When I first joined up here, I asked if today's generation enjoyed I Love Lucy. I got a definite answer of 'yes'. But I have made no detailed introduction, and neither have I made a profile of myself. I know that this is not the first time someone has posted this topic here, but I don't feel like searching through over a hundred pages. What is on my mind now is disturbing me, and I have no choice but to bring upon it here.

My name is John, 21 years old, currently enrolling in my senior year at college. I like to play video games, compete with online gamers, go traveling, and perform exercise routines. I got an entire library of DVDs, VHS tapes, and music albums to spice up my tastes. For the most part, I lead a healthy, active, and average life.

But I come to announce that I have a weakness for being hooked to I Love Lucy. Why does a 21 year old man enjoy a show that ended five decades ago? Well, that is a question that I sometimes ponder about for hours. Was it the laughter? Was it the actors? Or was it simply the symbol of a more innocent time? That's when I decided to take this into detailed research.

As I reported earlier, I have only discovered I Love Lucy this past year. In particular, my mother's side of the family had all grown up with I Love Lucy. But for a good while, the show remained in the shadow. As a kid, I had seen it a few times on the familiar rerun format, early in the mornings. But then, I couldn't really understand the difference between comedy and interaction, so I later skipped upon it. Flash forward to early 2008, and one day I come home to find my own mother laughing at an episode of I Love Lucy on TV Land. I decided to join her, and see what all the commotion. Minutes later, I was laughing along with her, and it was at that point where she started to tape the series on TiVO. Although it didn't record all the episodes, I knew a fair deal of the show within weeks, and even watched I Love Lucy during the second go-around. Afterwards, my mom had quit recording the show, and went along her business of taping other shows. It was at that point where I decided to do a bit of research about the show and the actors on the Internet.

For a time, I had read many I Love Lucy reviews, most being good, some being in the 'critics' point of view. I soon went out and bought the first two seasons on DVD. I realized that I was in for a treat. Not only did I get to see the particular episodes uncut in prestine quality, I also discovered many extras. Some standouts included Lucille Ball's radio show (predecessor to I Love Lucy), short bios of guest stars, original openings, and photos taken on the set. I was having a good time, and I was still wondering why I was loving a show that ended over 50 years ago. Nevertheless, it didn't matter to me at the time.

I kept a good mood, and then, I happened to stumple upon looking at the actor biographies. At that moment, I was shocked. Why was I shocked you say? Well, as I hated to admit, but after reading through the biographies of the four stars of the show (Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, William Frawley), I soon realized that throughout most of their lives, they had struggled. Furthermore, it hurt me even more that Vivian Vance and William Frawley hated each other. The real scary thing was that Lucy's actual marriage was NOT the same as it is in the show. Of course, I knew that Lucy wasn't that goofy in real life, but at the same time, I expected her and Desi to lead a happy, cheerful life. I was wrong. After reading through Desi's life of heavy drinking, chasing women, and not always being honest with Lucy, I asked myself, was all of this really true? Did Lucy bring Desi into I Love Lucy just so they can be together? After extensive research, I found that all of these answers were true. I could not believe it. For I Love Lucy to hide these horrors for this long, is saying something. We're either too ignorant to know it, or we're just afraid to admit the troubles while watching such a gorgeous, talented, funny lady. Afterwards, my satisfaction for I Love Lucy began to decline, knowing that the personal lives of the four actors were filled with tragedy, drama, and cheating. It amazed me that they even acted on stage amongst the horrors that were trapped in their hearts. The day that I Love Lucy ended, the lives of Lucy and Desi and the world in particular, would never be the same again. I felt depressed.

Even when all of the drama started to fill in, I wasn't going to stop at a low point. I went ahead again and decided to look into all of the movies and shows that Lucille Ball did in her career. The result: Undiscovered treasure. I really felt that at that point, for much of her acting career, Lucille Ball was vastly underrated. Many of her movies, including those from the Golden Age of Hollywood, felt that they deserved a mention. I asked myself this question, "Why were Lucille Ball's movies unnoticed if she did a great job in some of them?" It was there that I flipped on the TV set. I searched long and hard not just for I Love Lucy airings, but for any movie that Lucille Ball starred in. I came up empty, but I continuing doing this for a few days. Until one fateful morning when I just happened to catch Lucille Ball in color on Turner Classic Movies. It was Best Step Forward, and the scene was Lucy singing a tune. I asked myself some more questions, "Did Lucy really sing that well? What was she singing about?" I learned later that her singing voice was dubbed, but that didn't stop me from looking at more titles. I discovered Du Barry was a Lady, Fuller Brush Girl, The Dark Corner, and The Magic Carpet all on Turner Classic Movies. Lucille Ball was the star, and I felt that she did a great job as a actress in those movies. Of course, some proved to be 'B' quality, but for the most part, I felt good knowing that one of my favorite television comediannes had starred in a number of movies. But despite her hard work, why wasn't she noticed before she starred in I Love Lucy?

