The Waltons vs. Little House on the Prarie

[WI_DEM]

Poll question: The Waltons vs. Little House on the Prarie

Which of these is your favorite heartwarming "family" show of the 70's?

[salvorhardin]

1. The Waltons were radicals

Does anyone remember the episode where they resisted armed U.S. agents?

[noonwitch]

2. They also stood up against their neighbors for black and jewish people

They were the only ones who appreciated John Ritter's (who played a radical minister) sermons. I also liked the sweet little old ladies who were also bootleggers. Grandma Walton would always get so upset at Grandpa for going over there. There's a great episode where Grandpa Walton, John and John-Boy all get toasted with the widows. Ike the store keeper was a good character, too.



I love the "Little House" books far more than the tv show. Michael Landon made it overly sappy and took many liberties with the stories. The series was very different from the life the real Laura wrote about.

[Lavender Brown]

3. It was ridiculous

In the show, Mary got her sight back! And Laura and Almanzo separated and considered divorce. It was like Little House morphed into As the World Turns.

[salvorhardin]

4. I also remember

the episode where one of the Walton girls took on her war profiteering boss.

It's really amazing to look back on a show that was considered pretty much "family TV" pablum and realize that there were an incredible amount of left-wing radical messages hidden in the stories.

A lot of our TV from that era was like that -- Good Times, Maude, M*A*S*H -- even the silly shows like WKRP. or the Jeffersons.

[no_hypocrisy]

5. Daddy Walton (Ralph Waite): democrat. Laura Ingals (Melissa Gilbert):

repuke.

[bukk]

6. My private hell

My mother used these shows to torture me as a child. They were "good for me," therefore I had to watch them. It was compulsory. I would beg, I would plead, I would claim to have homework -- nothing worked. I was to "sit there and like it!" Once I sat in a chair with my back to the TV, and she TURNED THE CHAIR AROUND WITH ME IT.

Yes, my mother was (and remains) kind of insane. (And yes, she's a Bushdroid.)

Today, I despise both of these shows with every fiber of my being.

Oh, and Sound of Music too -- HATE IT!