Did Molly give Mrs. G. type of advice before Mrs. G.

[80s Dude]

I noticed a couple of times Molly gave the same advice as Mrs. G., but in a different style.

In Dieting, Molly tells Sue Ann that it's stupid for Sue Ann to starve herself for a stupid boy she never met and Mrs. G. says the same thing to Sue Ann later on, but in a much more subtle and caring way. Sue Ann at 15 to17 probably would listen to a caring adult more than someone young enough to be her annoying younger sister who hasn't even hit puberty yet.

In another episode that I forgot which one (this was not the major theme), Molly chided Tootie for knowingly taking the wrong change from the pizza parlor while Mrs. G. would tell Tootie the story of Mrs. G. working as a clerk in her younger days and any shortage of change came out of her paycheck. Mrs. G. provided a more gentle rebuttal of why what Tootie did was wrong.

Molly Parker has some sound advice, but comes across as too direct and abrasive. Similar to how Molly Ringwald can sound sometimes.

['80sSitcoms]

Good point! Give Molly Parker a few decades and maybe she can become a cause-rallying guitar-playing ham radio-using photographer who gives young girls good advice!

[Lorimar Television]

Yes Molly being an ultra feminist tends to give advice a lot

['80sSitcoms]

That pizza scene is always dang tricky to place. It stands out so much, yet has nothing to do with the man story. It's either "Emily Dickinson" or "The Facts of Love".

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

I noticed a couple of times Molly gave the same advice as Mrs. G., but in a different style.

In Dieting, Molly tells Sue Ann that it's stupid for Sue Ann to starve herself for a stupid boy she never met and Mrs. G. says the same thing to Sue Ann later on, but in a much more subtle and caring way. Sue Ann at 15 to17 probably would listen to a caring adult more than someone young enough to be her annoying younger sister who hasn't even hit puberty yet.

In another episode that I forgot which one (this was not the major theme), Molly chided Tootie for knowingly taking the wrong change from the pizza parlor while Mrs. G. would tell Tootie the story of Mrs. G. working as a clerk in her younger days and any shortage of change came out of her paycheck. Mrs. G. provided a more gentle rebuttal of why what Tootie did was wrong.

Molly Parker has some sound advice, but comes across as too direct and abrasive. Similar to how Molly Ringwald can sound sometimes.

This is a really good post, for several reasons.

I think you've revealed why Mrs. Garrett's advice is so effective: she's often very subtle about it. She takes a very gentle approach. For example, in "Dieting", Mr. Bradley makes a comment saying that essentially, he's going to march upstairs and force Sue Ann to eat. That was never going to work, and the very idea is childlike in its stupidity. Mrs. Garrett's calm discussion is much more helpful in this situation.

As you say, Molly is very forceful, much like a social justice warrior today would be. But that "direct, abrasive" approach has consequences: it can actually turn people off from listening.

Mrs. Garrett's advice was not only helpful to the girls, it was helpful to millions of viewers who needed some subtle, patiently-delivered advice: be mad and let it all out; don't let other people tell you who you are inside; don't let other people determine what's best for you; take care of yourself. These are universal messages.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

in "Dieting", Mr. Bradley makes a comment saying that essentially, he's going to march upstairs and force Sue Ann to eat.

Mrs. Garrett says, "I'm not gonna let you upstairs and rip into Sue Ann!" (poster's emphasis, lol)

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

That was never going to work, and the very idea is childlike in its stupidity. Mrs. Garrett's calm discussion is much more helpful in this situation.

But kind of expected since Mr. Bradley was a man with a short fuse, and a man without kids.

Good morning RetroVampireGuy! You've started posting at this hour! My, you got up late today!

[Lorimar Television]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Mrs. Garrett says, "I'm not gonna let you upstairs and rip into Sue Ann!" (poster's emphasis, lol)




But kind of expected since Mr. Bradley was a man with a short fuse, and a man without kids.

Good morning RetroVampireGuy! You've started posting at this hour! My, you got up late today!