So that proves to you all that I am, proudly, a Lucy addict. I didn't grow up in the same time period that Lucille Ball did. I wasn't around when she did her shows. I wasn't even there to see her get honored in her later years. But for some reason, she attracts me. Why, you may ask, is something I still can't figure out. I guess one answer may be that she was a classy woman for much of her career. In today's Hollywood, where actresses are mostly talentless, vulgar, and crude, I find myself looking back to Lucy. I am happy to know that America, as a majority, loves Lucille Ball, and still do. She just gives me great pleasure and warmth, even if she has been dead for over 20 years. I found her acting to be superb, even when she started to decline physically in her later years in life. I am afraid to admit to tell others outside of the Internet on what they think I Love Lucy, for feeling that they say it is an old, worn out show. But to me, I Love Lucy never aged. It is a timeless comedy, and a good symbol of what America used to be and never will be again. I love Lucille because she was very talented, and there is not one actress today who can be put in the same caliber as her. No matter how many times I've seen that Vitametavegemin scene, the Chocolate Factory, the Grape Stomping, or the Putty Nose, I still laugh at them. She was just amazing, and I appreciated watching all of the TV specials that honored her throughout the years. I truly think that the worst of Lucille Ball came from within the family. She didn't always treat her kids fairly, and as I learned, had a sometimes rough relation with both Desi Arnaz and Gary Morton. But look at all the stars that had guest appeared on her shows. Bob Hope, Sammy Davis Jr, Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Orson Welles, John Wayne, the list goes on. So even if we say that she was sometimes hard to work with, we need to ask ourselves, why would all of these people guest star and later pay tribute to Lucille Ball? Really, that's what I want to know. She was even the big boss of DesiLu Studios and did seminars at college campuses, for heavens sake.

After a long winded, lengthy story I had to bring to you guys, I hope that I'm on the same page. I'm just that bad of a Lucy addict, even if it may lower my health. I didn't come off as a rotten egg did I? I can't be the only one out there.

Wow, thank you for that! You're a good writer and expressed yourself really well. It's interesting to read the account of someone who didn't grow up a Lucy fan, but has since discovered her and become an addict. I can't quite relate to that because I cannot recall a time in my life when I wasn't a Lucy fan. I think I became a fan while I was in my mother's womb. I'm 46 now and still as addicted as ever. Throughout my life, I've been a huge fan of one artist or TV show or another: Sonny & Cher, the band Chicago, ELO, Cheers, to name a few. But over time, my dedication as a fan subsides and my interests move on to some other artist or TV show, with one exception: Lucille Ball. She's remained a mainstay all along, and always above anyone else. So there's a warning for you: this is an addiction that might not have a cure.

I highly appreciate those words you gave me. If there was anything I grew up on, it was video games and cartoon shows. Those were basically the definitions of my childhood, and I felt that I had a good upbringing as a child discovering the ways of science and solitude.

I fully understand that you are from a different generation, but we both share something in common, we enjoy watching I Love Lucy. It is a shame that I did not take it seriously during my early years in life. But then again, what child out there makes mistakes and doesn't regret them?

As a man who is bored with today's entertainment, I tend to enjoy old Hollywood. I read up on some of the stars that were guests on I Love Lucy, and they have done quite a bit of work. There was a sense of magic during the Golden Age and the I Love Lucy era that just isn't with us here today. I get a kick watching the old Bob Hope specials and the Dean Martin roasts. They were legends, who, like Lucy, should never be forgotten. Don't get me wrong, that are some entertaining values that I like today, but I have to admit, they cannot compare to what these Hollywood greats have done.

I get mixed feelings with today's actors and writers, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way. It may be just here in America, but Hollywood has pretty much suffered for the past few years. Pointless remakes and terrible reality shows do not qualify as something that I will be watching decades later down the road. Part of this reason is a lack of talent among the younger people. Hollywood has hired a number of young writers who have yet to show anything worthwhile or amusing. That's why I enjoy I Love Lucy because it had excellent writing. The people involved were those that you respected and cherished. But people today, on the other hand, seem to get criticized more than they get honored. Part of the reason is our too 'politically correct' times, and I have to state that the 2000s have been nothing but a constant freefall downward (If there is a discussion on this, feel free to point me where it is on these boards).

Lucille Ball will be forever cherished and loved. Miley Cyrus, in comparison, is nothing more than a pretty face bent on fame and riches.

