Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman

Norman Lear's Soapy Satirical Spoof

Today’s hed gif gives us a scene from 1976’s Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, a series created by Norman Lear and staring Louise Lasser in the title role. Lear, already established as a powerhouse screenwriter and producer with popular hit series that included All in the Family, Maude and Sanford and Son, developed Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman in the style of a soap opera—all the way down to releasing daily episodes—as a vehicle to satirize the effects of consumerism on Americans. Main character Mary is a small-town Ohio housewife numbed to the strange and sometimes violent events in her life, enraptured and hypnotized by television, seduced by the advertisements that punctuate her favorite shows. Unlike typical comedy programs of the time, MH2 lacked a laugh track and the plots frequently turned on dark and violent twists. Still, it managed to be captivating, often socially skewering and frequently hysterical, thanks in large part to Lasser’s tender, drippy deadpan delivery and the show’s over-the-top story lines that managed to tackle thorny subjects head-on. It became an instant cult classic, and though little remembered today still manages to make an impact on rewatching. TV Guide ranks the sampled episode, where Coach Leroy Fedders drowns in a bowl of Mary’s chicken soup, 97th on it’s list of 100 Greatest TV Moments of All Time.

My quick summary hardly touches on the brilliance of Lear’s quirky, provocative soap opera. You can find deeper dives in the linked essays below.

East of Borneo: " From a Waxy Yellow Buildup to a Nervous Breakdown: The Fleeting Existence of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" by Claire Barliant, 10/10/10

Pop Matters: "Ambitious and Ludicrous Satire: ‘Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman: The Complete Series’" By Michael Buening, 2/26/14

Wikipedia: Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman