Of course, I could NEVER have watched that show as a kid unless it was on when I was over at my Dad’s. NO way would my mom’s side of the family allow such a dirty show. Nor would ANY of them have allowed Maude, but for different reasons on each side: Mom for the salty, risqué dialog; my Dad, because she was an assertive, liberal woman. (sigh) In true cosmic justice, I gifted them with being an out gay liberal. Sweet Justice.

All that family stuff aside, hurrah for the charming and clever Brett Somers.

I really never realized how “liberal” my upbringing was until Mojo mentioned something about it the other day. They could be repressive and they CERTAINLY could be judgmental, but they also liked to have fun. It is almost as if they could have been such liberal people if only they had been born in a different time and place.

And my mom didn’t like the risqueness as much as my dad, but like many things about her, her humor was/is subtle, clever, and stealthy. She may object to Match Game being on, but once she voiced her objection, she hunker down to see what double entendres they were making.

Brett Somers always seemed like a vivacious lady.

I think my household was somewhere in between yours and Mojo’s. My mother was extremely conservative, but also extremely naive. Double entendres went over her head, and I think she honestly believed that ‘they’ would never put anything on television that was inappropriate.

My dad was a little more free-wheelin’. He and I used to watch ‘Maude’ together. Whenever Adrienne Barbeau came onscreen, he’d say “That sure is a nice looking woman”. I agreed, but silently.

Good article Richard.