I love Gunsmoke! Love! Love! However, I have no recollection of watching it ever. Even though it was on TV from 1955 to 1974 or 1975, I have no memories of it. We did not have a television until 1960, so no early memories. If my brother were alive, I could ask him. I can imagine not watching when I was in college as the girls in the dorm there were more interested in soap operas. When I married and had babies, I did not have much time for TV.
If I am watching something Tommy does not want to watch, he reminds me Gunsmoke is on. He knows I always want to watch Gunsmoke. Some days, he finds it for me and reminds me to watch it. THEN, he says, "Oh, I am going to watch (whatever), maybe football, maybe movie he knows I won't like, just something he is counting on watching. This amuses me.
I am astounded at the violence. Matt Dillon has a mean backhand. If you watch carefully, you can see that Matt has trouble with his right leg. He was wounded severely on the beach at Anzio. The show does stand up for blacks, Indians, and other minorities.
We all know he has an intimate relationship with Miss Kitty, but there is never any overt show of much more than friendship. I heard Gunsmoke was called an "adult western." We adults know how to read between the lines. So, there was not storyline like Roy Rogers.
I watched The Rifleman, Bat Masterson, Have Gun, Will Travel, Rawhide, Bonanza, but have not recollection of Gunsmoke. If Daddy did not like it, we could not watch it. I am baffled why I did not watch it and have no memories of it, not one.
My favorite household chore is folding laundry. I saved it for when I was watching tv. I wanted to watch tv and also get something accomplished. The clothes are clean, smell nice, and make nice neat stacks. The first thing I fold from the basket of whites is large towels. Removing those makes the volume of clothing instantly smaller. Then, I pull out like things to fold, so that alike is folded one after another. Each towel, whatever kind it is, and each wash cloth is folded neatly and stacked neatly. All folds go the same way. Everything is uniform. The same goes for dish cloths and dish towels.
The neatness makes me happy. My children folded, too, and eventually were able to fold as well as I did. Of course, their first attempts were not corrected. At first, they sort of wadded wash clothes...lol. My son, first child, loved to help!
There was usually a talk show I wanted to watch, so this chore of folding laundry was saved for then.
I cannot stand stacks of towels or wash cloths folded this way and that. So, I take pleasure in neat stacks. Now, I have two prints on dishtowels and fold each design and put that design together. Same with the other design.
Do you remember watching Gunsmoke? Did you or do you like it?
What was your favorite household chore, the one that satisfied you or made you happy? Do you like or hate folding laundry? What is your favorite household chore. In case you suspect OCD, definitely not.
I am the laundry person at our house and I fold things and stack things and organize things exactly the way you do! And of course definitely not OCD. Perish the thought.
ReplyDeleteWe watched Gunsmoke every week, but back then there were only three stations back then.
I think the answer to why your father didn’t let you children watch Gunsmoke is clear from your post: it was advertised as an “adult” western
rhymes
DeleteI may have watched it each week and read at the same time. They did not say we could not watch things. back then, things were tame. I remember seeing movies at the drive-in and then years later figure out what it was about.
I love Gunsmoke too! Believe it or not, it's one of the shows that has helped me survive this pandemic. Matt Dillon is one hunk of a man.
ReplyDeleteI suppose we watched Gunsmoke when we were younger, but I don't remember it being so witty. The give and take between Doc and Matt and Doc and Chester, not to mention Doc and Festus is hysterical!
Miss Kitty was a beautiful woman when she was younger. From what I read, she died in her 50's from AIDS. I believe her last husband infected her, so sad.
Cheryl,
DeleteI guess maybe it has helped me survive the pandemic, too. I live to watch Gunsmoke. He is something!
Since I have no recollection of watching it, I suppose I don't remember any humor.
She was really beautiful! Matt was lucky to have her...lol. I just now read something about what killed her. Sad.
crunchymom,
ReplyDeleteIt is a great show! Usually, I look up the episode to find out who the familiar actor is we are watching. i suppose all actors wanted to be on gunsmoke. I am glad your mother found joy in Gunsmoke.
My Dad like all of those westerns, but I never did watch them, I might like them if I gave them a try.
ReplyDeleteI fold laundry just like you, into neat stacks. That and being in the kitchen puttering are household tasks I enjoy.
I definitely remember watching Gunsmoke and understanding that Kitty and the Sheriff were an item. I don't recall though in what period of time I used to watch (60s, 70s, 80s etc.). I enjoyed the show back then but don't watch it in reruns. I don't think I have a favourite household chore. The closest thing to it is washing the floor but the ge thing I spend the most time on is washing dishes.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen Gunsmoke.
ReplyDeleteI have never cared for violence as entertainment.
There is a satisfaction to folding laundry or a clean job accomplished.
Urspo,
DeleteWhat kind of TV does not have some sort of distasteful elements? Folding laundry provides meditation for me.
I didn't watch Gunsmoke simply because it came on after my bedtime, but I'm pretty sure one of my older brothers watched it. By the time my parents deemed me old enough to stay up late enough to watch some Prime Time t.v., Gunsmoke was no longer on television. To give you an idea, my bedtime was 7:30 until I was in the 4th grade, at which point it was changed to 8:30. Around 6th grade, I just stopped having bedtimes per se, because I knew to make myself scarce around 8:30 ish, meaning I'd never be downstairs in the t.v. room during Prime Time television.
ReplyDeleteI generally find all housework satisfying EXCEPT unloading the dishwasher. Unloading the dishwasher infuriates me. The other task I dislike is folding/putting away the laundry. If I don't put it away, it winds up getting all messed up in my laundry room, making doing the laundry even more unpleasant. So, I put all the laundry away, and use the opportunity to organize the drawers as I do. Kids might not like me in their rooms, but I don't like their laundry lying around my laundry room, and I make the rules, so tough. They DO like being able to find their clothing easily, however.
I was old enough to stay up, so that is not a reason I don't remember GS. Those were early and healthy bedtimes you had. As for staying up, my children learned not to be around or argue and they could stay up longer.
DeleteI hate loading a sink full of dirty dishes. I am not fond of unloading, but at least they are clean. Unfortunately, I get into the habit of using out of the dishwasher. Your kids are lucky they have you straightening behind them.
I remember watching a little of it (probably reruns) but more I remember watching Bonanza
ReplyDeleteOne,
DeleteI remember Bonanza, too. However, when it moved to Sundays, we missed it because we went to church.
I also remember Gunsmoke as well as Bonanza, most often at my grandparents house. I preferred the Wild Wild West that came out later. My BIL still watches all of the westerns on reruns. He also reads only western cowboy related books. No interest in anything else. Ranee (MN)
ReplyDeleteRae,
DeleteI remember the name, WWW, but cannot recall it. I only want to watch Gunsmoke. And, not because of Dillon. I was wondering yesterday about Louis Lamour books. I might read one. Thanks.