Rough Housing episode - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Wawwie · 02-08-2022, 03:51 PM

Today the Rough Housing episode was on and it got me to thinking about something I never thought of after seeing this episode at least a dozen times. Anyway, Mrs. Garrett lays into Blair for calling out Cindy based on "appearances." She says a few times that Blair was jumping to conclusions because of "appearances." That's not entirely true. Blair formed her opinions about Cindy based on appearances AND because of Cindy's actions. Blair called Cindy "strange" because she was "pawing" the other girls and saying "I love you." I'm not agreeing with Blair at all, just saying that her opinions were formed on more than just "appearances" like Mrs. Garrett was saying.

FOL-FAN-ITA · 02-08-2022, 03:59 PM

Maybe appearances wasn't the right word, I think Mrs. Garrett, as you said, meant jumping to conclusions

Wawwie · 02-08-2022, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FOL-FAN-ITA

Maybe appearances wasn't the right word, I think Mrs. Garrett, as you said, meant jumping to conclusions

And nowadays, her advice to Cindy would be considered AWFUL.

'80sSitcoms · 02-08-2022, 04:06 PM

No! Don't dampen Rough Housing for me!

Just kidding, lol...but I think it's probably just that "appearances" was the root of the problem, and Mrs. Garrett got right down to that root.

After all, Blair did try to sway Mrs. Garrett with, "You've seen her, Mrs. Garrett. She looks more like a boy than a girl!"

Would Blair have reacted the same if she'd seen an "All-American girl" like Sue Ann hugging and touching girls instead? Who knows. But Cindy's appearance went against Blair's beliefs of gender conformity (just like Artemis's masculine attributes and chasteness went against Aphrodite's belief in the "natural" order of gender in ancient Greek mythology), and that was an easy "open door" for her to further close in on Cindy for her bully-like behavior.

FOL-FAN-ITA · 02-08-2022, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wawwie

And nowadays, her advice to Cindy would be considered AWFUL.

Yeah but it happened 40 years ago

The only appearance I could think of is the tomboy look that Cindy had

'80sSitcoms · 02-08-2022, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wawwie

And nowadays, her advice to Cindy would be considered AWFUL.

Yes, they wrote Mrs. Garrett ignoring the fact that people are different and gay people exist. Not every kid is a cookie cutter "girl" or "boy".

'80sSitcoms · 02-08-2022, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FOL-FAN-ITA

The only appearance I could think of is the tomboy look that Cindy had

Yeah, they went all out for that tomboy look with the football jersey and the hair piled up underneath a baseball cap.

Wawwie · 02-08-2022, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Yes, they wrote Mrs. Garrett ignoring the fact that people are different and gay people exist. Not every kid is a cookie cutter "girl" or "boy".

Yep, nowadays, that kind of advice would be considered very ignorant and offensive. 40+ years ago, a lot of people ignored gay people or people questioning their sexuality like Cindy.

RetroGuy2000 · 02-08-2022, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wawwie

Yep, nowadays, that kind of advice would be considered very ignorant and offensive. 40+ years ago, a lot of people ignored gay people or people questioning their sexuality like Cindy.

It's funny because 40 years ago, that episode was considered way progressive, and is now considered regressive. But 40 years ago, they couldn't have encouraged a teenager to actually be gay on network TV. Heck, they couldn't even say the word in relation to Cindy... she had to be "strange". The words we used, in my area, back in the early 1980s, was "that way". As in, "S/he's... 'that way'. So stupid!

'80sSitcoms · 02-08-2022, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

It's funny because 40 years ago, that episode was considered way progressive, and is now considered regressive. But 40 years ago, they couldn't have encouraged a teenager to actually be gay on network TV. Heck, they couldn't even say the word in relation to Cindy... she had to be "strange". The words we used, in my area, back in the early 1980s, was "that way". As in, "S/he's... 'that way'. So stupid!

"That way"?? Haha!

RetroGuy2000 · 02-08-2022, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

"That way"?? Haha!

Yeah, as if even saying 'gay' was sinful.

Wawwie · 02-08-2022, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Yeah, as if even saying 'gay' was sinful.

or gasp... "homosexual."

RetroGuy2000 · 02-08-2022, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wawwie

or gasp... "homosexual."

Oh, that's instant shunning.

Wawwie · 02-08-2022, 05:50 PM

Mrs. Garrett saying that Blair was jumping to conclusions solely on "appearances" when it was clear that Blair formed her opinions based on appearances AND actions and Mrs. Garrett's lame advice to Cindy = Mrs. Garrett came off as a huge ding dong in this episode... JMO

'80sSitcoms · 02-08-2022, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wawwie

Mrs. Garrett saying that Blair was jumping to conclusions solely on "appearances" when it was clear that Blair formed her opinions based on appearances AND actions and Mrs. Garrett's lame advice to Cindy = Mrs. Garrett came off as a huge ding dong in this episode... JMO

Lol, I can see what you're seeing (especially by 2022 standards) though it was Cindy's appearance that gave Blair the "excuse" (to her) to engage in hurtful actions.

And while the episode didn't feature a Ding Dong, it did have a cupcake.

02-08-2022, 03:51 PM	#1
Wawwie Member Forum Star Join Date: Jul 26, 2006 Location: New York Posts: 14,376	Rough Housing episode Today the Rough Housing episode was on and it got me to thinking about something I never thought of after seeing this episode at least a dozen times. Anyway, Mrs. Garrett lays into Blair for calling out Cindy based on "appearances." She says a few times that Blair was jumping to conclusions because of "appearances." That's not entirely true. Blair formed her opinions about Cindy based on appearances AND because of Cindy's actions. Blair called Cindy "strange" because she was "pawing" the other girls and saying "I love you." I'm not agreeing with Blair at all, just saying that her opinions were formed on more than just "appearances" like Mrs. Garrett was saying.

02-08-2022, 03:59 PM	#2
FOL-FAN-ITA Member Senior Member Join Date: Jan 29, 2019 Location: Italy Posts: 1,473	Maybe appearances wasn't the right word, I think Mrs. Garrett, as you said, meant jumping to conclusions
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02-08-2022, 04:06 PM	#4
'80sSitcoms Member Forum Star Join Date: Jan 30, 2013 Posts: 12,474	No! Don't dampen Rough Housing for me! Just kidding, lol...but I think it's probably just that "appearances" was the root of the problem, and Mrs. Garrett got right down to that root. After all, Blair did try to sway Mrs. Garrett with, "You've seen her, Mrs. Garrett. She looks more like a boy than a girl!" Would Blair have reacted the same if she'd seen an "All-American girl" like Sue Ann hugging and touching girls instead? Who knows. But Cindy's appearance went against Blair's beliefs of gender conformity (just like Artemis's masculine attributes and chasteness went against Aphrodite's belief in the "natural" order of gender in ancient Greek mythology), and that was an easy "open door" for her to further close in on Cindy for her bully-like behavior.
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02-08-2022, 05:50 PM	#14
Wawwie Member Forum Star Join Date: Jul 26, 2006 Location: New York Posts: 14,376	Mrs. Garrett saying that Blair was jumping to conclusions solely on "appearances" when it was clear that Blair formed her opinions based on appearances AND actions and Mrs. Garrett's lame advice to Cindy = Mrs. Garrett came off as a huge ding dong in this episode... JMO