I can see mitigating circumstances to Ray's omission of a Debra mention during his honorary doctorate acceptance speech (supposedly Monday's March 1, 2004 episode).

As much as I detest Debra, I'll concede that her character helped enrich the life of Ray Barone and should be mentioned in a Ray Barone acceptance speech. However, please note that Debra didn't do much to support Ray's career.

1) Remember, Debra confided to Ray that she doesn't read his column in the Frank threatened to keep the football episode.

2) Remember, Debra, who pretended to be incapable of installing a tape in a VCR, refused to tape sporting events for Raymond during the episode in which Robert incompetently ruined some of Amy's wedding arrangements.

3) Debra doesn't respect Raymond's work ethic on the job. She never accepts that he might be tired when he comes home from work. It's always that Raymond should do more around the house. Since Debra doesn't help Raymond on his job, she shouldn't seek him to assist her when she's on the job.

I can easily understand how Raymond could forget to mention Debra when he's accepting an honor created by the excellence of his work.

Debra is the backbone of the family.

The assertion that Debra is the backbone of the family does not amplify how she contributes to Raymond's career.

St. John's apparently chose to award Ray Romano an honorary doctorate on the basis of his work as a sportswriter. Frankly, Debra hasn't contributed much, if anything, to Raymond's career. That's why it would be easy for Ray to overlook Debra in an acceptance speech.

He probably would just because he's a little momma's boy.

The episode was average.

St. John's University, Ray's alma mater, awarded Ray Barone an honorary doctorate. However, Ray's parents, Robert, and Debra (notwithstanding her attempts to appear less obvious) were more concerned about their perceived roles in Ray's success than Ray's success itself.

Ray generically credited everybody but Debra for his success during the acceptance speech.

When the clan returned home Marie was in high spirits because she seemed to get the most credit for Ray's success. Conversely, a "hurt" Debra confided to an inquiring Amy that Ray didn't mention his wife during the honorary doctorate acceptance speech.

(Debra wanted to appear classy, but don't be fooled. If Debra has half of her self-purported intelligence, she'd know that Amy would blab something said in confidentiality. Allegedly Debra didn't want to ruin "Ray's day" by being selfish about her "hurt").

In the bedroom at the end of the day Ray and Debra discussed the oversight. A candid Ray conceded that indirectly he may have omitted a mention of Debra because she incessantly chides him for lacking intelligence (The previous night Debra reminded Ray that he mangled "stomachache" in an oral reading).

Ray apologized to Debra by writing about her contributions to his career in his column. He projected that Debra emboldened him. If a goal, such as landing a woman "out of his league" could be accomplished, any goal could be accomplished.

The irony to me is that Ray virtually had to force "Support me, Support me", Debra to read his column. You'd think a supportive wife would perfunctorily read her husband's column, but Debra conceded in the "Frank kept the football" episode that she doesn't read Ray's column.

Of course, Marie is aggravated because the blurb about Debra dwarfed Ray's generic mention of her in his acceptance speech.

During the showdown in Ray and Debra's kitchen, it occurred to Ray that the others were more concerned about personal credit than his success.

He sarcastically expressed his gratitude to each person in one-on-one rounds and left the kitchen. Meanwhile, Robert was elated because Ray talked to him first, and Debra was triumphant because Ray saved her for last.

I thought the episode was very funny and that's all I look for in a sitcom. I don't have to overanalyze every character because I know they're not real. :p

Frank: Education is the biggest scam on this earth!

Yeah that definitely sounds like the Frank I know.

Debra is the greatest thing that ever happened to Raymond. She should be canonized for putting up with his funhouse psycho family and her Mama's spineless boy of a husband.

I would have thrown his sorry ass out years ago.

Janice your entitled to your opinion.

I certainly disagree. Debra, who dabbles in spousal abuse, is condescending, hypocritical, demeaning, classless, and phony.

Originally posted by Contributor
Janice your entitled to your opinion.

Yes, and most people share my opinion.

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?s=&threadid=89562&perpage=15&pagenumber=1

She's a great woman who has to put up with so much. More than any other woman on a sitcom. She's entitled to blow her stack.

Having lived with a Marie Barone type for a number of years, I tend to sympathize with her. It is no fun getting criticized all the time.

agreed, Debra is a victim.