I for one can relate to being a Lucy addict. I'm 37 and I was a fan of I Love Lucy since I was 3 or 4 yrs. old. I have also wondered why Lucy wasn't as famous until I Love Lucy, but I just figured it was all a matter of opinion. I love Lucy in every role I have seen her in...I have yet to see every performance she had made before I Love Lucy. I can also relate to what you said mentioned on the actors real lives and how it sort of depressed you. I still can't get over Lucy and Desi's divorce and despite what the tabloids say I refuse to believe that it wasn't as bad as they wrote....in fact, I believe very little that I read. I still maintain that the media will step all over anyone's feelings just to get a good story and I think they share in the responsibility in the break up of that marriage. I also happen to believe that despite divorce, Lucy and Desi never fell out of love with each...but sometimes that's just not enough. I have thousands of dollars in Lucy memorabilla and I'm currently working on my own "Lucy" room.

As far as Today's TV shows and celebrities, I agree with you there too! Today's "entertainment" is nothing short of dispicable (with the exception of maybe a few shows). The actors of today are worthless and do nothing but get into trouble. Of course I'm not speaking for all of them, but it's true for the majority. BTW....welcome to the board!

Lucille Ball will be forever cherished and loved. Miley Cyrus, in comparison, is nothing more than a pretty face bent on fame and riches.

Miley Cyrus, IMO, is too young for her success. I haven't paid that much attention to her, so I'm not speaking as someone who knows her work well, but I speculate she's going to be a flash in the pan. She hasn't been around long enough to have developed as an artist, and I'm not sure she even rises to the level of being called an artist. I have seen her interviewed, however, and listening to her drives me crazy. Every other word out of her mouth is "like": "I'm, like, so excited to be here talking about my new movie because it was, like, so fun to make and we had, like, a really great time."

I have also wondered why Lucy wasn't as famous until I Love Lucy, but I just figured it was all a matter of opinion.

One way you can look at it, before I Love Lucy, Lucille Ball was a star; after I Love Lucy, she was a superstar. She was certainly famous before I Love Lucy, just not part of daily conversation as she was in the '50s. By the time of I Love Lucy, she had had nearly 15 years as a headliner in movies. In Hollywood, that's a very long time to sustain that level of success. Even if most of these films were not huge blockbusters, the fact that she was still kicking around after that many years suggests she had pretty solid star power.

In 1950, my mother was 13 years old when her parents took her to New York on vacation. While there, they saw a show starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. My 13 year-old mother knew who Lucille Ball was but she was not familiar with Desi Arnaz until that night. Little did she know at the time that the show being performed in front of them was something Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz had put together for the sole purpose of convincing a skeptical CBS they would be accepted by the public as a comedy team, and thus could headline a TV show together.

One way you can look at it, before I Love Lucy, Lucille Ball was a star; after I Love Lucy, she was a superstar. She was certainly famous before I Love Lucy, just not part of daily conversation as she was in the '50s. By the time of I Love Lucy, she had had nearly 15 years as a headliner in movies. In Hollywood, that's a very long time to sustain that level of success. Even if most of these films were not huge blockbusters, the fact that she was still kicking around after that many years suggests she had pretty solid star power.

In 1950, my mother was 13 years old when her parents took her to New York on vacation. While there, they saw a show starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. My 13 year-old mother knew who Lucille Ball was but she was not familiar with Desi Arnaz until that night. Little did she know at the time that the show being performed in front of them was something Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz had put together for the sole purpose of convincing a skeptical CBS they would be accepted by the public as a comedy team, and thus could headline a TV show together.

You do raise a good point about Lucy being a star in the early days to becoming a daily household name. How awesome for your mom to have witnessed history....even if she didn't know who Desi was at the time! One could only dream about an opportunity like that!

You do raise a good point about Lucy being a star in the early days to becoming a daily household name. How awesome for your mom to have witnessed history....even if she didn't know who Desi was at the time! One could only dream about an opportunity like that!

I'm not sure if my mother is really aware of the history she witnessed. I remember years ago when she first told me this story about seeing that show in 1950. I, of course, realized the historic nature of what she saw. I tried to explain to her the importance of what she had witnessed, and she sort of gave me a blank look. She seemed to be more impressed with her 1948 encounter with a then little-known Doris Day, who was travelling around the country promoting her first movie.

Wow, I can't imagine that even after you explained the historical significance it still didn't mean anything to her....oh well, such is life. LOL!

Wow, I can't imagine that even after you explained the historical significance it still didn't mean anything to her....oh well, such is life. LOL!

Exactly. I remember that conversation very well and actually telling her she had witnessed history, and I explained why. She replied rather unenthusiastically, "Yeah, I know." But the look on her face said "I have no clue what you're talking about." Maybe she does know the importance of what she saw, but just wasn't as moved about it as I would be. But whether she understands the significance or not, it's still nice to know my mother was there to see something I've only read about. I never even had the opportunity to ever see Lucille Ball in person.

