(Jewish Group) That time 'I Love Lucy' confronted antisemitism in front of millions of Americans

[Behind the Aegis]

A nice thing about being alive in this current moment in history is that one can say things like, “television is the great American art form” and people will actually take you seriously. And if television is the great American art form, Lucille Ball is one of its most important founders. If you haven’t seen “I Love Lucy,” please, watch more TV.

“I Love Lucy” was groundbreaking for narrative television. It was the first television show shot with three cameras (hats off to Desi Arnaz for that). It was the first television show to feature a person of color in a lead role. One of its three main writers was a woman. Its success led to Lucille Ball being the first woman to own a major studio. And it brought into millions of homes a woman who was not only a funny physical comedian, but who, to this day, remains one of the most ambitious and confident women to appear on screen (even if she usually got thwarted).

The first time I saw “I Love Lucy,” I was three years old and my mother, in desperate need of a way to keep me distracted, put me in front of the television. It was there that I saw the greatest thing I had ever seen in the entirety of my three-year-old life: the black-and-white image of Lucille Ball as Lucy Ricardo locked in a meat freezer.

This was both the start of my obsession with Lucille Ball and of the television becoming my primary caretaker. Over the years, I watched every “I Love Lucy” episode I could find on VHS. One of my favorite episodes was “Pioneer Women.” This episode is most commonly known as the one where Lucy bakes a 20-foot loaf of bread, but it’s really about discrimination and antisemitism.

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An interesting article.

[LisaM]

1. I remember that speech.

For years, I have been trying to remember what episode it was from because I always wanted to hear it again.

[thucythucy]

2. My mother learned English watching "I Love Lucy."

I think a part of the appeal for her (aside from the physical comedy, which was amazing) was the idea of an immigrant with an accent being a star of the show. She also loved all of Lucy's various schemes.

Another first not mentioned in the article is how Lucille Ball's pregnancy was handled. Pregnant women were never seen on American TV--too risque or something. She had the writers work it into the series arc--in fact the whole idea of a narrative arc on TV was a breakthrough.

Among my favorite memories of watching with my mom: Lucy stomping grapes, and of course the famous chocolate factory conveyer belt scene.

One downside, Lucy getting spanked at the end of some episodes, though as an adult I always wondered about that--perhaps a way for the writers to sneak in some kink?

One more bit of Lucy trivia: Lucille Ball was accused by the rabid right of being a communist or communist sympathizer. Desi Arnez issued a statement saying "The only thing red about Lucy is her hair." I forget why this became an issue, other than Ms. Ball being a progressive and married to a "foreigner."