Ep. 3- Les On a Ledge

November 9, 2014

Writer: Hugh Wilson
Director: Asaad Kelada
Original Air Date: October 2, 1978

^^^FAMOUSLY FUNNY^^^


Could you IMAGINE this episode airing today?!? This is only the third episode! It is the first episode that doesn't deal specifically with the new Rock format. And what topic does Hugh Wilson want to tackle with this new show of his? The Stigma of Homosexuality in 1978!

So let's be clear, this episode is about the STIGMA of homosexuality. Look at some of things that happen in this episode: Johnny tricks Herb into staying away from Jennifer by suggesting she had a sex change operation; Les is banned from the Cincinnati Reds locker room after a player complains that Les might be "queer"; Les is prepared to commit SUICIDE because his fellow journalists might find out he has been accused of homosexuality.

Although the episode tries to take great pains to say it doesn't matter is Les is gay or not, even the most liberal characters are reserving their reactions until there is an answer. And EVERY character is in attack mode against the allegations, because that allegation is what could really ruin Les's career.

That's a lot to take in now in 2014. It's almost impossible to see any of those things being possible in today's world in middle America. Let's work backwards. Les' career (not just sports, but news and award-winning farm reports) could have been ruined by the Stigma of Homosexuality. Today, it could be ruined by the fact he is a sports journalist who doesn't know a contest of baseball teams is called a "Game."  Today, a professional ball player could have his career ruined for making any sort of homophobic statement (Hello, John Rocker!) much less using that as a pretext for banning a reporter from a locker room. Trying to ban any journalist from a locker room would also probably hurt his career.

Thirdly, in a world with Laverne Cox and Carmen Carrera, the idea of a beautiful transgendered woman isn't as ridiculous as the running joke of Jennifer once being a man. I understand in this case it is really just the crux of a farce, used to make Herb look stupid, rather than a discussion of gender acceptance but today, the joke falls back against the audience. Originally, the audience is laughing so hard because Herb is actually believing a woman as beautiful as Jennifer Marlowe might once have been a man! Silly Herb! But today, that is a reasonable outcome to gender reassignment. Okay, Loni Anderson style beauty is possibly a bit much to hope for, but it's not as ridiculous as the audience seems to think it is.

Kind of a twisty Mobius strip of social norms and comedy, isn't it? Let look at some of the other stuff in this episode.

Notice there was no Bailey or Venus? Tim Reid only ever missed three episodes of the show. Jan Smithers only missed four. Just two too many more opinions for this episode?

At the end of his phone call with the player who made the accusation, Les says "Goodbye, Bruce" and the audience roars with laughter. There was no one named Bruce on the Reds in 1978. This is just a reference to a stereotypical "Gay" name that the audience recognizes as a 'Gay' name. This was such a stereotype in the 70's that the comic book character of Dr. Bruce Banner on had his name changed to David for "The Incredible Hulk" TV series.

I understand the script is calling for Les to spout Shakespeare while contemplating his death, but the delivery is given like he's trying to reach the balcony of the Globe Theatre, not like he's standing on a ledge in Cincinnati. Les is reciting the Cardinal Wolsey soliloquy from Henry VIII ("Farewell to all my greatness."). It's a good choice, because in the play, Wolsey is addressing his rivals, who have driven him out. But Les can remember this whole passage and still thinks a golfer is named "Chai Chai Rodraqueeze"?

Roy