I ever tell ya'all about two of my favorite TV shows and why they are favorites?
What, you ask, are they? What does the 'monkey love so much: The Beverly Hillbillies and Columbo.
They could hardly be more different at first glance, I know. One a sitcom about hillbillies in Beverly Hills - what? How crazy can that be? (Will someone please tell the Palin family that it's not a documentary). And the other a detective drama about starring a glass-eyed slob?
But when one looks closer, one sees the commonalities. Of course, both are set in Los Angeles, more or less. And both are about class warfare.
Yes, yes they are. As they say on all the wingnut and freeper blogs, just give me a chance and follow me on this... (I love it when I find a blog post that starts like that - it's straight to crazy town from thereon in!)
First, Columbo is the salt-of-the-earth working glass schmuck who is also the worst nightmare of every murdering high-class rich sumbitch. They all think they are smarter and better than him, they all look down on him, they all treat him like crap and threaten him - and in the end, always smiling, he sends them all to jail. (Occasionally, the murderer is not wealthy, merely class-conscious or extraordinarily self-centered and egotistic, but they all treat Columbo the same).
Everyone's favorite hillbillies are always playing the class card, too. In fact, without it, the show would suck. The juxtaposition of earnest, decent, caring, formerly poorer than dirt Jed and family with the vacuous and the greedy of Beverly Hills and Hollywood is the greatest little class-conscious morality play ever. There's never been an American TV show that better exposes the enormous divide between the wealthy and the poor than the Beverly Hillbillies.
This all came to mind today while I was reading this excellent little essay about Jesus and his love for the poor. My Smart Wife and I were just talking about this, too; about the lack of caring for the poor and the out and downcast that so many Christians we know can apparently justify with their "faith" in Jesus. And we don't get it. But this smart fella nails it pretty good, as far as I'm concerned. He even makes me want to re-read the New Testament. Been a while...
4 comments:
Crazy.....just dug out one of those 30 episodes for $5 things that had been laying around for a year.3rd generation video.But still ,it was the "Hillbillies" and it was great!Always loved the show and actors.Im thinking Drysdale was a John McCain....not a bad guy,just forced to be a dick by others.Jed of course could kick yer ass but would rather talk about it.Granny,just wants to kick ass.Um...dont know where this is going.
"Brush Apes"! That's what Jethro called the rest of the family once. Perfect band name.
I think I remember that.In his slick Hollywood producer phase.hahahahahaha
Yes, in the plaid jacket, sunglasses, hat and cigar. And the eyes full of LSD.
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