Do You Think 'I Dream of Jeannie' Was Too "Sexy" for A 60's Sitcom? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 07-17-2010, 05:42 PM

Or did it really reflect the times of that generation?

TV_on_the_Porch · 07-18-2010, 02:46 AM

It wasn't overtly 'sexy' even for its time. Jeannie slept in her bottle alone so far as we knew. The harem outfit might have been more revealing than contemporary 60s ladies attire, but it was hardly scandalous by itself.

Besides, this was the decade of the beach movie. Lots of skin in those.

MickeyMac · 07-18-2010, 03:04 PM

Hardly

This show is so tame to whats on now.

Mr. Television · 07-18-2010, 03:38 PM

She didn't even have a belly botton.

old grouch · 07-18-2010, 09:53 PM

'Jeannie' was sexy but in a good way because it was about a genie's love for her master.

TV Knowledge Fan · 07-20-2010, 04:13 AM

..."I DREAM OF JEANNIE" was "too sexy" at first. Their "Standards & Practices" division kept telling Sidney Sheldon to be careful about showing Jeannie and "Master's" relationship, and that he couldn't show him entering her bottle (nor she entering his bedroom)- yet Sidney managed to do just that without offending anyone. The network even insisted that he feature a "recap opening" after the first episode, spelling out exactly WHY Jeannie was living with Tony Nelson under the same roof, stressing their situation was strictly a "fantasy" {"Once upon a time, in a mythical place called Cape Kennedy..."}. After the eighth episode, Sheldon insisted that title sequence wasn't needed anymore, restoring the original animated title for the rest of the series {modifying it after season two}. Sidney always claimed he was writing "boy meets girl", and that he wasn't trying to write "sexy" or be "suggestive". The way he wrote it, "JEANNIE" was a romantic comedy with occasional slapstick. The way James Henerson wrote the majority of the scripts after 1967, when he became the series' head writer- and the most prolific after Sheldon- it became more of a "live-action cartoon", with occasional romance and plenty of slapstick. And even NBC didn't notice in season four when Barbara's breasts suddenly became more prominent, either...

Any hint of "suggestiveness" or "tittilation" was in the mind of the individual viewer....and you know who you are!

firebelly · 07-21-2010, 06:27 PM

i think its sexy today, but its what you don't see that makes it so awesome!

TV Knowledge Fan · 07-23-2010, 04:22 AM

Notice the icon below his name on the left-hand side of his previous posting? Just let your imagination play around with that!

firebelly · 07-23-2010, 05:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TV Knowledge Fan

Notice the icon below his name on the left-hand side of his previous posting? Just let your imagination play around with that!

I am a she, not a he!

and the icon is also my favorite halloween costume, and is great for dancing in!

TV Knowledge Fan · 07-24-2010, 02:43 AM

Well, I didn't know, 'firebelly'...pardon me!

firebelly · 07-29-2010, 03:59 PM

it allows the imagination to go places. i wondered if i were a genie, i would be at the service of a man who has possession of my bottle home, while dressed as a harem slave. makes me feel a little vulnerable!

funny thing is, i found the opening cartoon to be very sexy. does that make me weird?

TV Knowledge Fan · 07-30-2010, 04:48 AM

...and I'll tell you why.

Gerry Chiniquy of the DePatie-Freleng studio animated the black and white and color titles...and the cartoon Jeannie is just as adorable and sexy as Barbara herself!

I can understand how you feel dressed as her, feeling sexier than usual, even while dancing. You probably look as gorgeous as her in that outfit, too!

As for feeling a bit squeamish being in Jeannie's position, remember that she supposedly spent 2,000 years in her bottle, so she's used to being in there for long periods of time, and she learned how to adjust to it. I don't think she feels "vulnerable" being in there, even with the cork sealing it. True, she might be frightened if she were tricked or forced into that bottle, but she KNOWS how to survive, and isn't that vulnerable. And she also knows what she wants...she may try to fulfill her ancient heritage as a genie by "serving" her "Master", but she's too stubborn to be a "slave". She does what SHE feels is in Tony's best interests, seeing to it that he gets what she thinks he wants...even if it embarrasses him and sometimes, almost kills him!

One more thing: on page 8 of the Barbara Eden photo gallery on this website, there's a publicity photo of her taken during "Genie, Genie, Who's Got the Genie?", depicting Jeannie inside the "giant" safe, surrounded by oversized pill bottles, lipstick (?) and a matchbook nearby. Take a good look at it: does she look scared? Frightened? Terrified? No, she's resting against a pill bottle, lounging on a pair of giant tablets, holding an oversized match near her waist...flashing a very sexy, "come hither" look. That, to me, packs more provocative sensuality than a dozen photos of any other woman wearing less...

...and if I knew what you looked like, 'firebelly', I'd imagine you in that very tableau!

firebelly · 08-02-2010, 01:45 AM

well, i never said that feeling vulnerable was a BAD thing.

i love the intro and how it is wordless. i love her dance from the bottle, and i love the part where she is dancing and the bottle comes alive and traps her! that would be an interesting concept if it were in the series!

