I dont get Klinger - M*A*S*H (1972) Discussion

[–] revolver95 9 years ago

Then he would receive disability while getting paid under the table from some Lebanese restaurant back home. He was fearing for his life. Being crazy is better than being dead.
People seem to overlook that he tried many ways, legal and illegal, to get out of the army. He tried being overweight, earning points, forging discharge papers, and escaping via hang glider. “Big red bird with fuzzy pink feet.”

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[–] dbrockskk1 9 years ago

As Metallica says nothing else matters!

suzycreamcheese RIP Heath Ledger 1979-2008

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[–] ZakkWyldeMyLittlePony 9 years ago

I liked Klinger's character.

"Respect my authority!"-Eric Cartman

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[–] dawnbaxter34 9 years ago

I don't get how Klinger got his own tent

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[–] randbanks 9 years ago

I don't get how Klinger got his own tent

Creative liberty.

Destroying an empire to win a war is no victory and ending a battle to save an empire is no defeat

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[–] iamtherealbg 9 years ago

Not to mention the "tough neighborhood" he bragged about being from back in Toledo. After everyone back home found out he was discharged for wearing a dress they would have tormented him mercilessly. He would have never gotten a job. Everyone would have pointed at him and said, "There's that homo that wore dresses in the Army."

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[–] jakubmike 8 years ago

I think wearing a dress to escape military service was kind of a family tradition. I remember an episode in which he walks around in wedding dress of his uncle

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[–] crypticanomaly73 8 years ago

He might have been considered a hero for getting out and making a mockery of the army. Just depends on how patriotic the neighbourhood was.

Sometimes a movie or tv show plot is so stupid that only the stupid can understand it.

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[–] indy_go_blue44 8 years ago

Maybe in the 1970s, but not in the early '50s.

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[–] johnny_burnaway 8 years ago

I would guess a Section 8 wouldn't carry much more stigma than being 4F. It wouldn't be the same as being dishonorably discharged for being homosexual, which would have really impacted your whole life back in those days and was a scenario he turned down.

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[–] britneyfoxx 8 years ago

being considered too insane to be in the army didn't hurt ted nugent

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[–] Utpe 8 years ago

I seriously could not understand why they didn't give him the boot to begin with. Homosexual tendencies back then was disqualifying. He could have simply stated that he was "gay" and be deemed unfit.

In one episode, he was worried when they were going to "torpedo" (subpoena) him. Then, and only then, was he worried about his service record.

But, of course, as they old saying goes: "F-ck up, move up." I suppose this is why he was promoted from Corporal to Sergeant.

BTW, I'm almost positive that nothing would have followed after he was discharged from the Military. Nowadays, potential employers and such can receive any pertinent documentation. It didn't work that way in the 1950s.

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[–] crypticanomaly73 8 years ago

Ok so it's just a show and all but one thing he never does which would have helped him get that Section 8 would be to totally slack off or screw up.

No matter how crazy his antics are he never puts any lives at risk and he never lets his work slide.He has pride but in the context of this discussion I don't think his war record would have been too bad had he achieved that Section 8. There is an episode where Potter writes up his discharge papers because he is acting depressed. I don't think that would be a dishonorable discharge.

Now Hawkeye on the other hand...

Sometimes a movie or tv show plot is so stupid that only the stupid can understand it.

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[–] dbrockskk1 8 years ago

uh huh. I belong to militarybrats.com and grew up in Strategic Air Command and Pacific Air Command Air Force. Don't know about now but back then a Section 8 would have been extremely serious. If his family's business went under there's no way anyone would hire him.

suzycreamcheese RIP Heath Ledger 1979-2008

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[–] crypticanomaly73 8 years ago

The episode I watched had Potter writing up the discharge papers due to Klinger's depression. I don't know if that is still a Section 8 but Potter was quite accepting that depression was a valid reason.

Klinger blows it when he starts dancing too early to celebrate.

I tried looking up consequences of a Section 8 but couldn't find any but the military don't have it anymore.

As I mention in my other post, Klinger never shirks his duty or poses a risk to anyone. That is what prevents his Section 8. I have no doubt that in the real Korean War a man dressing in women's clothes would be Sectioned 8 in a heartbeat and it would not look good at all. The comedian Lenny Bruce got out of the navy by saying he had homosexual tendencies.

In the context of the show, it is obvious that Klinger is far from crazy. I think also that even at the time the effects of being in a combat zone were widely known and there may have been different contexts of a Section 8.

Sometimes a movie or tv show plot is so stupid that only the stupid can understand it.

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[–] crimsonlazerlady 8 years ago

As I mention in my other post, Klinger never shirks his duty or poses a risk to anyone. That is what prevents his Section 8.
----
That's very true. One scene that blew me away was the episode that he had a serious kidney infection. As soon as the the wounded arrived he staggered out of bed to help even though he was so sick he could hardly stand. What a trooper!

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[–] crypticanomaly73 8 years ago

Yeah that was amazing for someone who tried so hard to get out of the army!

Sometimes a movie or tv show plot is so stupid that only the stupid can understand it.

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[–] johnny_burnaway 8 years ago

As I mention in my other post, Klinger never shirks his duty or poses a risk to anyone.

He comes fairly close one time. When he's pretending he thinks he's in Toledo and he's hauling a litter with a wounded man on it, he stops (and makes the guy carrying the other end stop as well) and starts talking to Potter as though he's reporting an accident. If I was Potter, I would have given him some heavy discipline for that, or maybe just smacked him on the spot.

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[–] crypticanomaly73 8 years ago

Yeah I remember that episode, even though I knew it was all a show etc I still thought it was a stupid thing to do/write.

Sometimes a movie or tv show plot is so stupid that only the stupid can understand it.

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[–] kjones1067 8 years ago

Klinger did have a tent-mate in one episode. The guy who was really crazy, interviewed officers in the mess tent with a ladle, for example. That's the only one I remember.

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[–] hifijohn 8 years ago

on a side note the charactor of klinger was suppose to be a one time only but became so popular he became regular cast member.

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