This is a really good thread. I was born in 1960. By the time I started watching Lucy, at about 1965 or so, the show was already in reruns for about 7 or 8 years. It's funny because growing up, I never realized that. I always thought it was a brand new show. Lucy et al have always been part of the very fabric of my life and because of that, I have found myself kind of spoiled. I don't know how to explain it right I guess, but I notice such a big difference in the stars from the "old" studio days to those of today. I do't know if it was a sense of integrity about their work, pride, courage or all three but it didn't seem to be about just earning the big bucks. I know I wasn't a part of the scene, but it just didn't seem to be all about who's wearing who on the red carpet. The work was hard and real and when the accolades came, the stars seemed to have earned them. I know the four we are talking about here did.

I don't know if that made any sense, but I hope it did!
Kathie

www.everybodyluvslucy.blogspot.com

It actually took me a couple hours to think through the post I had written. I just had to get it out of the way because it bothered me for a few weeks.

I have to thank Youtube for allowing us to see millions of old video clips and footage that I probably wouldn't find anywhere else. Lucille Ball is one of those individuals that seems to transcend several generations. Don't get me wrong, there were older people who watched I Love Lucy back when it was new, but there are little kids today who are watching it. That's a pretty big gap, probably at least 100 years difference between the generations.

That's why I Love Lucy was/is effective because it's easy to understand and it's hilarious. Unlike some shows which require a lot of thinking to comprehend and process, you can expect what is going to happen in I Love Lucy, but not entirely. My mother's entire family grew up with I Love Lucy, and without her or Youtube, I probably would of never saw this show again.

But I have to admit, Lucille Ball lived a rough life, and in some interviews I seen with her, she didn't exactly sound enthusiastic or encouraging. It seemed as though the whole I Love Lucy cast experienced a lot of drama and emotion. That is why I was brought down a little when I learned that Desi did heavy drinking, and Lucille Ball didn't really consider herself the "Queen of Comedy". If I were a critic, I may agree a little, but there's no doubt that she was one of the first "Queens of Comedy Television." That was her biggest weakness, she simply didn't realize how much she was loved sometimes. She also tried to avoid saying that she was simply funny as an individual, instead she often said that it was her writers that made her funny. Which is true for any 'other' actor/actress who has good writers on their side, but Lucille Ball stood out because she was very talented. Just watch her facial emotions, her signature 'cry', her reactions, and her timing. I have not found one actress today who can come close to doing those actions as good as Lucille Ball did it. She mops the floor when it comes to physical comedy, and I think she was also great at slapstick.

I brought up those current actors/actresses like Miley Cyrus because I don't think the material is there for them. Sure, Miley is still very young, and has years ahead of her to improve and become better. But I tend to think that either the talent is lacking, or the material simply isn't there. I can name hundreds of old movie stars, television personalities and singers that were talented in their own right (from Charlie Chaplin to Johnny Carson), but I can't name many at all in this day and age. Mostly the people who have already been stars. Robin Williams, Tom Hanks, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp and the such. It's mostly the older people who have been in the entertainment industry for at least 15 years that I give any respect to today. All of the up-and-coming young guys, or stars of the 2000s (think Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan) for this generation, I don't give a crap about.

I like watching I Love Lucy still because it is relaxing and doesn't try to offend the audience like so many shows do today. Lucille Ball is sorely missed and I hope there will still be people out there who will remember her in the next few decades. The 'class' and 'quality' that thrived in the old days of Hollywood have vanished now and it's only a matter of time before we start to say "Hey, our material is bland and dull." Because the majority that I've been seeing out of Hollywood and the entertainment industry in general is remakes, and poor quality productions. The 'luster' simply isn't there anymore. No one's making anything new or groundbreaking, just taking elements of the past and regurgitating them into a different format. But that's simply where most of our talent and culture has gone in the past few years.

One may seem to wonder why so many of us here complain, or in ANY Internet forum. Maybe it's just me saying blah. I Love Lucy is still being played on the airwaves today because it is timeless. From what I can see, most of the stuff today won't survive the test of time.

I don't know, but there are plenty of worse things to be addicted to! Lucy is a legend!

I agree. And watching Lucy is just "comfortable. She's like part of the family.

I'm an unabashed I Love Lucy fan; it's called being addicted to genius physical comedy and classic TV @ its finest.

What you all said was true. I don't care if people out there complain that I Love Lucy has been on the air too long and needs to be put to rest, if anything, I Love Lucy is anything but "bad". Strange that as I'm writing this, the word "Lucy" is mentioned twice on the current Sitcoms Online Blog Headlines. I'd better read them.

I am recently building up a collection of cartoons and sitcoms that I grew up on in the 1980s and the early 1990s. I don't know if it's just me or if I'm just not grown used to it, but I think that the stuff today isn't quite on the same level. Don't get me wrong, there are a few comedians out there that I like, but for the most part, Cable television is for the most part, dead. Glad I got the DVDs, especially on Lucy.