07-17-2010, 05:42 PM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	Do You Think 'I Dream of Jeannie' Was Too "Sexy" for A 60's Sitcom? Or did it really reflect the times of that generation?
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07-18-2010, 03:38 PM	#4
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,132	She didn't even have a belly botton.
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07-20-2010, 04:13 AM	#6
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	NBC certainly thought... ..."I DREAM OF JEANNIE" was "too sexy" at first. Their "Standards & Practices" division kept telling Sidney Sheldon to be careful about showing Jeannie and "Master's" relationship, and that he couldn't show him entering her bottle (nor she entering his bedroom)- yet Sidney managed to do just that without offending anyone. The network even insisted that he feature a "recap opening" after the first episode, spelling out exactly WHY Jeannie was living with Tony Nelson under the same roof, stressing their situation was strictly a "fantasy" {"Once upon a time, in a mythical place called Cape Kennedy..."}. After the eighth episode, Sheldon insisted that title sequence wasn't needed anymore, restoring the original animated title for the rest of the series {modifying it after season two}. Sidney always claimed he was writing "boy meets girl", and that he wasn't trying to write "sexy" or be "suggestive". The way he wrote it, "JEANNIE" was a romantic comedy with occasional slapstick. The way James Henerson wrote the majority of the scripts after 1967, when he became the series' head writer- and the most prolific after Sheldon- it became more of a "live-action cartoon", with occasional romance and plenty of slapstick. And even NBC didn't notice in season four when Barbara's breasts suddenly became more prominent, either... Any hint of "suggestiveness" or "tittilation" was in the mind of the individual viewer....and you know who you are!

07-23-2010, 04:22 AM	#8
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	'Firebelly' is absolutely correct! Notice the icon below his name on the left-hand side of his previous posting? Just let your imagination play around with that!

07-30-2010, 04:48 AM	#12
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	No, I don't think you're weird, 'firebelly'.... ...and I'll tell you why. Gerry Chiniquy of the DePatie-Freleng studio animated the black and white and color titles...and the cartoon Jeannie is just as adorable and sexy as Barbara herself! I can understand how you feel dressed as her, feeling sexier than usual, even while dancing. You probably look as gorgeous as her in that outfit, too! As for feeling a bit squeamish being in Jeannie's position, remember that she supposedly spent 2,000 years in her bottle, so she's used to being in there for long periods of time, and she learned how to adjust to it. I don't think she feels "vulnerable" being in there, even with the cork sealing it. True, she might be frightened if she were tricked or forced into that bottle, but she KNOWS how to survive, and isn't that vulnerable. And she also knows what she wants...she may try to fulfill her ancient heritage as a genie by "serving" her "Master", but she's too stubborn to be a "slave". She does what SHE feels is in Tony's best interests, seeing to it that he gets what she thinks he wants...even if it embarrasses him and sometimes, almost kills him! One more thing: on page 8 of the Barbara Eden photo gallery on this website, there's a publicity photo of her taken during "Genie, Genie, Who's Got the Genie?", depicting Jeannie inside the "giant" safe, surrounded by oversized pill bottles, lipstick (?) and a matchbook nearby. Take a good look at it: does she look scared? Frightened? Terrified? No, she's resting against a pill bottle, lounging on a pair of giant tablets, holding an oversized match near her waist...flashing a very sexy, "come hither" look. That, to me, packs more provocative sensuality than a dozen photos of any other woman wearing less... ...and if I knew what you looked like, 'firebelly', I'd imagine you in that very tableau!

07-18-2010, 02:46 AM	#2
TV_on_the_Porch anything good on? Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 18, 2005 Posts: 879	It wasn't overtly 'sexy' even for its time. Jeannie slept in her bottle alone so far as we knew. The harem outfit might have been more revealing than contemporary 60s ladies attire, but it was hardly scandalous by itself. Besides, this was the decade of the beach movie. Lots of skin in those.

07-18-2010, 03:04 PM	#3
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,006	Hardly This show is so tame to whats on now.

07-18-2010, 09:53 PM	#5
old grouch Member Senior Member Join Date: May 13, 2010 Location: montana Posts: 1,877	'Jeannie' was sexy but in a good way because it was about a genie's love for her master.

07-21-2010, 06:27 PM	#7
firebelly Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jul 21, 2010 Location: arizona Posts: 5	i think its sexy today, but its what you don't see that makes it so awesome!

07-24-2010, 02:43 AM	#10
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	Well, I didn't know, 'firebelly'...pardon me!

07-29-2010, 03:59 PM	#11
firebelly Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jul 21, 2010 Location: arizona Posts: 5	it allows the imagination to go places. i wondered if i were a genie, i would be at the service of a man who has possession of my bottle home, while dressed as a harem slave. makes me feel a little vulnerable! funny thing is, i found the opening cartoon to be very sexy. does that make me weird?

08-02-2010, 01:45 AM	#13
firebelly Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jul 21, 2010 Location: arizona Posts: 5	well, i never said that feeling vulnerable was a BAD thing. i love the intro and how it is wordless. i love her dance from the bottle, and i love the part where she is dancing and the bottle comes alive and traps her! that would be an interesting concept if it were in the series!