A Black Day for Mayberry - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

GentlemanJim · 03-17-2020, 06:12 PM

I always enjoy seeing the townspeople greeting the armored car with all the crackpot signs and banners.

As a kid I always thought this aspect was stupid because the causes appeared so meaningless and obscure.

But now I see it as a sign of brilliant writing, lampooning the way (us) meaningless people have so little influence in the way our government conducts it's affairs.

hifijohn · 06-11-2021, 04:39 AM

When he town folks welcome the armored truck its been raining , since the rain has nothing to do with the plot my guess is that it actually did rain, and they didnt want to wait for the ground to dry.Also were armored truck hijackings very common back then?? Going to all the trouble of having a decoy truck.Plus any smart robbers probably would have figured out that there is no reason to go through Mayberry anyway.

SarahBellum · 06-11-2021, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hifijohn

Plus any smart robbers probably would have figured out that there is no reason to go through Mayberry anyway.

Correct. Mayberry was well east of Fort Knox, so the truck would have had to make a U-turn to go back west. But then Gomer might have made a "citizen's arrest".

vitoscotti · 06-12-2021, 05:16 AM

People back then seemed happier as a whole. Celebrating a gold truck was just more feel good proud of the country attitude. People weren't focused on crying they're abused wanting more entitlements like today. The nut with the gold standard sign stood out like a sore thumb and was thought a wacko. Pride in the country, and community was a TAGS sub theme a lot. Silly script a great vehicle to showcase Don Knotts & Jim Nabors brilliance.

GentlemanJim · 06-14-2021, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vitoscotti

Celebrating a gold truck was just more feel good proud of the country attitude. The nut with the gold standard sign stood out like a sore thumb and was thought a wacko.

You're kidding, right? This was a big deal back then.

Look up "Free Silver"

Excerpt:

"The debate over silver lasted from the passage of the Fourth Coinage Act in 1873, which demonetized silver and was called the "Crime of '73" by opponents, until 1963, when the Silver Purchase Act of 1934, which allowed the U.S. President and U.S Department of Treasury to regulate U.S silver,[5] was completely repealed by Public Law 88-36."

Hey, its nice the way some of you like to frame the world in side a rose colored sitcom view finder via these old shows.....but lets not kid ourselves. Reality ROCKS!!
Don't neglect that this was just 10 years removed from the McCarthy era, where our own government demonstrated a knack for eccentric passion.

GentlemanJim · 06-14-2021, 11:42 AM

Remember "Silver Certificates"? Part of the same mindset driven conflict

What our "nut" Failed to anticipate was that just a few short years later... Nixon would debase our currency completely.

vitoscotti · 06-15-2021, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GentlemanJim

Remember "Silver Certificates"? Part of the same mindset driven conflict

What our "nut" Failed to anticipate was that just a few short years later... Nixon would debase our currency completely.

Not talking about the gold standard. But in general are you a conspiracy theory enthusiast, anti police, anti government, the system is rigged against you to succeed guy?

GentlemanJim · 06-15-2021, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vitoscotti

Not talking about the gold standard. But in general are you a conspiracy theory enthusiast, anti police, anti government, the system is rigged against you to succeed guy?

There is no coincidence that the episode featuring the "nut" holding the sign in the show happened in the same year that the US debased it's coinage from silver content. That action resulted in the value of gold to be the sole determinant of the value of US currency. So the thought process behind the sign is in fact relevant to contemporary history. Remember how pre 1964 coins did not have the layer of copper in the middle? And how they are prized by collectors today?

I think many of you idealists see the past as a little more golden than it really was, perhaps because our parents shielded us from life's starker realities. If as 10 year olds we heard on the news that monetary policy in Washington was sure to bring about inflation...why should we care? We didn't have any bills to pay.

So, we look back upon such times as more worry free, because as children, (we)they were.

Recognizing that aspect does not make me feel like a "victim", just a realist.

GentlemanJim · 06-22-2021, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vitoscotti

People back then seemed happier as a whole. Celebrating a gold truck was just more feel good proud of the country attitude. People weren't focused on crying they're abused wanting more entitlements like today. The nut with the gold standard sign stood out like a sore thumb and was thought a wacko. .

Season 4 Episode 15 was just crawling with those "Goodtime Patriots"

vitoscotti · 06-23-2021, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GentlemanJim

Season 4 Episode 15 was just crawling with those "Goodtime Patriots"

Bea- The system is rigged. We should just sit around all day being bitter, and think dark thoughts.
Floyd- Oh, oh yes, yes Bea. We're victims. We're not responsible for our lifes path.

GentlemanJim · 06-23-2021, 05:16 PM

Of course, I'm sure that unflinching obedience has it's virtues?

03-17-2020, 06:12 PM	#1
GentlemanJim Concerns, Support, & Feedback Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 26, 2019 Location: The back country Posts: 5,443	A Black Day for Mayberry I always enjoy seeing the townspeople greeting the armored car with all the crackpot signs and banners. As a kid I always thought this aspect was stupid because the causes appeared so meaningless and obscure. But now I see it as a sign of brilliant writing, lampooning the way (us) meaningless people have so little influence in the way our government conducts it's affairs.

06-11-2021, 04:39 AM	#2
hifijohn Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Sep 07, 2013 Posts: 209	When he town folks welcome the armored truck its been raining , since the rain has nothing to do with the plot my guess is that it actually did rain, and they didnt want to wait for the ground to dry.Also were armored truck hijackings very common back then?? Going to all the trouble of having a decoy truck.Plus any smart robbers probably would have figured out that there is no reason to go through Mayberry anyway.

06-12-2021, 05:16 AM	#4
vitoscotti Member Senior Member Join Date: Feb 14, 2017 Location: Illinois Posts: 1,074	People back then seemed happier as a whole. Celebrating a gold truck was just more feel good proud of the country attitude. People weren't focused on crying they're abused wanting more entitlements like today. The nut with the gold standard sign stood out like a sore thumb and was thought a wacko. Pride in the country, and community was a TAGS sub theme a lot. Silly script a great vehicle to showcase Don Knotts & Jim Nabors brilliance.

06-14-2021, 11:42 AM	#6
GentlemanJim Concerns, Support, & Feedback Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 26, 2019 Location: The back country Posts: 5,443	Remember "Silver Certificates"? Part of the same mindset driven conflict What our "nut" Failed to anticipate was that just a few short years later... Nixon would debase our currency completely.

06-23-2021, 05:16 PM	#11
GentlemanJim Concerns, Support, & Feedback Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 26, 2019 Location: The back country Posts: 5,443	Of course, I'm sure that unflinching obedience has it's virtues?