Month: October 2018

Corporal Punishment and Primetime TV

by Doug Snauffer

The subject of corporal punishment is seldom addressed on TV these days, but that hasn’t always been the case.  Television periodically changes to reflect society (or perhaps vice-versa), and the idea of paddling a child is pretty much taboo in our time, particularly on TV.  But back in the 1950s, ‘60s, ‘70s, and even into the ‘80s, most fictional parents lived by the motto “Spare the rod, spoil the child.” At least that’s what TV producers wanted viewers to believe.

The issue was addressed — with a bit of a twist — on the CBS sitcom Family Affair.  In the episode “Love Me, Love Me Not” (12/5/66) young Jody (Johnny Whitaker) witnessed a friend being spanked.  8The boy’s father explained to Jody that he only punished his son because he loves him and wants him to behave and to stay out of trouble. This led Jody to question his Uncle Bill’s (Brian Keith) love since Bill had never paddled him.  His solution was a streak of bad behavior that would leave his uncle with no alternative but to discipline him. But Bill, being a relatively new and inexperienced father, was hesitant to resort to corporal punishment.

Brian Keith (left) and Johnny Whitaker in Family Affair.

Bill was eventually clued in to the cause of Jody’s bad behavior, and this time gave him a swat on the behind — with his hand, not a paddle — to which Jody responded with a big, satisfied smile. read article

Cartoon: ‘Writers’ Block’

Something to think about:

Found on Gocomics.com

WGA Awards Deadline Reminder

From the WGAW to God’s ears…and yours too:

If you’re a pro who wrote their heart out on a TV series/special or a film seen, or scheduled to be seen, by the public this year, this definitely is something to shoot for. read article

“I write disabled characters who aren’t evil, piteous, or helpless”

Everyone is happy (or says they are) about seeing more diverse characters on TV these days. But one “diverse” group of actors we aren’t seeing is those we could characterize as “disabled.” For those who wonder what’s up,  we bring you this report:

Kaite O’Reilly

by Dawn Foster

“What is normal?” playwright Kaite O’Reilly asks during a break in rehearsals for her new play, And Suddenly I Disappear. “What is normal for you, isn’t normal for me. We’re so limited by these ideas of normalcy, what it is to be human.”

O’Reilly’s play, debuting at the Southbank Centre in London , on Wednesday, then touring around the country, comprises what O’Reilly calls her “D-monologues”: fictional soliloquies discussing aspects of disability, difference and diversity. Two of the actors, Ramesh Meyyappan and Sophie Stone, are deaf. “There are so few good parts for people who are different, whose bodies don’t conform,” O’Reilly says. “And, invariably, they’re not performed by disabled or deaf people” – a fact highlighted by the row over the casting of a non-disabled actor in the remake of The Elephant Man. read article

Writing Gig Op: Lifehacker is looking for a staff writer

One of the web’s top sites is hiring, kids. Somebody’s going to get this high profile gig, why not you?

by Melissa Kirsch

Are you full of strong opinions on the right way to do things that you’re dying to share with the world? Do you geek out over everything from how best to pack a suitcase to the finer points of cell phone etiquette? Do you give incredible advice, if you do say so yourself? Are you also a smart, curious, witty, detail-oriented writer who wants to help people improve their lives? read article