MovieChat Forums > Mary Tyler Moore (1970) Discussion > Divorce Theory:

Divorce Theory:

posted 9 years ago by In_Correct
5 replies | jump to latest

Mary Richards was supposed to be divorced but this was rejected by network executives. Apparently they did not like divorced women be cause they said the same thing to Carol Brady. The reason the network executives said no was they thought this would cause a misunderstanding that Mary went through a divorce from The Dick Van Dyke Show. Indeed, this was parodied inaccurately on The Roseanne Show. Roseanne Barr, dressed as Mary Richards, mentioned her "divorce with Rob". No divorce from Rob was ever mentioned on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

But How old was Mary Richards in the first season? 30? 31? She was engaged to that man for what? two years? What was she doing before then? She mentioned college but if I remember correctly, she didn't finish until DURING the show. Was she staying with her parents all those years?

I think that she was married to a different man. (a different man before the man in the pilot episode) I know none of this was mentioned but Mary was supposed to be divorced and surviving on her own for the first time.

I am guessing that she was married to this man, she was a house wife, and then divorced, and then became engaged to the man seen in the pilot episode. All of this happened before the series began.

They never mentioned this because the network executives told them no. But it doesn't mean it didn't happen be cause what else did she do during that time?

Was it mentioned in one of the episodes? Was she living with her parents? Or was Mary Richards much younger in the pilot episode?

Somebody clear this up for me. Other wise I think that Mary Richards was divorced (just not mentioned because of network restrictions) before she met (and broke up) with the other man in the pilot episode.

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[–] tmaj48 9 years ago

She was never a divorcee. In the first-season episode "Divorce Isn't Everything," she and Rhoda join the "Better Luck Next Time" club, a group for divorced people, in order to get discounted tickets for a trip to Paris. They also
join because of the stigma on never-married people back then. Unlike today, when
most people wait until their late 20s-early 30s to get married (if they even get married at all), young people in the 1960s and 1970s, especially women, who hadn't been married at least once by the time they reached 30 were looked at with suspicion. I know of women back then who were accused of being frigid, "old maids," gay, or were asked bluntly, "what's wrong with you, anyway?!" if they hadn't entered into marriage or at least been engaged by the time they were 24 or so. Mary is reluctant to go along with Rhoda as she is uncomfortable with joining under false pretenses, as neither she nor Rhoda have ever been married and divorced. As it turns out, several other people in the club admit that they've never been married, either--they also joined to get the Paris tickets and because they don't want to be stigmatized as "old maids" and "confirmed bachelors."

I would guess Mary probably had a little apartment near her parents, maybe with a couple of (female) roommates, and a circle of supportive friends.

I'm not crying, you fool, I'm laughing!

Hewwo.

[–] In_Correct 9 years ago

She was never a divorcee. In the first-season episode "Divorce Isn't Everything," she and Rhoda join the "Better Luck Next Time" club, a group for divorced people, in order to get discounted tickets for a trip to Paris. They also
join because of the stigma on never-married people back then. Unlike today, when
most people wait until their late 20s-early 30s to get married (if they even get married at all), young people in the 1960s and 1970s, especially women, who hadn't been married at least once by the time they reached 30 were looked at with suspicion. I know of women back then who were accused of being frigid, "old maids," gay, or were asked bluntly, "what's wrong with you, anyway?!" if they hadn't entered into marriage or at least been engaged by the time they were 24 or so. Mary is reluctant to go along with Rhoda as she is uncomfortable with joining under false pretenses, as neither she nor Rhoda have ever been married and divorced. As it turns out, several other people in the club admit that they've never been married, either--they also joined to get the Paris tickets and because they don't want to be stigmatized as "old maids" and "confirmed bachelors."

I would guess Mary probably had a little apartment near her parents, maybe with a couple of (female) roommates, and a circle of supportive friends.

Oh that's right. I remember that episode now. I had forgotten it before lol.

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[–] Blueghost 9 years ago

I seem to recall that her ex shows up in the first five or so episodes ... though maybe that was an ex-fiancé.

[–] candrew088 9 years ago

The OP is right. I happen to know that before the pilot episode Mary was in fact previously married to a man named Robert Petrie.

[–] information_police 8 years ago

I guess she didn't like being the wide of a chimminy sweep.