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Lucy Clippings: The 1950s


Brock
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This is the most I've ever seen Lucy say about equal rights/women's rights. I think as the decades went on she warmed up a bit to it but was never into the ERA movement or how that was playing out.  So interesting to read now when fans keep wanting to champion her as a female breaking barriers. It just goes back to she did what she had to do and had no intentions of breaking rules.

 

Madera Tribune, Volume 17, Number 225, 28 March 1950

Lucille Ball Opposes Move Dames Have Too Many Rights Now, Initiative Taken Away From Men

 

By VIRGINIA MacI’IIERSON

HOLLYWOOD (UP) Congress is still sitting on that equal rights bill for women and as far as Lucille Ball’s concerned they can let it go at that. She says dames need equal rights like they need a hole in the head. “We've got too many now,” she snorted. “We've taken all the initiative away from men. I say they oughta put the bill in reverse and take away some of our rights,” Lucille, of the bl ight hair and wisecracks to match, doesn t rightly hanker to be the same as husband Desi Arnaz. There are a lot of things men can do that ladies can’t and she, for one, is happy to leave it at that. “There are times.” she said, “when I like to be mastered. What woman doesn’t? It makes us feel feminine,” Miss Ball is not one to write her congressman at the drop of a vote, but she’s threatening to do some-thing if the house of represent-) ative.s passes that bill. The senate already did. So far the boys in the lower house haven’t done much about it. "The whole thing's ridiculous,” Lucille says. "If this thing becomes a law I suppose we ll have to try everything the men do. And I can't imagine anything duller than ■sitting through a session of slag jokes. I ' "Now we can get up and leave. But the minute they make us equal we won't have any excuse.” The same thing goes for picking up dinner checks. And alimony. "Heavens,” she wailed. “That'll be the day! Whfn women have to pay off their divorced husbands.” There’s none of this equality nonsense around the Ball-Arnaz household, Lucille’ll have you know. I “If I put on a hat Desi doesn’t like off it comes,” she says. "I don't stand around arguing about how we’re equal and I know as much about how I look as he does. I want to look like he wants me to. "I like to be waited on, too, and be taken care of. Right now Desi’s down at the beach painting our boat so he can take me on a vacation when I finish ‘Fuller Brush Girl.’ “If I were legally equal I'd probably have to take turns with that paint brush. No, ma’am, none of that for me.”

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I wonder how much of that she actually believed, and how much was influenced by the fact she was playing a housewife at this time, with sponsorship considerations, conscious of the fact she was now being more or less invited into people's homes through MFH and finally hitting a real career stride. 

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I didn’t realize that the ERA went all the way back to 1950! Shows how knowledgeable I am:lucyblah:. I’m sure that over time Lucy became a bit more progressive, but if she didn’t, who cares? She’s still one of the great feminist role models for any person. I agree with Brock that maybe her public role as a housewife had something to do with this statement. It’s a very interesting quote.

 

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3 hours ago, Freddie2 said:

A very sweet little story recounted by an alumnus of Lucy's high school who was able to interview her at the Forever, Darling premiere:

https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/lifestyle/2020/05/24/d-c-reader-once-interviewed-lucille-ball-jamestown-ny/5226837002/

Oh that's great. I love that he was included in the book. 

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