I
have been rather heavy and philosophical as of late. LOL, I am sure
my next blog will be. But, I thought I would lighten things up just a
little bit. I joked a couple of weeks ago that my posts here were
becoming too life and death-related, and I was going to write about people I
wanted to go out with. Well, I don’t know if the Internet has that
much room – but it did get me thinking about celebrity crushes, and
some of those great debates that people have gotten into from time to
time. Television has been the medium where most of us developed our
first crush. I am no different. To this day, I still can’t make up
my mind if it was Linda Gray from ‘Dallas’ or Valerie Bertinelli
from ‘One Day At A Time.’ (Incidentally, I watched an old episode
of ‘Family Feud’ on YouTube the other night that featured the
cast of both shows in an all-star celebrity square-off. All I will
say is I would have loved to have been Richard Dawson!)
But,
it occurred to me that there have been some great debates about
beauty and attraction over the years.....Take, for instance.....
Ginger
vs. Mary Ann / Maybe the ultimate debate among television viewers
concerns itself with the classic 1960s series ‘Gilligan’s
Island,’ in which Bob Denver was stranded with both Tina Louise and
Dawn Wells on a desert island. Well, there were four others...but
seriously! People were either charmed by the small-town innocence of
Wells’ Mary Ann Summers or the movie star sizzle of Louis. e’s
Ginger Grant. It has been the debate for the ages! But, most people I
have talked to seem to lean toward Mary Ann, proving good always
wins. While both were stunning, there was a sweetness about Mary Ann
that Dawn Wells brought out beautifully. But, there were other
debates...
The
“Supernatural” Women / In 1964, ABC delivered one of its’ first
major sitcom hits with “Bewitched.” The show starred Elizabeth
Montgomery as newlywed Samantha Stephens, who was also....a witch.
It’s interesting to note that most people’s thoughts of witches
seemed to deal with The Wizard Of Oz before the show debuted. With a
twitch of that nose, Montgomery charmed the world. The next year, NBC
premiered “I Dream Of Jeannie,” which was the story of Larry
Hagman’s Tony Nelson – who struck gold when he found a beautiful
genie on the beach. A witch with a twinkle of her nose or a
genie...without a navel? Ah, the debate has endured for five decades.
This one is tough, as Barbara Eden was, and is , one of the most
beautiful women to ever grace the TV screen. But, there was something
about that witches’ dress. All I am saying.....
Those
are two of the biggest debates, but there are others. In 1978,
viewers got a taste of what happens in the world of radio with the
debut of ‘WKRP In Cincinnati’ The show was more true than most
might think. If you have ever worked in radio, you probably worked
around a Les Nessman, Johnny Fever, Venus Flytrap, or a Mr. Carlson.
And, you just might have worked around a Jennifer, played by the
voluptuous Loni Anderson. But, as much of a sex symbol as she became,
there was something about Jan Smithers, wasn’t there? Her character
of Bailey wasn’t as in-your-face gorgeous as Anderson, but I know
of many radio guys who admitted to a crush on Smithers over Anderson.
And,
there were others.....Which ‘Hee Haw’ Honey was your favorite?
(Gunilla), Favorite ‘Friend’ (I run the gamut here, sometimes
Jennifer Aniston, sometimes Lisa Kudrow, but always Courtney
Cox)....or which ‘Waltons’ sister did you like? (Torn between
Erin and Mary Ellen, but have to go with Erin)..........
And,
for fans of the male gender.....there are some interesting debates to
be had.......Bo or Luke? Magnum, PI or Michael Knight of ‘Knight
Rider?’ or going back to the 70s, were you a David Cassidy, aka
‘Keith Partridge’ fan, or did your heart skip a beat for the
oldest of the boys named ‘Brady,’ Greg?
The
cool thing is there are no right or wrong answers. And, at the end of
the day, it’s a lot more entertaining of a debate than a political
one, don’t you think? If nothing else, hopefully, I’ve made you
smile a little bit this week....and brought back a cool memory of a
poster you might have had on your wall!
