decades later. It took me a while. I must admit that the show really was THAT good. Of course, some seasons were better than others. It was still hilarious and head scratching how one was actually explained away as a "dream" after Bobby reappeared in a shower! However most shows of that era suffered from sillier situations. Dynasty hasn't aged as well, although that adds to its charm for those into retro-80s entertainment.

 

Some of the longest running shows like Gunsmoke are harder to "date" because they take place in a different time period. Those that lasted enough seasons, but were set contemporary (Mary Tyler Moore's show being one example) are a lot of fun to see in chronological order.

 

The initial I Love Lucy series showed considerable progression between 1951 and 1960, but the only eight season run of Bewitched was even more dramatic because society was changing much faster that decade. It is fascinating how Elizabeth Montgomery's wardrobe changed (dress to mini-skirt to slacks) along side the Chevrolets (including two versions of the Corvette and plenty of Cameros) being hawked in every street and driveway scene, not to mention the move from black and white to "living" color and two Darrins. You are watching America change in that sitcom from the first full year of the LBJ administration (the pilot show was filmed in December 1963 but broadcast the following fall with more recently filmed shows) through the Nixon years pre-Watergate (last episodes done in December 1971). No water beds or lava lamps in the Stevens' house but that shag rug was resembling the Serengeti by the final season.

 

Likewise, the early Dallas shows all have primitive technology in all of the offices (phones had chords then! Where are the computers?) and disco music on the soundtracks (see Bobby and Pamela do their best John Travolta moves). Two early episodes feature supporting characters "coming out" post Harvey Milk era, suggesting the writers were quite progressive despite how hetero and woman hungry JR himself was. Then the series continues through the Big Hair and ladies' shoulder pads era, reaching its climax in 1984-85, then all of the cynicism of big business greed following the Wall Street crash. In the last seasons, JR was constantly attacked by women and THEY were winning. This includes a brief multi-episode arch involving Larry Hagman's ex-co-star Barbara Eden!

 

Oh well. Sorry to get off topic. Back to TV music...

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pitman Grand Master

+ pitman

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When Batman debuted on ABC, it was shown in 2-part episodes on Wed & Thu. One of the biggest conflicts for

me was whether to watch the Wed episode of Batman or Lost in Space, which aired opposite it on CBS. Most of my friends chose Batman, but I stuck with Lost in Space (mostly because of Dr. Smith) and just watched the Thu episode of Batman.

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