I just watched the episode "Don't Quote Me" where the governor spanks Katie for keeping silent about the remark she made and causing everyone lots of trouble. Apparently he wasn't sure whether he should spank her or not because he didn't want to punish her for telling the truth. I personally think he made the right decision. I think she got spanked because she kept quiet and let everyone else take the blame, not because she told her classmates what her father said. The governor sure hated to do it though, as evidenced by him telling Benson that he cried.

Can you imagine that being done on a tv show today and it being a state governor? Katie had punishment coming, but in 2009 she would have probably been grounded for a few days and let to go her merry way. It's funny because it's just like it was understood that if she was punished it would be a spanking. Katie seems to know she will get a spanking. Times have certainly changed since 1979. The governor was such a gentle, easy-going man, but he still spanked his daughter when she needed it. And in the scene afterwards when Katie walks into the kitchen with her father that morning she is totally fine and happy. It's hilarious because this completely goes against what the modern, "wiser" people of today about corporal punishment: that it traumatizes kids, and only monster parents use it.

In 2009 if a governor spanked his daughter, whether on tv or in real life, it would be all over the news, and people would be calling him "backwards" and would be asking him to step down.

I wonder if Katie got a spanking in "Trust Me". She deserved it more in that episode than she did in "Don't Quote Me".

It's likely Katie would have received other spankings due to the fact that Gene Gatling was protrayed as being a disciplinary but very loving "old school" father. It did appear however that is parenting skills were right on the mark because Katie matured into a bright, well-ajusted, level-headed teen.
Oh sure she give into peer pressure in the episode "Katie's Cousin" but you could tell she was worried as much about disapointing her father as she was concerned about her punishment if caught.
Now back to reality, if the modern "wiser" people or correct, why do we keep building more and more prisons, why for the first time in our nation's history do we have one percent of our adult population behined bars. The majority of those incarcerated are under the age of 35, yes they grow up after all the stigma started being attached to corporal punishment.
The disciplinary problems these days or so bad in our schools, many have campus police officers on duty at all times. Rampant bullying, hit lists, mass shootings, it's crazy, sure wasn't that way back in the 80's. Yes, things have changed since 1979!
And now that I've expressed my total political incorrectness and outright backwardness, I'll go on to the lighter side of things and that would be why Sony sould get off their can and release the rest of "Benson", all the many really good edited out for syndication scenes.
For example, the closing scene of "Katie's Cousin". While Benson and Gene sat at the kitchen table, the subject of Katie's punishment for sneaking-out came up. Gene said he made her rake the back yard leaves, Benson than reminded him that the mansion's back yard was designated as a state forest. Afterwards, Gene started smiling a little and Benson laughed. :)

I received my share of spankings as a kid, but I deserved them. My parents were a lot like Gene Gatling in the fact that they were old school. But you're right - you'd never see that on TV today!

I received my share of spankings as a kid, but I deserved them. My parents were a lot like Gene Gatling in the fact that they were old school. But you're right - you'd never see that on TV today!

Oh, I got plenty of spankings when I was a kid. And even after I was 18, believe it or not! :eek:

My best friend in high school told me this story years ago and I've never forgotten it. She was acting up in the grocery store and her mother warned her repeatedly to stop. She didn't, so her mother spanked her right there in the store. My friend was so embarrassed that she never did it again!

Andrea

Oh, I got plenty of spankings when I was a kid. And even after I was 18, believe it or not! :eek:

My best friend in high school told me this story years ago and I've never forgotten it. She was acting up in the grocery store and her mother warned her repeatedly to stop. She didn't, so her mother spanked her right there in the store. My friend was so embarrassed that she never did it again!

Andrea
See, so many kids today could really benefit from that kind of discipline. Too bad it's not "PC". ohno: :rolleyes:

I agree; many kids today need some kind of discipline. Years back, kids were afraid of their parents. Now it's the other way around. Just makes no damn sense.

I'm not saying child abuse, but discipline. In my mind, we crossed the line as a society when the average, typical spanking became classified as child abuse. I have lost patience will all this political-correctness b.s. as well. Did it ever occur to someone that if they are offended by something, that maybe it was because 1) they are hyper-sensitive; or 2) they deserved to be offended? And not because the other person was wrong?

(Ok I better stop before I offend someone. :rolleyes: )

Back to Benson! :D

What kind of a spanking do you think he gave her? Do you think he used anything or just his hand? How many swats do you think?

I just can't imagine Gene Gatling having a "Joan Crawford" moment with his daughter so it probably didn't amount to much. After all, Katie probably didn't need that much disciplinary persuasion anyway, it's not like she was a little hellion or anything. ;)

Actually, I have written a fanfiction story detailing the scene that happened between the time Katie left Benson in the kitchen until the governor came back into the kitchen and saw Benson. If the scene had been shown on-screen, this is how I think it would have happened. If anyone is interested in reading it, I will either post it here, or I can email it to you. Just let me know what you want to do. I think it is a very good story you would enjoy reading, a "lost scene" from the episode. It is NOT a spanking story like some perverts might like. It is a story about a father and a daughter and how a loving and decent father must discipline his kid when needed. It is about learning a lesson and telling the truth. It describes how a father should be. If you're interested, just let me know.

Sounds great, please post it here. :)

I received my share of spankings as a kid, but I deserved them. My parents were a lot like Gene Gatling in the fact that they were old school. But you're right - you'd never see that on TV today!

Same here. In my house it was a wooden spoon on the bare butt, and when mom got through with me I knew I'd been punished!

Same here. In my house it was a wooden spoon on the bare butt, and when mom got through with me I knew I'd been punished!
Yes, we had the wooden spoon too - actually, my folks just had to threaten to use the wooden spoon and we'd be good!! :lol: