Brock Posted May 16, 2012 Report Share Posted May 16, 2012 (And please leave the spanking topic at the door. ) Was Ricky Ricardo needlessly cruel? Here we have Lucy and Ethel just dying to meet movie stars...his wife even going as far as spotting Van Johnson in elevators and even offering to re-name her child in his honour, and here's Ricky hobbing with every nob who is worth hobbing with and he doesn't even throw her a bone. In lieu of letting her meet Cornel Wilde, he offers to take her to see The Big Combo. Even if it DID get wonderful reviews, he then spouts such gems as: "Oh, hello Van! How are ya, boy? and "Why don't call Duke! John Wayne. All his friends call him Duke. I had lunch with him at the studio a couple of times. He's a wonderful guy!" and "Not 'Count', 'Duke'. 'Mr. Wayne' to you." and "Oh, hi, Cornel!" So... was he cruel? Was he a show off? Discuss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mmadluv7 Posted May 16, 2012 Report Share Posted May 16, 2012 (And please leave the spanking topic at the door. ) Was Ricky Ricardo needlessly cruel? Here we have Lucy and Ethel just dying to meet movie stars...his wife even going as far as spotting Van Johnson in elevators and even offering to re-name her child in his honour, and here's Ricky hobbing with every nob who is worth hobbing with and he doesn't even throw her a bone. In lieu of letting her meet Cornel Wilde, he offers to take her to see The Big Combo. Even if it DID get wonderful reviews, he then spouts such gems as: "Oh, hello Van! How are ya, boy? and "Why don't call Duke! John Wayne. All his friends call him Duke. I had lunch with him at the studio a couple of times. He's a wonderful guy!" and "Not 'Count', 'Duke'. 'Mr. Wayne' to you." and "Oh, hi, Cornel!" So... was he cruel? Was he a show off? Discuss. I don't think he was cruel-more like cautious. He knew that something crazy could happen with Lucy meeting some stars, and so, he just thought "stay away!"lolol As for "Mr Wayne to you" -Fred is just tactless lol Id be like Ricky too lol Don't go barging in calling him a name you can't even remember!lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister Hepburn Posted May 16, 2012 Report Share Posted May 16, 2012 Shame we have to leave spanking at the door, LOL! I thing RE: celebrities Ricky knew good and well what would happen if he introduced the gang to anyone, he wouldn't have had any celebrity friends! It's bad enough what Lucy did WITHOUT introduction. Of course, would Lucy have been so excitable if she hadn't been denied meeting everyone? Something tells me she still wouldn't have had too much grace. I do think Ricky is cruel RE: Lucy and showbusiness. Even when Lucy proves she has talent, ie. Lucy and the Dummy, Ricky denies it and schemes to keep her away from any sort of spotlight. Don't you suppose that, after a while, he'd be better off giving her a regular spot in his show to avoid embarrassment when she sneaks in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Posted May 16, 2012 Report Share Posted May 16, 2012 Ricky is a jerk. He must've been really good in the sack for Lucy to stay with him. LOL. Always putting poor Lucy down and leaving her out of things. Never really liked his character but that's the 50s for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mmadluv7 Posted May 16, 2012 Report Share Posted May 16, 2012 Ricky is a jerk. He must've been really good in the sack for Lucy to stay with him. LOL. Always putting poor Lucy down and leaving her out of things. Never really liked his character but that's the 50s for you. My best friend felt the same way lolol She's like, why does he have to be such a jerk lolol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gypsy Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 He seemed to be..the typical male. His character was played the way men were at that time. Women were to be seen "On the arm" But not heard. He was a real jerk. Especially in the above mentioned scenarios. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vivfantoo* Posted May 20, 2012 Report Share Posted May 20, 2012 Ricky was just reading the lines the writer's gave to him . If he had been accomodating, think of all the episodes that wouldn't have been. Lucy's scheming to get her way without Ricky finding out was so entertaining. I don't think he was cruel. A product of his generation, yes. Big yes. Back then women were not acknowledged to be very smart, were treated like children, & their ideas & opinions often put down or dismissed.(It still bugs me to hear grwon women on the show referred to as girls, or Lucy in her 50s being addressed as "young lady"). But I still don't blame Ricky & wouldn't call him cruel, because he was not the exception but the rule. (If the show were set in 2012,though, you bet I'd have some choice, negative things to say about Mr Ricardo's treatment of his wife!) Remember, too, that when things turned out in Lucy's favor, he was usually happy for her, or they hugged & kissed, or he laughed. When Lucy bet Ricky she would get into his act & he said she wouldn't even be able to get in the building, he gives her $50.00 with an amused "You got me!" expression when she shows up in the act with the other dancers. A cruel man would have exploded in anger, & Ricky was never mad at Lucy for very long. In regards to meeting movie stars, I agree with what the others have posted. What's