jrc@ritcv.UUCP (James R Carbin) (10/26/83)
****** scratch scratch scratch ******* FLAME LIT!!!! > Scott Pector claims that on *any* TV show, conservatives are stereotyped as > insensitive, dumb (or less intelligent), unattractive individuals > while liberals are sensitive, intelligent, attractive, clean, etc. He cited M*A*S*H as one example. Well as a M*A*S*H freak, (like "treckies," I guess), I made an attempt to analyze the major characters, classify them as conservative or liberal, and attempted to generalize about their qualities. 1. Major Winchester - obviously intelligent, clean, and while appearing to be somewhat insensitive, he had his moments, and while I can't state this with authority, I am told that many women find bald men attractive. The question of whether he was (is - I watch the reruns) a conservative is a subjective one. I'll concede that! I BELIEVE that circumstantial evidence leads me to believe he was (is). 2. Major Houlihan - with a General as a father, another red, white, and blue conservative. She was certainly attractive (the liberal of liberals Hawkeye Pierce substianted that!), sensitive, intelligent, and clean. What other conservatives? (The Liberals are easy to identify!) Radar? - Difficult to tell. Major Frank Burns - yep - and they characterized him as a boob! But M*A*S*H had some growing pains over eleven years and the replacement of Major Burns with Major Winchester after the introduction of Col. Sherman Potter as a replacement of a "flaky" (and I evaluate subjectively as a liberal) Col. Blake, probably was the turning point of the show. It became of age, and one of the things the writers learned to do was never to necessarily stereotype people along political lines. Could anyone claim Hawkeye was clean (perhaps organized is a better word?) And even though I have liberal tendencies, I'm not sure that I would want to put up with his antics at dinner - might be too embarassing! And Klinger did screw up as company clerk with a fair degree of regularity, but would later display unusual efficiency and talent. (Anyone who would claim to be a transvestite in an attempt to get out of the U.S. Army is certainly not a conservative! Was he the All-American Boy in Korea? The ideal soldier?) The point I am attempting to make is that what Scott claims may be true in some cases (or perhaps in many cases.) I won't attempt to analyze the entire TV lineup. (And I too selectively watch the tube so I would not be in a position to evaluate many (if any) other shows.) But M*A*S*H is what I believe a very good counter-example which can be used to soften his universal claim! After all, some of my best friends are conservatives! :-) as ever, j.r. P.S. *PLEASE* No FLAMES from either conservative or liberal transvestites! P.P.S. **PLEASE** I know that this should probably be in net.flame, but I'm not too sure that many readers of Scott's flame in net.politics would have seen my response.