'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' Was Racist!....Wait What?!? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 03-09-2011, 11:15 PM

In talking with a friend of mine about tv, the Mary Tyler Moore Show came up. He said he hated the MTMS because there was no diversity on the show. I reminded him that John Amos was on in the beginning and he said he was let go. He also said the cast used a lot of racial epithets.

Now in all seriousness, I don't recall any racial slurs or anything like that on the show. He also said that despite the show being about a single independent woman, there were hardly any women writers on the show or directors for that matter.

Incidentally, this person's favorite classic show is "Julia." What do you think? Was TMTMS lacking diversity???

Marvo301 · 03-09-2011, 11:37 PM

The following ladies are credited as writers on two or more episodes of TMTMS

Treva Silverman
Susan Silver
Jenna McMahon
Monica Mcgowan Johnson
Marilyn Suzanne Miller
Gloria Banta
Patrice Nardo
Karyl Miller

Marjorie Mullen and Nancy Walker both directed multiple episodes of the show.

biffbronson · 03-10-2011, 09:10 AM

I find it funny that this guy complained about an untrue lack of female staff, yet the series spun-off both Rhoda and Phyllis -- giving work to yet more women actors, writers, crew, etc.!! MTM was a great enterprise and not deserving of such stupidity in comment.

Great post Marvo301 -- proves he didn't know what he was talking about.

LUNCH · 03-10-2011, 10:52 AM

Yeah,your friend has no idea what he is talking about.No offense but he sounds like one of those clueless, politically correct(which is just another term for being stupid/easily influenced etc.) types.--What I also find funny(even though it's not really funny) is that people like that seem to pick on the most harmless ,entertaining classic tv shows,yet the absolute rubbish that passes for television today seems to be okay with them.

Dianne3 · 03-10-2011, 04:49 PM

Everybody knows that John Amos had a chance for his own sitcom, so he wasn't let go.

MTM was one of the first shows that had quality women roles. Before the 1970's, how many quality female roles were there on TV? In the 50's you had mostly westerns or June Cleaver type female characters and in the 60's you had mostly the fantasy sitcom type characters.

You know the expression "Rome wasn't built in a day" applies here. In the early 70's there stilll wasn't that many African-American characters on TV, however within a few years that changed with Good Times, The Jeffersons etc.

Remember, MTM premiered a few months before AITF, the show that changed a lot of what we saw on TV.

OH Nuts! · 03-11-2011, 12:20 PM

I though women were well represented on the show but there didn't seem to be a lot of other minorities. But I don't EVER recall any racist remarks - even from dimwit Ted (although there were quite a few sexist remarks - but they were all addressed by the characters - so I wouldn't call the show sexist .)

LittleRickyII · 03-11-2011, 06:10 PM

With all due respect, it appears your friend isn't very familiar with The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Every one of those claims are wrong. I've seen every episode multiple times and there were never any racial epithets. As for John Amos being let go, he was only "let go" to be the star of another sitcom. He was on the show right into the middle of the fourth season when he shifted over to Good Times, a role he probably won thanks to the exposure he first got on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Sheesh! And after he truly was let go (i.e., fired) from Good Times, he was brought back to The Mary Tyler Moore Show for one more episode in the final season. As for the show having hardly any women writers, what????!!! This show probably had more women writers than any other show at the time. And I just checked the credits for Julia and I did not see one single female name for any of the writers or directors. But The Mary Tyler Moore Show had female writers AND directors. So ask your friend about that!