that saying? Once bitten, twice shy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MONALISAISMONALUCY Posted May 26, 2012 Report Share Posted May 26, 2012 Ricky Ricardo was insecure. He was intimidated by Lucy so he suppressed her desire for show business opportunities. One of the earlier episodes of the first season, she crashed into Ricky's act and was offered a contract. Lucy declined the offer to please Ricky because he was pouting about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 I'm amused by people's attempts to give a full dissertation on the character of Ricky Ricardo... but as someone mentioned above: Desi was just reading the lines that were written for him. And I very much doubt Marilyn Pugh Davis and Bob Carroll Jr. sat and decided that Desi's character would be an insecure guy who had secret motives or split personalities that explained why he was the way he was. It's all about consistency. For as much as we can label Ricky as an ass, we should label Lucy as an obnoxious brat and Fred and a big @sshole! Consistency, folks! These are their characters. Ricky was many times, the straight man to Lucy. Him being a jerk was his thing, as much as Lucy was always whining about something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 I'm amused by people's attempts to give a full dissertation on the character of Ricky Ricardo... but as someone mentioned above: Desi was just reading the lines that were written for him. And I very much doubt Marilyn Pugh Davis and Bob Carroll Jr. sat and decided that Desi's character would be an insecure guy who had secret motives or split personalities that explained why he was the way he was. It's all about consistency. For as much as we can label Ricky as an ass, we should label Lucy as an obnoxious brat and Fred and a big @sshole! Consistency, folks! These are their characters. Ricky was many times, the straight man to Lucy. Him being a jerk was his thing, as much as Lucy was always whining about something. Funny, as i'm watching the shows again for the thousanth time, i am noticing the dialogue more and more, he SPLAINS lots more than i ever remembered. Let's not forget that he made sure the writers did not write him as stupid and he was written as an auhority figure for the childish brat that Lucy was made out to be, hence the spanking we are not stupposed to be talking about, LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Posted August 14, 2012 Report Share Posted August 14, 2012 Right Claude. Ricky's role was to contrast Lucy. The authority role he took only emphasized just how much Lucy misbehaved. Without the threat of Ricky and his "wrath"...there'd be no dramatic consequence for Lucy and the wacky stuff that she does. Lucy (and the audience) were reminded in each episode how much Lucy would be getting in trouble all because of Ricky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted August 14, 2012 Report Share Posted August 14, 2012 Right Claude. Ricky's role was to contrast Lucy. The authority role he took only emphasized just how much Lucy misbehaved. Without the threat of Ricky and his "wrath"...there'd be no dramatic consequence for Lucy and the wacky stuff that she does. Lucy (and the audience) were reminded in each episode how much Lucy would be getting in trouble all because of Ricky. Yes, and i think that was the basic appeal to children who loved watching the shows over and over, seeing her get into trouble and always trying to get herself out of trouble. That's why she helped raise generation after generation with her antics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted December 26, 2012 Report Share Posted December 26, 2012 Dunno if he was cruel, but lately as i watch the shows from the first three seasons, i notice he catches on to everything right away, seemingly very clever and smart, which i think he had told the writers that he never wanted Ricky to appear dumb in any way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leenorman Posted December 27, 2012 Report Share Posted December 27, 2012 I'm thinking Ricky was typical for all men in the 50's.... wives should stay at home and raise the children; men should work, play, and have dinner on the table when they came home.... Fortunately, 'someone' discovered that marriage is a partnership, equally... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted December 27, 2012 Report Share Posted December 27, 2012 Dunno if he was cruel, but lately as i watch the shows from the first three seasons, i notice he catches on to everything right away, seemingly very clever and smart, which i think he had told the writers that he never wanted Ricky to appear dumb in any way. But his authorative manner was to set up Lucy and her childish ways i suppose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leenorman Posted December 28, 2012 Report Share Posted December 28, 2012 Ricky's role was to contrast Lucy. The authority role he took only emphasized just how much Lucy misbehaved. Without the threat of Ricky and his "wrath"...there'd be no dramatic consequence for Lucy and the wacky stuff that she does. Lucy (and the audience) were reminded in each episode how much Lucy would be getting in trouble all because of Ricky. ...the way most men were, as head of the family, in the 50's.