I barely remember much at all about the original movie, that was how much of an impact it had upon me. I seem to remember Kellerman on the Tonight Show once talking about a scene in the shower, and for some reason I don't even remember that part of the movie.
As far as in the series, with Loretta Swit, I thought that her and Frank Burns CONSTANTLY getting hammered by Hawkeye and Trapper was tiresome. Secretly I always wanted to see them come out on top every once in a while. Now, if I was to watch reruns (which I wouldn't, I've seen it so many times) I probably wouldn't have a problem with them getting hammered. And then after Frank left, Loretta Swit became sort of one of the "good guys" as she was always portrayed as a hot-shot nurse versus Frank who was portrayed as an inept surgeon.
I guess I watched M*A*S*H so many times over the years, including the syndicated reruns in the 80s, that none of it would impact me at all now, including Hot Lips. I've started to watch the original movie again a few times on On demand, but I just cannot stay interested in it anymore.
I still like theme song (until the end of it) though. I remember several years ago working midnights in a LTC facility and all the residents TVs were tuned to Nick at Night for some reason, and I remember walking down the halls at 3am and turning off TVs to the theme song of M*A*S*H. That's my best memory of the series now-a-days.
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Luffy (1236)
5 months ago
You are quite funny when you put your mind to it. LOL!
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VladPutin (1582)
5 months ago
I would agree with you about Hawkeye being portrayed as a misogynist, but for some reason that didn't affect me one way or the other. I probably wanted to see pussy-magnet Hawkeye getting shot down occasionally. I think I sort of remember an episode where that happened. Or maybe he couldn't get it up (which did happen to a character in the original movie, and I believe the theme song to the series came from that).
As far as what the series did with Loretta Switt, the way she was portrayed for most of the series until Frank left totally made her not seem sexually attractive to me. As much as sexuality was a part of the series, that is not what stuck with me. I did like the cinematography and I thought quite a few of the plots were interesting and funny at the same time.
But my memories of my perceptions of M*A*S*H the series are decades old. (Although I think I did break down and catch an episode a few years ago on On Demand.) Again, what now mostly stands out to me was the sad lonesome sound of the beginning (not the end of it) of the theme song at 3am in that nursing home.
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VladPutin (1582)
5 months ago
. . . actually, if I remember correctly, in the original movie misogyny was prevalent, and that's probably why I didn't get to see it when it was first released, but I am sure that it was intentional that this prevailing theme that included misogyny and sexuality carried over to the series. I sort of remember the advertisements showing a pair a females bare legs making a peace sign. I got the impression, way back then, that although it was portraying the Korean war, it was intended to be part of the protest to the Vietnam War.
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