Everytime I watch "Rashomama" I try to figure out whose story is most reliable. Which of the three stories--Naomi's, Ellen's, and Eunice's--do you think is most truthful?

What do you think REALLY happened?

In my opinion, Naomi's is the best. I mean the characters are less distorted in their actions. (although, I do like the tiara Ellen is wearing in Eunice's Version:lol: )

I think Naomi's was most accurate too. Although, her contributions to the jam are suspect. It is most likely that Eunice and Ellen were fighting over the pot. I loved the crown Eunice had on Ellen's head and the way Eunice implied that Ellen tried to kill her.:lol: :lol:

When Ellen said that she would rather miss the tea than to miss spending time with her family, you know she is lying. She wouldn't even miss bridge to go to Aunt Fran's funeral.:eek:

jterry--Did you make up the Mama's Rap Song yourself? It is really funny.:lol:

I don't like Eunice's story because she made Naomi a total ditz! Naomi is kind of an airhead, but she is not a total ditz! I wanted to tell Eunice off. Eunice made herself out to be this sweet person when we all know she is a total snot!
I liked Naomi's story because it seemed more realistic. Ellen and Eunice are the two most likely to fight with each other and hit Mama on the face with the pot. They were only trying to save their butts! But, the episode was hilarious!

I agree with everyone--Naomi's was the least exaggerated story. The other night while watching this episode, I was actually thinking, "Hmm, now, who tells the story second best?" At one time I thought Ellen's, but she seemed to stretch the truth even more than Euince. Ellen had Thelma senile and Naomi ridiculously ditzy. Even Eunice wasn't that dramatic, which is funny because she is the overly dramatic one of the bunch.

Eunice and Ellen were the most likely pair to knock the pot into Thelma too. I've always guessed the truth was that all three were tugging on it though. Of course it's depicted as swinging from side to side as it hits her, so that means probably just two were swinging it.

Originally posted by Cashodeen
I agree with everyone--Naomi's was the least exaggerated story. The other night while watching this episode, I was actually thinking, "Hmm, now, who tells the story second best?" At one time I thought Ellen's, but she seemed to stretch the truth even more than Euince. Ellen had Thelma senile and Naomi ridiculously ditzy. Even Eunice wasn't that dramatic, which is funny because she is the overly dramatic one of the bunch.

Eunice and Ellen were the most likely pair to knock the pot into Thelma too. I've always guessed the truth was that all three were tugging on it though. Of course it's depicted as swinging from side to side as it hits her, so that means probably just two were swinging it.

I hadn't given much thought to the second best story... But I have to agree with you. Ellen's story was most exaggerated because she had Mama really senile and didn't she have Naomi really stupid? (which is not really true)

Eunice, while her story was bad too, had Ellen acting a little bit like Ellen and had Naomi acting like a bimbo (kind of true too, just exaggerated). Eunice basically had everyone behaving similarly to the way they really do (just very exaggerated) except herself.

jterry--Did you make up the Mama's Rap Song yourself? It is really funny.:lol: [/B]

No, actually I didn't. Mama sings this in the 2 Woman Show. IT IS HILARIOUS!:lol:

I don't like Ellen's version. Eunice's is TOO FUNNY!

Originally posted by FamilyTiesGOP

I hadn't given much thought to the second best story... But I have to agree with you. Ellen's story was most exaggerated because she had Mama really senile and didn't she have Naomi really stupid? (which is not really true)

Eunice, while her story was bad too, had Ellen acting a little bit like Ellen and had Naomi acting like a bimbo (kind of true too, just exaggerated). Eunice basically had everyone behaving similarly to the way they really do (just very exaggerated) except herself.

Yes, Ellen had Naomi as a complete moron. I agree Eunice had everyone pretty much how they are except they were extremely exaggerated. It's funny how Eunice's version depicts herself--reminds me of her attitude in the episode where she's listening to those positive thinking tapes.

Yeah I know! I especially like the bow in her hair like Iola's (Except it is a little bigger :lol: :happyface )

Originally posted by jterry

Yeah I know! I especially like the bow in her hair like Iola's (Except it is a little bigger :lol: :happyface )

LOLOL, that was hilarious. It still kills me in Eunice's version when she first walks into the kitchen--"Hello everyone! It's such a warm, wonderful, sunny, HAP HAP HAPPY DAY." (I think I got the quote right. How she says it is such a crack up.)

I too think Ellen 'n Eunice hit Mama with the pot.

I see some people don't like how Ellen depicted Naomi as a silly airhead, but that's how Ellen saw her (and Vint)---just look at some of her comments about the family.

Vint: "Just how dumb do you think we are?"
Ellen: "I may need a chalkboard to answer that question."
Naomi: "Well we may not be the smartest people you know Ellen, but we're certainly not hypocrites."

(bold lettering to stress my point...lol).

So it's not "suddenly invented" that Ellen shows Naomi as stupid, it's just exaggerated, such as her exaggeration of Mama's sometimes simple mind. Watch Ellen at other times and you can see her patronizin' attitude of/toward Naomi (believe me, I notice, cause I LOVE Naomi :love:, and hate it when Ellen acts/reacts bad to her! :mad: But I'm glad they also get along well enough sometimes. :) )

Mama: "I'm not gettin' my hair today Ellen, now that's tomorrow!"
Ellen: "Mama! We discussed this not two days ago! You said your appointment was Wednesday."
Mama: "I told you the 12th!"
Ellen: "Today is the 12th!"
Mama: "Are you sure?"
Ellen: "No Mama, I just had the calendar changed to torment you!"
And Mama would sometimes use wrong words or get words mixed up...but it was cute. lol :D

All three versions are terrifically hysterical, but I too think Naomi's is closest to the truth! :cool:

And ya gotta love Eunice in that last one! :lol:

Originally posted by TALLguyinKY
I too think Ellen 'n Eunice hit Mama with the pot.

