Friendly sitcom nods past '80s (LONGING FOR THE LOST LIBERAL GOLDEN AGE)

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | November 2, 2005 | DOUG ELFMAN TELEVISION CRITIC

[CFC__VRWC]

The late '70s was about mellowing out, getting laid and watching "MASH" and good movies.

I remember the late '70's being about gas lines, stagflation and 444 days of us doing nothing while the Islamonazis paraded our Tehran embassy staff in front of the world media as hostages.

[flashbunny]

mmm....laura prepon....tall, redhead, likes guns.

didn't like it when she died her hair blonde, though.

[Tijeras_Slim]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that this writer was either not alive, or too young to understand what was going on, during the wretched Carter adminisration.

Obviously. If they'd been old enough to pay a mortgage or drive, they'd remember.

[Clemenza]

The 70s had better movies and dirtier magazines. The 80s had a better economy and better hygeine. Its a draw as far as music is concerned.

[justshutupandtakeit]

No matter what is said Laura Pepron is seriously HOT. Flaming, roaring bonfire HOT.

[subterfuge]

Guilty as charged. I HAD a bitchin' Honda Prelude!

[ozzymandus]

That show is still on? I thought those were re-runs. Those "kids" must be in their 30's by now.

[Clemenza]

Red also had another family in the early 1960s. When he refused to let his Gay son persue a career in acting and continue hanging with his pals in the Dead Poets Society, the son took Red Foreman's gun and offed himself.

[CFC__VRWC]

Where was this guy? The 80s were about President Reagan and winning the Cold War and emerging from the Carter malaise and the bitter national split of the 60s. The 80s were about optimism and the return of the American Spirit, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Which is exactly why the left and the media want to brand the '80's as the "Decade of Greed", or pretend the decade never happened.

[ozzymandus]

Oddly enough, commie CNN rat Jeff Greenfield used to write for the 'Poon.

[KevinDavis]

Also in the 80's that is when the PC movement began..

[sangoo]

Watching Jimmy Carter on the Today show the morning I was reminded how bad things really were back then. There was a "shortage" of everything. Then the disaster in the desert with the rescue attempt. I thought it was over for America. Jimmy Carter has nothing to say. He was an idiot then and he's actually worse now. He needs to depart the scene.

[flashbunny]

wow, that was him?

Red has always been a hard assed dad!

[subterfuge]

"I remember the late '70's being about gas lines, stagflation and 444 days of us doing nothing while the Islamonazis paraded our Tehran embassy staff in front of the world media as hostages"

Don't forget the "malaise" Carter put the country through either.

[KevinDavis]

The show is kinda like MASH... It has been 1979 for a long time.

[RockinRight]

[RockinRight]

Yup...got that right.

She's a gun girl too!! Hot and can use a gun! What I wouldn't do for one chance...

I better shut up while I can!

[GSWarrior]

Never seen an episode.

[reagan_fanatic]

I'll take the 80's, thanks. The decade of Reagan was a high point in my life and something I'll always remember fondly.

[Hardastarboard]

I can thank the '70s and P.J. O'Rourke for that.

We'll never see the likes of National Lampoon again.

That brings back memories, and you are absolutely right about the Lampoon. GREAT, all time funny satire.