The Roswell Ruddy-Cheeked Youth Orchestra
Is it ever made clear on The Brady Bunch how the parents came to be raising three kids each by themselves? Dead—possibly murdered—spouses? Youthful indiscretions? Divorcé and ée? If so, for what reasons?
Comments
on 2005-05-17 21:16:32.0, Standpipe Bridgeplate commented:
You missed the awesome "backstory" episode, which explained that everyone in the Bradyverse reproduces by budding. Sexual dimorphism, trait variation among offspring, &c. are there for the same reason all the aliens in Star Trek are featherless bipeds.
This omits to explain (or rather, allows to wonder) why Carol and Mike, as self-respecting asexual organisms, would shack up and shoot each other the googly-eyes. TV science fiction was pretty wretched back then.
and, further, on 2005-05-18 16:32:26.0, bitchphd commented:
If you had somehow managed to wind up married to either one of 'em, wouldn't you file divorce papers?
and, further, on 2005-05-18 16:33:31.0, Matt Weiner commented:
E'en the museum of broadcast communication seem to be unclear--it says both were widowed, but then says that Carol was originally written as a divorceé. It's not clear to me whether that latter refers to the original concept, or whether she was originally a divorceé who was retconned into a widow.
And the reason you can't write "allows to wonder" is because the subject of 'wonder' isn't the subject of 'allow', I think.
Poop, B got in there while I was typing. (B, you never have addressed the "Wasn't that message supposed to go to Adam and Ben too?" concern.)
and, further, on 2005-05-18 19:54:25.0, ben wolfson commented:
That's "divorcée", Weino.
And the reason you can't write "allows to wonder" is because the subject of 'wonder' isn't the subject of 'allow', I think.
The "one" is implicit.
and, further, on 2005-05-18 20:51:27.0, Standpipe Bridgeplate commented:
I strive to make things as imple as possible, but not impler.
and, further, on 2005-05-19 13:05:04.0, Matt Weiner commented:
Carp. Stupid HTML messes up my spelling.
Implicit or no, I don't think you can do that construction with a subject other than PRO (the unvoiced pronoun) for 'wonder'. But you might want to ask someone who actually knows some linguistics about this, if you know anyone.
and, further, on 2005-05-19 13:08:54.0, ben wolfson commented:
I was pulling the "implicit" claim out of my arse.
and, further, on 2005-05-19 13:42:09.0, Standpipe Bridgeplate commented:
I admit that "allows to" sounds stilted. I have no idea what a linguist would say, but the phrase has definitely been spotted in the wild.
and, further, on 2005-05-19 22:54:32.0, bitchphd commented:
Matt, I forwarded your message asking me that to both of 'em, so they got the whole shebang. So to speak.
and, further, on 2005-05-20 10:12:57.0, Matt Weiner commented:
A moment's reflection reveals that I am full of shit--when I say "I allow myself to eat one baby a month," I can't say "I allow to eat one baby a month."
SB, all those people suck.