"The Pipe" - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TheHappyBurgerMeister · 08-20-2002, 08:44 PM

This episode was just on Saturday night the one where Larry and Beaver smoke the pipe send to the Cleavers from the Rutherfords. Well, I find this episode very awkword and out of the loop for LITB. I mean, c'mon, Beaver is like 9 years old on the show and he's smoking tobacco?? I would find it weird NOW a days if a 9 year old kid was smoking on a show! And this is LITB for crying out loud! Well, I guess that's why this episode is so funny! I don't know what the writers were thinking for this episode- gosh, you might as well have had beaver sleeping around and Wally being a drug dealer! well, it's still a classic one though.

BulletTrain · 08-20-2002, 09:09 PM

Back then smoking probally wasnt nearly as big of a deal as it is today so thats why they did on a show on it.

SOAPDYNASTY · 08-20-2002, 10:26 PM

Was he smoking it real?

SOAPDYNASTY · 08-20-2002, 10:34 PM

Was he smoking it real?

BulletTrain · 08-20-2002, 10:34 PM

I dont know wether u mean in real life or on the show. In real life I don't know but on the episode he was smoking leftover tobacco that larry found in ashtrays.

SOAPDYNASTY · 08-20-2002, 10:37 PM

Was he smoking it on the show?? If so SHAME SHAME SHAME on you Beaver!!!!

BulletTrain · 08-20-2002, 10:42 PM

Yeah he did smoke. Ward and june think wally was smoking but they find out it was beaver.

Impressions · 08-20-2002, 10:48 PM

I felt the same way in the Episode "Dope" (The Facts of Life) when Sue Ann and Blair join a group of friends and they find out their using drugs, and Sue Ann smokes dope, and she inhales it.
But innocent Beaver smoking tobacco? That's a different story, he's too young to smoke.

frani · 08-20-2002, 11:39 PM

Actually, they never show Beaver with the pipe in his mouth. In a very uncharacteristic Twilight Zone type closeup they show the pipe bowl and the smoking tobacco and the pipe kind of swirls around indicating that the boys are getting kind of dizzy, but they never show them taking a puff or anything like that.

I was very surprised at how negatively they were portraying smoking. Remember, this is before the Surgeon General's report in 1964 and lots of people smoked. If you watch I love Lucy, Ricky almost always has a cigarette. It's no wonder Desi died of lung cancer. But cigarette commercials were common on Tv. I was just surprised that they were so down on it.

UncleBilly · 08-21-2002, 09:08 AM

In that episode Larry and Beaver talk about how their parents want them to wait until they are 21 to smoke. So, it's not that smoking is portrayed as bad, just that you have to wait until you are an adult to do it.

FOL85NatandMrsGRock · 08-22-2002, 11:09 AM

I on the other hand LOVED this epiosde!! I thought it was so funny how Beaver didn't realize that his dad would notice that it got browner when he smoked it. I also thought it was so funny how June and Ward thought it was wally and not the beav who was smoking, but how innocently June remarked The Beaver?? when Ward said one of our boys has been smoking. It is not uncommon for the younger kids, maybe younger than 9 to try smoking on today's television. Look at 7th Heaven when Ruthi and Simon smoked some cigarrettes brought into their house by a foreign exchange student. Simon couldn't have been over 11 and ruthi was like 6 or 7, perhaps not even out of kindergarden! So as you see, it wasn't uncommon for hte youngsters to try smoking. And for another referral (a somewhat comparison) somebody compared The Pipe to Facts of Life's episode entitled Dope. I woudl like to compare it to Facts of Life's Growing Pains, where young Tootie gets drunk. Everyone is always shocked when the "youngest" does something... why? I think they are just tryign to act older, and i think that was the only reason that the beaver smoked, but what i was shocked about is how wally never knew/suspected anything when the beaver was spraying the room, and i was confused about how June and Ward warned the boys about smoking, they took it a lot more calmly than i expected them too!

HuskerTornado · 08-29-2002, 07:53 PM

They "smoked" coffee and cigarette ashes for cryin out loud! Ya, I also found it odd though that the squeaky clean sitcom had this in it. But it was a pretty funny episode.

boechsner · 09-04-2002, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by HuskerTornado
They "smoked" coffee and cigarette ashes for cryin out loud! Ya, I also found it odd though that the squeaky clean sitcom had this in it. But it was a pretty funny episode.

Squeaky clean, I should say not. There were other episodes that dealt with more serious topics, including alcoholism in Episode 98, Beaver and Andy AND divorce in Episode 119, Beaver's House Guest. Then of course there's episode 218 Box Office Attraction, which is really a switch for the series as well as Episode 231, The All-Night Party in which Ward brings up the subject of teen drinking.

The Pipe is really not that unusual of an episode, after all when you're young and you see adults smoke, you naturally want to try it. Why do you think they make candy cigarettes?

