"Kinda nice" doesn't read to me as "better."

Even coupled with "Why did we ever burn our bras?" Only if they were saying it sarcasticaly might I buy it.

It's because I think the show does such a good job of showing that things weren't simpler and that women's lives were harder that I can't buy anyone saying "Dang that feminist movement. I'd rather just hang around the house." Unless they were being deeply sarcastic.

and in an interview, not just amongst friends (not that that's better, but the fact that he feels so comfortable using it for national consumption is telling as well)

This is how I feel about the whole interview, actually. Many of his comments might be okay to say to a friend, but to an interviewer? It just seems like real insensitivity to both the actual topics (women in the 50s and men talking about their feelings) as well as an insensitivity to the readers. Not that he has to be sensitive to us, but if he's not, I can't help but react as many others here did.

It just seems like real insensitivity to both the actual topics (women in the 50s and men talking about their feelings) as well as an insensitivity to the readers.

Or just plain lack of maturity. Neither one gets a pass from someone of his age and public stature, in my book.

One or two incidents turned into a bucket in which to toss any 'uppity' woman.

Bra burning is a myth. [link]

I just realized I need one of those embroidered shirts a la ita's link a while back that says "Uppity woman"

Fascinating link Ginger, thank you so much!

"Let's Judge Ourselves as People.'' They crowned a live sheep, and dumped girdles, cosmetics, high-heeled shoes, and bras into a "freedom trash can" while the cameras clicked

I remember that image, and as the years past, and I heard the term 'bra burning' as often as I heard 'draft card burning', I superimposed my own fire on the picture. I'm very, very glad to stand corrected in this and will share the link far and wide.

I superimposed my own fire on the picture.

this. And there was also that one episode of "Quantum Leap".

Interesting to read some of the reactions. I was ambivalent about some of Kartheiser's comments as well during the interview and I wanted to try and preserve some of that in the finished piece. The exchange about gender politics was the hardest one to get right because it came out of a longer conversation. I couldn't run the whole thing both for space and also because he kept rambling and repeating himself so I cut to the chase. The thing he kept circling back to was this idea that while we've improved society for the better since the era the show depicts, there was a certain comfort in knowing what was expected of you based on your sex, which is a fair (and definitely arguable) point to make. I do believe him when he says that some of the actresses on the set talked about how certain things about that time were "nice," although whether they said this jokingly or not and whether he would have been able to tell the difference either way is also debatable. And while he was too quick to fall back on lazy cliches like bra-burning and modern men are pussies, he didn't seem like a total Neanderthal. He just wasn't adept at arguing his case on a more thoughtful level--that story about his friend was an attempt at humor that backfired even as he was telling it. But that lack of polish was one of the reasons he was an interesting interview. A lot of the young actors I've interviewed are deathly boring because they never deviate from the standard "everything was great" script. So it was nice to talk to someone who was willing to speak his mind even if it led him to put his foot in his mouth more than once--that only made it clearer that his answers weren't rehearsed. I was impressed that he talked candidly about Angel, both in terms of the show's failings and his own. Going in, I was sure he'd want to get off that topic as fast as possible, but we spent a good chunk of the interview talking about it. I wouldn't necessarily defend any of his opinions, but it made for a better conversation (and hopefully a better read) than if he had kept them to himself.

Interesting that this subject should come up now. Judy Brady was on NPR tonight talking about how she came to write her classic "Why I want a wife" short. [link]

Has it really been 36 years?

Thanks, Fone Bone. I think you captured those qualities well, the lack of polish, the thoughtfulness, a bit of aggressiveness. I enjoyed it a lot.