03-09-2011, 11:15 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	'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' Was Racist!....Wait What?!? In talking with a friend of mine about tv, the Mary Tyler Moore Show came up. He said he hated the MTMS because there was no diversity on the show. I reminded him that John Amos was on in the beginning and he said he was let go. He also said the cast used a lot of racial epithets. Now in all seriousness, I don't recall any racial slurs or anything like that on the show. He also said that despite the show being about a single independent woman, there were hardly any women writers on the show or directors for that matter. Incidentally, this person's favorite classic show is "Julia." What do you think? Was TMTMS lacking diversity???
	__________________ The Key to the Kingdom of Heaven: John 3:3 *Money Doesn't Buy Happiness...But I'd Rather Cry in My Private Jet*

03-09-2011, 11:37 PM	#2
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,453	The following ladies are credited as writers on two or more episodes of TMTMS Treva Silverman Susan Silver Jenna McMahon Monica Mcgowan Johnson Marilyn Suzanne Miller Gloria Banta Patrice Nardo Karyl Miller Marjorie Mullen and Nancy Walker both directed multiple episodes of the show.
	__________________ Only a life lived for others is worth living. Albert Einstein A life isn't worth living unless it has impact on other lives. Jackie Robinson Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. Benjamin Franklin

03-10-2011, 09:10 AM	#3
biffbronson Sentimental Fool Forum Star Join Date: Aug 22, 2009 Location: Near Notre Dame Posts: 10,488	I find it funny that this guy complained about an untrue lack of female staff, yet the series spun-off both Rhoda and Phyllis -- giving work to yet more women actors, writers, crew, etc.!! MTM was a great enterprise and not deserving of such stupidity in comment. Great post Marvo301 -- proves he didn't know what he was talking about.
	__________________ In memory of lovely Erin Moran 1960-2017 ~ Missing you "For you are beautiful ~ And I have loved you dearly ~ More dearly than the spoken word can tell..." "What's the word?" (Paul Martin) ~~ "I don't want money for nothing." (Timmy Martin) -- Lassie ROCKS! WORD UP "It's just a dugout that my dad built... In case the reds* decide to push the button down..."*

03-11-2011, 06:10 PM	#7
LittleRickyII Member Senior Member Join Date: Feb 22, 2009 Location: California Posts: 2,246	With all due respect, it appears your friend isn't very familiar with The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Every one of those claims are wrong. I've seen every episode multiple times and there were never any racial epithets. As for John Amos being let go, he was only "let go" to be the star of another sitcom. He was on the show right into the middle of the fourth season when he shifted over to Good Times, a role he probably won thanks to the exposure he first got on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Sheesh! And after he truly was let go (i.e., fired) from Good Times, he was brought back to The Mary Tyler Moore Show for one more episode in the final season. As for the show having hardly any women writers, what????!!! This show probably had more women writers than any other show at the time. And I just checked the credits for Julia and I did not see one single female name for any of the writers or directors. But The Mary Tyler Moore Show had female writers AND directors. So ask your friend about that!
	Last edited by LittleRickyII; 03-11-2011 at 07:46 PM.

03-10-2011, 10:52 AM	#4
LUNCH Member Senior Member Join Date: Oct 23, 2010 Location: New York State Posts: 1,304	Yeah,your friend has no idea what he is talking about.No offense but he sounds like one of those clueless, politically correct(which is just another term for being stupid/easily influenced etc.) types.--What I also find funny(even though it's not really funny) is that people like that seem to pick on the most harmless ,entertaining classic tv shows,yet the absolute rubbish that passes for television today seems to be okay with them.

03-10-2011, 04:49 PM	#5
Dianne3 Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 07, 2002 Posts: 1,057	Everybody knows that John Amos had a chance for his own sitcom, so he wasn't let go. MTM was one of the first shows that had quality women roles. Before the 1970's, how many quality female roles were there on TV? In the 50's you had mostly westerns or June Cleaver type female characters and in the 60's you had mostly the fantasy sitcom type characters. You know the expression "Rome wasn't built in a day" applies here. In the early 70's there stilll wasn't that many African-American characters on TV, however within a few years that changed with Good Times, The Jeffersons etc. Remember, MTM premiered a few months before AITF, the show that changed a lot of what we saw on TV.

03-11-2011, 12:20 PM	#6
OH Nuts! Member Forum King Join Date: Feb 15, 2005 Posts: 133,383	I though women were well represented on the show but there didn't seem to be a lot of other minorities. But I don't EVER recall any racist remarks - even from dimwit Ted (although there were quite a few sexist remarks - but they were all addressed by the characters - so I wouldn't call the show sexist .)