08-20-2002, 08:44 PM	#1
TheHappyBurgerMeister Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 23, 2002 Location: Wisconsin, USA Posts: 2,209	"The Pipe" This episode was just on Saturday night the one where Larry and Beaver smoke the pipe send to the Cleavers from the Rutherfords. Well, I find this episode very awkword and out of the loop for LITB. I mean, c'mon, Beaver is like 9 years old on the show and he's smoking tobacco?? I would find it weird NOW a days if a 9 year old kid was smoking on a show! And this is LITB for crying out loud! Well, I guess that's why this episode is so funny! I don't know what the writers were thinking for this episode- gosh, you might as well have had beaver sleeping around and Wally being a drug dealer! well, it's still a classic one though.
	__________________ Kristina Thinkin' 'Bout Something Official Music Video Shout it Out- Hanson's 5th studio album in stores June 8th!

08-22-2002, 11:09 AM	#11
FOL85NatandMrsGRock The Lovable Sarah Senior Member Join Date: Nov 07, 2000 Location: Wisconsin (Same Place Charlotte's From and where That 70's Show takes place!) .... Wish I was in Mayfield USA! Posts: 1,770	I on the other hand LOVED this epiosde!! I thought it was so funny how Beaver didn't realize that his dad would notice that it got browner when he smoked it. I also thought it was so funny how June and Ward thought it was wally and not the beav who was smoking, but how innocently June remarked The Beaver?? when Ward said one of our boys has been smoking. It is not uncommon for the younger kids, maybe younger than 9 to try smoking on today's television. Look at 7th Heaven when Ruthi and Simon smoked some cigarrettes brought into their house by a foreign exchange student. Simon couldn't have been over 11 and ruthi was like 6 or 7, perhaps not even out of kindergarden! So as you see, it wasn't uncommon for hte youngsters to try smoking. And for another referral (a somewhat comparison) somebody compared The Pipe to Facts of Life's episode entitled Dope. I woudl like to compare it to Facts of Life's Growing Pains, where young Tootie gets drunk. Everyone is always shocked when the "youngest" does something... why? I think they are just tryign to act older, and i think that was the only reason that the beaver smoked, but what i was shocked about is how wally never knew/suspected anything when the beaver was spraying the room, and i was confused about how June and Ward warned the boys about smoking, they took it a lot more calmly than i expected them too!
	__________________ Lorelai: (on the phone to Luke) So where are you anyways? Luke: I'm somewhere near if I lived here I'd shoot myself Lorelai: Oh I hear it's lovely there this time of year Gilmore Girls Eric: This guy's no good, I'm telling you, I have a 5th sense about these things! Jack: You mean a 6th sense? Eric: No, that's smell! You gotta be lucky to get that one! Boy Meets World

08-20-2002, 09:09 PM	#2
BulletTrain Seinfeld+SimpsonsFan Forum Regular Join Date: Aug 03, 2002 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 863	Back then smoking probally wasnt nearly as big of a deal as it is today so thats why they did on a show on it.

08-20-2002, 10:26 PM	#3
SOAPDYNASTY GIMME A BREAK Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 17, 2002 Location: RI Posts: 285	Was he smoking it real?

08-20-2002, 10:34 PM	#4
SOAPDYNASTY GIMME A BREAK Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 17, 2002 Location: RI Posts: 285	Was he smoking it real?

08-20-2002, 10:37 PM	#6
SOAPDYNASTY GIMME A BREAK Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 17, 2002 Location: RI Posts: 285	Was he smoking it on the show?? If so SHAME SHAME SHAME on you Beaver!!!!

08-20-2002, 10:42 PM	#7
BulletTrain Seinfeld+SimpsonsFan Forum Regular Join Date: Aug 03, 2002 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 863	Yeah he did smoke. Ward and june think wally was smoking but they find out it was beaver.

08-20-2002, 10:48 PM	#8
Impressions She died the way she lived Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: May 08, 2002 Posts: 4,640	I felt the same way in the Episode "Dope" (The Facts of Life) when Sue Ann and Blair join a group of friends and they find out their using drugs, and Sue Ann smokes dope, and she inhales it. But innocent Beaver smoking tobacco? That's a different story, he's too young to smoke.

08-20-2002, 11:39 PM	#9
frani Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 09, 2002 Location: New York City Posts: 445	Actually, they never show Beaver with the pipe in his mouth. In a very uncharacteristic Twilight Zone type closeup they show the pipe bowl and the smoking tobacco and the pipe kind of swirls around indicating that the boys are getting kind of dizzy, but they never show them taking a puff or anything like that. I was very surprised at how negatively they were portraying smoking. Remember, this is before the Surgeon General's report in 1964 and lots of people smoked. If you watch I love Lucy, Ricky almost always has a cigarette. It's no wonder Desi died of lung cancer. But cigarette commercials were common on Tv. I was just surprised that they were so down on it.

08-21-2002, 09:08 AM	#10
UncleBilly Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 08, 2002 Posts: 107	In that episode Larry and Beaver talk about how their parents want them to wait until they are 21 to smoke. So, it's not that smoking is portrayed as bad, just that you have to wait until you are an adult to do it.

08-29-2002, 07:53 PM	#12
HuskerTornado Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Aug 29, 2002 Posts: 71	They "smoked" coffee and cigarette ashes for cryin out loud! Ya, I also found it odd though that the squeaky clean sitcom had this in it. But it was a pretty funny episode.