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Mrs. Garrett says, "I'm not gonna let you upstairs and rip into Sue Ann!" (poster's emphasis, lol)

Exactly: she realizes how damaging his approach actually could be. She describes it as ripping into her. As in, tearing part of her psyche. How damaging would that have been? Mrs. Garrett knows you can't do that to a girl obsessed with losing even more weight.

But kind of expected since Mr. Bradley was a man with a short fuse, and a man without kids.

And... just a man. And I don't want to get into stereotyping too much, but how is a 40-something year-old man going to know what to say to a teenage girl to make her feel better about her weight?

Good morning RetroVampireGuy! You've started posting at this hour! My, you got up late today!

Haha!

I've been up for many hours, but I had some serious gardening chores and a small BBQ to prepare for!

[valentina warner]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Exactly: she realizes how damaging his approach actually could be. She describes it as ripping into her. As in, tearing part of her psyche. How damaging would that have been? Mrs. Garrett knows you can't do that to a girl obsessed with losing even more weight.



And... just a man. And I don't want to get into stereotyping too much, but how is a 40-something year-old man going to know what to say to a teenage girl to make her feel better about her weight?



Haha!

I've been up for many hours, but I had some serious gardening chores and a small BBQ to prepare for!

I don't think MR BRADLEY was quite that old: on the episode 'Flash flood', when BLAIR has a crush on him he tells her he's old enough to be her father, in which she replies "barely...." (meaning he was probably 35 if BLAIR was 15)

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

And... just a man. And I don't want to get into stereotyping too much, but how is a 40-something year-old man going to know what to say to a teenage girl to make her feel better about her weight?

Oh, just about how a 40-something-year-old man who "rips into" FOL in his weekly TV critic reviews is supposed to know how a show geared for teenage girls should be (from one of the FOL documentaries or online articles, but I can't remember which one).

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Haha!

I've been up for many hours, but I had some serious gardening chores and a small BBQ to prepare for!

Oh! Yes, I'll accept the invitation to the BBQ, thanks! I'll even bring cheese dip!

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by valentina warner

I don't think MR BRADLEY was quite that old: on the episode 'Flash flood', when BLAIR has a crush on him he tells her he's old enough to be her father, in which she replies "barely...." (meaning he was probably 35 if BLAIR was 15)

Well you're not too far off, valentina; I mean, we don't know his age, but John Lawlor the actor was 38 at the time!

Steven: "Blair, I'm old enough to be your father!"
Blair: "Barely!"
Steven: "This is true."

['80sSitcoms]

And hey, 80s Dude and gang, there's another forceful Molly "Mrs. Garrettism"!

"Running". Molly blasts Sue Ann with, "You're both acting stupid! You guys have been best friends all year! How can you hate each other now??"

Wow, it really is interesting how often Molly was the voice of reason, but she wouldn't be taken seriously by the older girls because, yes, she was the age for them to see her as an "annoying little sister".

[Lorimar Television]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I've been up for many hours, but I had some serious gardening chores and a small BBQ to prepare for!

Oooh a BBQ! Nice. Hope you all maintained at least 6 feet apart though

[80s Dude]

John Lawlor definitely was old enough to be Lisa's father. He was born the same year my mother was and I am one year younger than Lisa.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Oh, just about how a 40-something-year-old man who "rips into" FOL in his weekly TV critic reviews is supposed to know how a show geared for teenage girls should be (from one of the FOL documentaries or online articles, but I can't remember which one).

I think there's a difference, though: in one case, we have a man who has never been a parent and who previously only worked at a boys' school. He's decided he's going to go up to Sue Ann's room and lay down the law by ordering her to eat. Mrs. Garrett knows how wrong he is, and how damaging that could be to her. We have the show itself telling us that he's mistaken to try to solve the issue himself: he's never been in her position before.

In the other, we have a man who has watched this show and others Monday Morning quarterbacking how things should have been done.

Oh! Yes, I'll accept the invitation to the BBQ, thanks! I'll even bring cheese dip!

Hey, if there were a way to have a long-distance BBQ, I'd invite ALL of you!

And who are you kidding? You're such a huge Cindy fan that you wouldn't bring the cheese dip! At least Lorimar would bring the rice pudding!