JaneTVFan
09-04-2004, 02:11 PM
In case you don't know, Tom Shales is a very well known TV critic whose columns appear in newspapers all across the nation. He wrote a review of the new Here's Lucy DVD set basically say people should buy it to see the rehearsal footage that's included so that they can see what a bitch Lucille Ball was. Well I did buy it and I got quite the opposite impression of what he and others have been saying. All that negative stuff seems to be hugely exaggerated. Or maybe it's just old fashioned men who can't deal with strong-willed women who behave the same way men do in the same position. As an example of Shales' distortions, read this response to Tom Shales' comments that was posted on the Internet:
From: BillyJoe
Subject: Re: Washington Post review of the "Here's Lucy" DVD
View this article only
Newsgroups: alt.tv.ilovelucy
Date: 2004-08-31 23:07:48 PST
Tom Shales usually writes decent commentary, but he can also set
himself up for people to criticize the critic. His commentary on this
DVD set reveals he didn't do much of his own individual research,
instead lifting a sizable chunk out of the book "Desilu," the only
book with any sort of in-depth account of Lucille Ball's professional
life post-Desi Arnaz. Shales takes the most negative observations
from that book, trying to make them his own, and then tries to conform
his observations of the DVD to match with what he chose to lift from
that book. Case in point, Shales writes the following description of
some blooper footage, included in the DVD set, of a routine being
performed by Lucille Ball and Jack Benny:
"At one point, things do lighten up somewhat. Ball, in a flapper
costume, loses the heel of her shoe and Benny pauses while she
retrieves it.
She in turn becomes annoyed at his silence.
'For God's sake, say, 'What happened?' ' she tells him, feeding him
his next
line. Benny, faintly smiling, says loudly, 'Well, we have to do this
goddamned thing all over again!' The crowd laughs, but one can sense
the
real exasperation behind his comedic exasperation."
This is an outrageous, shameful, and complete mischaracterization of
that footage. Mr. Shales obviously needs to go back and watch again.
A more accurate account of that footage follows (my revisions in
caps):
"At one point, things do lighten up somewhat. Ball, in a flapper
costume, loses the heel of her shoe. SHE WINDS UP REMOVING BOTH
SHOES, TOSSING THEM OFFSTAGE, AND RESUMES HER POSITION, BAREFOOTED.
SHE WAITS FOR BENNY TO SPEAK HIS NEXT LINE. BUT BENNY PAUSES,
CONFUSED AT WHAT SHE'S JUST DONE. HE STANDS LOOKING AT HER WITH A
BEFUDDLED EXPRESSION. THE AUDIENCE IS LAUGHING.
'WHAT . . . ?' BENNY ASKS, TOO CONFUSED TO COMPLETE HIS QUESTION.
'WHAT, WHAT?' LUCY RESPONDS BACK, THE AUDIENCE STILL LAUGHING.
'WHAT HAPPENED?' BENNY ASKS.
'I BROKE MY SHOE. GO ON JACK,' LUCY RESPONDS LAUGHING, GENTLY
PRODDING HIM TO CONTINUE.
BENNY NOW BREAKS INTO LAUGHTER.
'For God's sake, say, 'What happened?' ' LUCY tells him, LAUGHING EVEN
MORE, feeding him his next
line. Benny, faintly smiling, says loudly, 'Well, we have to do this
goddamned thing all over again!' AT THIS REMARK, LUCILLE BALL
COMPLETELY LOSES ALL COMPOSURE, BURSTING INTO ALL-OUT LAUGHTER. LUCY
IS LAUGHING, BENNY IS LAUGHING, THE CROWD IS LAUGHING. IT IS CLEAR
EVERYONE IS HAVING A GREAT TIME.
From: BillyJoe
Subject: Re: Washington Post review of the "Here's Lucy" DVD
View this article only
Newsgroups: alt.tv.ilovelucy
Date: 2004-08-31 23:07:48 PST
Tom Shales usually writes decent commentary, but he can also set
himself up for people to criticize the critic. His commentary on this
DVD set reveals he didn't do much of his own individual research,
instead lifting a sizable chunk out of the book "Desilu," the only
book with any sort of in-depth account of Lucille Ball's professional
life post-Desi Arnaz. Shales takes the most negative observations
from that book, trying to make them his own, and then tries to conform
his observations of the DVD to match with what he chose to lift from
that book. Case in point, Shales writes the following description of
some blooper footage, included in the DVD set, of a routine being
performed by Lucille Ball and Jack Benny:
"At one point, things do lighten up somewhat. Ball, in a flapper
costume, loses the heel of her shoe and Benny pauses while she
retrieves it.
She in turn becomes annoyed at his silence.
'For God's sake, say, 'What happened?' ' she tells him, feeding him
his next
line. Benny, faintly smiling, says loudly, 'Well, we have to do this
goddamned thing all over again!' The crowd laughs, but one can sense
the
real exasperation behind his comedic exasperation."
This is an outrageous, shameful, and complete mischaracterization of
that footage. Mr. Shales obviously needs to go back and watch again.
A more accurate account of that footage follows (my revisions in
caps):
"At one point, things do lighten up somewhat. Ball, in a flapper
costume, loses the heel of her shoe. SHE WINDS UP REMOVING BOTH
SHOES, TOSSING THEM OFFSTAGE, AND RESUMES HER POSITION, BAREFOOTED.
SHE WAITS FOR BENNY TO SPEAK HIS NEXT LINE. BUT BENNY PAUSES,
CONFUSED AT WHAT SHE'S JUST DONE. HE STANDS LOOKING AT HER WITH A
BEFUDDLED EXPRESSION. THE AUDIENCE IS LAUGHING.
'WHAT . . . ?' BENNY ASKS, TOO CONFUSED TO COMPLETE HIS QUESTION.
'WHAT, WHAT?' LUCY RESPONDS BACK, THE AUDIENCE STILL LAUGHING.
'WHAT HAPPENED?' BENNY ASKS.
'I BROKE MY SHOE. GO ON JACK,' LUCY RESPONDS LAUGHING, GENTLY
PRODDING HIM TO CONTINUE.
BENNY NOW BREAKS INTO LAUGHTER.
'For God's sake, say, 'What happened?' ' LUCY tells him, LAUGHING EVEN
MORE, feeding him his next
line. Benny, faintly smiling, says loudly, 'Well, we have to do this
goddamned thing all over again!' AT THIS REMARK, LUCILLE BALL
COMPLETELY LOSES ALL COMPOSURE, BURSTING INTO ALL-OUT LAUGHTER. LUCY
IS LAUGHING, BENNY IS LAUGHING, THE CROWD IS LAUGHING. IT IS CLEAR
EVERYONE IS HAVING A GREAT TIME.