This, That, and the Other Thing...

I will be the first to admit that I am not a big television watcher. I might put it on for background noise, but I hardly ever pay attention to it. I am pretty good at television trivia, though, which is rather surprising. I think it is because I retain my friends rambles. That's the only reason I can think of why. So, my friend has the complete set of Soap, which was a television show that was on the air from 1977-1981. I had heard of it before, but never watched it with any real interest. Somehow, though, my friend has me watching it with them, and while it is really one of the stupidest television shows ever... I love it! (What else is stupid is I just noticed it was raining out!) It turns out that I have actually seen episodes of it before, probably as reruns on television. In any case, we are on the fourth, and final, season, so I thought I would offer my thoughts on the show.

Here is the show in a nutshell. We have two sisters: Jessica Tait and Mary Campbell. The show is about their respectable families. Jessica is married to a womanizer and has three children. Mary is married to a man who thinks he can make himself invisible and has two children from her first marriage. Her first husband was killed. Her second husband also has two children from a previous relationship. Jessica is probably the ditzest person I know. Dealing with her would drive me crazy! But, as a character in a show I cannot help laughing! She went on to play Mona in Who's the Boss. The total 180 in characters is pretty impressive. Mary is the only one in the show that is not really a comedian. She sort of brings everything together and keeps it kind of calm.

As to the children, Jessica has two daughters and a son. Her oldest daughter, Eunice, is a spoiled little princess who always wants what she wants. She is played out in the relationship with her father and the way she handles her men. The next sister, Corrine, tends to go for men that she cannot have. She is also the intelligent female in the household. Eunice tends to be a bit too much like her mother in brain capacity... Lastly, we have Billy who is sort of lost in all the drama. He is worried that he is going to turn out crazy like the rest of his family, and actually tells one of his girlfriends that... Interesting enough it is her that turns out crazy, but I don't want to give too much away! Jessica's husband, Chester, has a brain but he fails to use it, which gets him in some very interesting situations. He can also be quite a baby, which can be annoying! You want to tell him to GROW UP! The Tait's also have a butler, Benson, who is one of my favourite characters. I guess he went on to have his own show, which might be interesting to look into... He is funny without really trying. He does have to put up with a pretty crazy family, though...

As to the Campbell's. Mary has two sons: Danny and Jody. Danny is hillarious because he is so clueless! The rest of the family (for the most part) uses their brains, so it is pretty funny to watch Danny interact with them and they try to deal with his stupid ideas. He is supposed to be that typical good-looking person with no brain... Then, we have Jody. Jody is played by a rather young Billy Crystal, so he got my vote from the very beginning. He is a very smart guy, but he is a homo-sexual. This is something that is a major theme in many of the episodes. I really like both Jody and Danny. Then, there is Chuck and Bob. Words cannot really convey how much I enjoy those two... You see, Chuck is Burt's son.... Bob is a dummy.... And by that, I do not mean really stupid. What I mean is that he is a doll that Chuck talks. Bob pretty much says everything that Chuck is too scared to say. I just love them. Really stupid when you think about it, but the family forgets that Bob is not real all the time, people try and understand why Bob gets introduced to visitors, and Bob easily has some of the best lines in the show! It is a brilliant idea! The other son of Burt is only in the first season. Burt is hillarious too. He is perfect at timing. Just watching him have a one-sided conversation on the phone is priceless.

I am probably not doing this show justice because I went into it without really knowing anything about it, so I don't want to ruin it for anyone. I am sure lots of people have seen this show before, but if you haven't and you need a good laugh: BUY IT! Or rent, renting is good. What the show is in a nutshell is a show that makes fun of other shows. I am really disappointed that there are only four seasons and that when it ends... it just ends... and not with any real ending either. I suppose it had to make way for the better known shows of the time, but personally, I like this better and am very happy I am taking the time to watch it!

Oh! I forgot the Major! Jessica and Mary's father is also in this show and he believes that the Second World War is still going on!
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Moving on... I was checking my email and Dewey had sent me a very interesting one. It is the link to a newish web site called Field Report: True Life. I do not really write anymore, but once upon a time I was always scribbling things down. Nowadays, I tend to read what other people have taken the time to write about. Earlier tonight I did some browsing. I haven't joined yet because I want to be able to spend some time on there when I do, but what the site is all about is a place where you can win cash prizes for good writing! Now, who doesn't need a little extra cash? They are looking for non-fiction stories, though, so keep that in mind. And if, like me, you don't really have time to write anymore, you can still participate. You see, members choose the winners! So, it is like you are a member of the Academy Awards for non-fiction and you can say afterwards: I voted for that person! Instant gratification... And then, you know, you can ask that person to share the wealth! (Just kidding...) So, be sure to head on over there. For a more in-depth run-through of the site, head over to the Quick Start Guide. If you do decide to submit some writing be sure and let me know! Then, I can say I knew you when...
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Lastly, I started the R.I.P. Challenge early because I really wanted to read The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury. A review will likely be coming tomorrow... I am almost done now!