Candice Bergen Recalls Dan Quayle Controversy

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Yong Fang

Me again. Dan Quayle was a dumbass. The guy just was. In 1992, there were calls within the party to get rid of Quayle, but just could not. Bush was behind in the polls and Quayle dragged it down further.

The man was an idiot. He had connections which got him where he was. Bush was elected because Reagan was still popular and Bush basically won what Reagan would have won of he could be elected for a third term. A recession caught Bush at the wrong time and he lost office to a younger, more dynamic man.

Quayle was the commencement speaker at my college graduation. My mom talked to me as a teenager to not to make noise at his speech. I did not.

I apologize about the Jewish reference I made. I watched Murphy Brown when it was on. Not a bad show. Not that great either. This was the last years of pre internet. I am also anti abortion, so I have some props for a last minute pre menopause Murphy Brown having a baby. Republicans are anti abortion, but we have this nitwit Quayle talking crap about a "single mother". So what is it, abortion or single motherhood? Make up your mind.

Quayle was a nitwit. The people of Indiana are nitwits for electing this clown.

It also seemed like Dan Quayle was more upset over the notion of Murphy having a baby despite not being married to the baby's father instead of the fact that the dad (Murphy's ex-husband, Jake Lowenstein) was a non-factor or entity in Avery's life. Basically, it came off as if Quayle was strictly villainizing the woman but having nothing to say about Jake being a deadbeat dad, regardless of whether or not he and Murphy were still married at the time.

[Babalu]

Originally Posted by TMC

It also seemed like Dan Quayle was more upset over the notion of Murphy having a baby despite not being married to the baby's father instead of the fact that the dad (Murphy's ex-husband, Jake Lowenstein) was a non-factor or entity in Avery's life. Basically, it came off as if Quayle was strictly villainizing the woman but having nothing to say about Jake being a deadbeat dad, regardless of whether or not he and Murphy were still married at the time.

Yes, today a woman having a child while being unmarried and calling the father a "baby daddy" while being on welfare and food stamps is perfectly acceptable and the USA is a better place for it.

Then when these fatherless children grow up to rob and shoot each other in the street that's even better.

[Furienna]

Originally Posted by TMC

It also seemed like Dan Quayle was more upset over the notion of Murphy having a baby despite not being married to the baby's father instead of the fact that the dad (Murphy's ex-husband, Jake Lowenstein) was a non-factor or entity in Avery's life. Basically, it came off as if Quayle was strictly villainizing the woman but having nothing to say about Jake being a deadbeat dad, regardless of whether or not he and Murphy were still married at the time.

It is clear that Dan Quayle never watched the show.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Furienna

It is clear that Dan Quayle never watched the show.

In a round about way however, Dan Quayle may have actually had a point. I want to believe that what he was trying to say was that fathers needed to take more responsibility for their children and that American entertainment like the Murphy Brown show was increasingly normalizing the idea that it was perfectly OK for fathers to not to be involved. However, it was quickly and perhaps, purposely misconstrued by people who took that as "Dan Quayle attacked single mothers!"

[Furienna]

Originally Posted by TMC

In a round about way however, Dan Quaye may have actually had a point. I want to believe that what he was trying to say was that that fathers needed to take more responsibility for their children and that American entertainment like the Murphy Brown show was increasingly normalizing the idea that it was perfectly OK for fathers not to be involved. However, it was quickly and perhaps, purposely misconstrued by people who took that as "Dan Quayle attacked single mothers!"

Murphy had never planned this pregnancy, but decided to keep the baby anyway even though she was in her 40s and the father of the child was a deadbeat.
That is the context that we must remember and not blame Murphy for being a single mother.

[king of comedy]

If I could go back and do it all over again, I wouldn't watch this show. Making her pregnant ruined her character.

[TMC]

MURPHY BROWN, DAN QUAYLE AND DAMAGE (EROTIC 90’S, PART 7): In the early 90s, one of the biggest scripted shows on TV was Murphy Brown, starring 40-something Candice Bergen as a product of the 60s whose high-powered career precluded marriage and family. When the character became a single mother, and was criticized for it by vice president Dan Quayle, a massive conversation about “family values” began that would change the culture – and, arguably, American politics. Off-screen, Bergen was married to French filmmaker Louis Malle. While his wife was in the middle of the “family values” maelstrom, Malle was making Damage, one of the most sexually intense films of the 90s, and one which used sexuality to explicitly critique the hypocrisy of politicians. Listen

[TMC]

Originally Posted by TMC

The people at the TVTropes.org site also suggested that this is partially why Murphy Brown isn't as impactful now as it was when it was originally on the air some 20 years ago. Basically, regardless of whether or not you agreed w/ Dan Quayle's point of view or not, the bottom-line is that it's easy to argue that making a big deal out of a single mother on a prime time network TV show, seems rather quaint by today's standards. What doesn't help (besides the fact that whole thing was pretty much the defining moment of Murphy Brown) is that Vice President Quayle has pretty much become a forgotten figure/political footnote. As a result, the show's legendary "take that" at Dan Quayle doesn't feel as powerful or effective in hindsight.

The mere idea of a single mother on TV or in pop culture was still very taboo in the early '90s. This is likely why conservative politicians like Dan Quayle directly referenced and mocked the show. But today, over 30 or so years later, a concept like that is considered normal and inconsequential.