I see some people don't like how Ellen depicted Naomi as a silly airhead, but that's how Ellen saw her (and Vint)---just look at some of her comments about the family.....

I must be one of those people you are referring to, right?

Originally posted by Cashodeen
I must be one of those people you are referring to, right?

Well, not in a negative way (in fact I had to scroll up to see what you wrote, cause I wasn't "against" anyone in particular). I mean, you're right, Naomi was shown as ridiculously ditzy---but that's how all the versions were, ridiculously exaggerated (except Naomi's, whom we all seem to agree was the most realistic). :)

Originally posted by TALLguyinKY
I too think Ellen 'n Eunice hit Mama with the pot.

I see some people don't like how Ellen depicted Naomi as a silly airhead, but that's how Ellen saw her (and Vint)---just look at some of her comments about the family.

Vint: "Just how dumb do you think we are?"
Ellen: "I may need a chalkboard to answer that question."
Naomi: "Well we may not be the smartest people you know Ellen, but we're certainly not hypocrites."

(bold lettering to stress my point...lol).

So it's not "suddenly invented" that Ellen shows Naomi as stupid, it's just exaggerated, such as her exaggeration of Mama's sometimes simple mind. Watch Ellen at other times and you can see her patronizin' attitude of/toward Naomi (believe me, I notice, cause I LOVE Naomi :love:, and hate it when Ellen acts/reacts bad to her! :mad: But I'm glad they also get along well enough sometimes. :) )



Now that you wrote that, I totally agree. Ellen always thought she was better and smarter than all of the other Harpers (and Naomi). So it would make sense that she had Naomi acting so dumb in her story. Of course, I must confess that I really liked Ellen and thought she was really funny with the stuff she would say to Naomi!:lol:

Originally posted by FamilyTiesGOP

Now that you wrote that, I totally agree. Ellen always thought she was better and smarter than all of the other Harpers (and Naomi). So it would make sense that she had Naomi acting so dumb in her story. Of course, I must confess that I really liked Ellen and thought she was really funny with the stuff she would say to Naomi!:lol:

Well, I don't get swayed so easily. ;) ;)


TALLguyinKY had excellent points... Ellen really saw Naomi as an airhead throughout the series, so it was realistic having her depict Naomi that way during her sequence. And like he said, they all exaggerated a great deal. Each person took how they viewed one another and went crazy with it. I could have also wrote, "Eunice had Naomi ridiculously trampy," because she did, just as bad as Ellen having her ridiculously ditzy.

It's easier to think the exaggeration with Naomi being such a tramp is more realistic than her being such an airhead, because that's mostly how you see her depicted in all the episodes--that's how Eunice and Thelma see her, and you see Thelma make more comments about Naomi's trampiness than Ellen's airhead comments. <---still that's not why I think Ellen stretched the truth more. I noticed it's easier to crazily exaggerate the stupidity of someone over the trampiness. When you take the parts from Eunice's sequence and Ellen's sequence, Eunice's are more likely to happen... not particularly to Naomi because she's not really a tramp, but just to anybody. Take the part where she drops the sugar packages on the table and tells how she picks them up in hotels. Compare that to the part where the berries start to pop and Naomi stands up and says, "I"ll get the door!" Which senerio makes more sense of really happening? There is only so much you can exaggerate with trampiness, but stupidity doesn't have such limits, as we saw in Ellen's seqeunce. It was completely hilarious though. And my brains a little haywire, so I don't expect anyone to believe a word I said.

(Wow, the ones that think some posters analyze sitcoms too seriously, are going to flame me for this post. )

:wave:

Precisely, Cash...terrific points by you, too. In Ellen's selfish, self-centered, "hoity toity" (to quote Mama)'s mind, she doesn't focus on Naomi's trampiness (which was in her past, alleged or not)...since Ellen prides herself on her intellect and sophistication, she revels in tearing other people down in those departments...however mild-mannered she may do so (as often with Naomi), or downright vicious (as with Eunice...particularly in two "Family" sketches that come to mind).

Since Mama and Eunice aren't as worldly, intelligent, or sophisticated as Ellen, they don't have the "moron/airhead" angle card to play. But as devoted wives who have only had long-term relationships with one man (assuming the men Mama knew in high school were more "flingish" or short-lived 'n sweet), that was the meaty card for Mama and Eunice to play on Naomi.

And if we look at Naomi's version we don't see Ellen and Eunice exaggerated much at all, and I think a large part of this is that Naomi is flatout the nicest of the three. Ellen was heartless with a black soul (Betty White even gladly admits this, lol...and she could be literally CRUEL to Eunice in the "Family" sketches), Eunice loved to start things if she thought she had a hand above somebody, but Naomi didn't start many things---she just received and (gladly in the NBC years) dished it right back out; but usually only when provoked.

Whereas Ellen painted Eunice as difficult as Eunice could be, and Eunice painted Ellen as much of a "rich b*tch" as she could.

<<<Wow, the ones that think some posters analyze sitcoms too seriously, are going to flame me for this post.>>>

Well, that just shows different levels of fandom...when I love somethin', I don't do it half-heartedly! :lol: :crazy:

Originally posted by TALLguyinKY
Well, that just shows different levels of fandom...when I love somethin', I don't do it half-heartedly! :lol: :crazy:

Right on! Terrific post, by the way. :thumbsup: I need to see some more MF sketches now that Carol Burnett is on TV Land. I can't remember any of them with Ellen.

Thanks, man. :) (yours up there was too!) :cool:

And OMG, yes, you need to get those "Family" sketches...there is so much rich history and answers to mysterious "origin" questions in some ways.

CLASSIC.