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucyilove Posted December 28, 2012 Report Share Posted December 28, 2012 Was Ricky Ricardo needlessly cruel? Discuss. No, he was just had "king of the house" mentality big time on occasion. And there are a couple of episodes where he regrets seeming to have gone too far. I don't mind it because Ricky clearly loves Lucy. Re "peccadillos" of the ILL characters, if there's anything I hate about the ILL board on IMDb it's all those threads tearing to shreds every character being "bad" on specific episodes of the show, "Ethel was an obnoxious bitch in New Mexico", "Fred was so damn cheap not to pay half the gas fare", "I can't stand Lucy when she does this or that", etc. followed by a bunch of posts piping in trashing the characters. Can't these people understand it's a COMEDY show, makes me wonder what the F all these humorless people are doing even watching a sitcom! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted December 29, 2012 Report Share Posted December 29, 2012 No, he was just had "king of the house" mentality big time on occasion. And there are a couple of episodes where he regrets seeming to have gone too far. I don't mind it because Ricky clearly loves Lucy. Re "peccadillos" of the ILL characters, if there's anything I hate about the ILL board on IMDb it's all those threads tearing to shreds every character being "bad" on specific episodes of the show, "Ethel was an obnoxious bitch in New Mexico", "Fred was so damn cheap not to pay half the gas fare", "I can't stand Lucy when she does this or that", etc. followed by a bunch of posts piping in trashing the characters. Can't these people understand it's a COMEDY show, makes me wonder what the F all these humorless people are doing even watching a sitcom! Wish you'd tell those morons there, you did it perfectly here, LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leenorman Posted December 29, 2012 Report Share Posted December 29, 2012 No, he was just had "king of the house" mentality big time on occasion. And there are a couple of episodes where he regrets seeming to have gone too far. I don't mind it because Ricky clearly loves Lucy. Re "peccadillos" of the ILL characters, if there's anything I hate about the ILL board on IMDb it's all those threads tearing to shreds every character being "bad" on specific episodes of the show, "Ethel was an obnoxious bitch in New Mexico", "Fred was so damn cheap not to pay half the gas fare", "I can't stand Lucy when she does this or that", etc. followed by a bunch of posts piping in trashing the characters. Can't these people understand it's a COMEDY show, makes me wonder what the F all these humorless people are doing even watching a sitcom! I NEVER read the IBDb boards; I spend enough valuable TIME over here....some of OURs are getting far afield, as well; but, I love it over here; and I consider our 'experts' more important that theirs. Thanks for sharing that, though. Interesting... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted December 29, 2012 Report Share Posted December 29, 2012 No, he was just had "king of the house" mentality big time on occasion. And there are a couple of episodes where he regrets seeming to have gone too far. I don't mind it because Ricky clearly loves Lucy. Re "peccadillos" of the ILL characters, if there's anything I hate about the ILL board on IMDb it's all those threads tearing to shreds every character being "bad" on specific episodes of the show, "Ethel was an obnoxious bitch in New Mexico", "Fred was so damn cheap not to pay half the gas fare", "I can't stand Lucy when she does this or that", etc. followed by a bunch of posts piping in trashing the characters. Can't these people understand it's a COMEDY show, makes me wonder what the F all these humorless people are doing even watching a sitcom! They HAVE t go back to the old GREAT ones as the new ones suck so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leenorman Posted December 30, 2012 Report Share Posted December 30, 2012 In my mind, CRUEL would be coming home from an illicit 'date' and smacking your wife around; don't remember ever reading about any of THAT going on with Desi.....ANYONE? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikidiki Posted December 30, 2012 Report Share Posted December 30, 2012 No LOL! Short but sweet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucyilove Posted December 30, 2012 Report Share Posted December 30, 2012 Wish you'd tell those morons there, you did it perfectly here, LOL! Nuts like that never learn and are beyond reasoning with. One of their alltime favorite tirades there is how Lucy and Desi were an "interracial" couple, that one comes back time and time again. History, education, and common sense appear to be of little interest to those people, I can't tell you how starved I was for intelligent conversation about Lucy after dealing with that board for years and how thrilled I was to then discover THE LUCY LOUNGE!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted December 30, 2012 Report Share Posted December 30, 2012 Nuts like that never learn and are beyond reasoning with. One of their alltime favorite tirades there is how Lucy and Desi were an "interracial" couple, that one comes back time and time again. History, education, and common sense appear to be of little interest to those people, I can't tell you how starved I was for intelligent conversation about Lucy after dealing with that board for years and how thrilled I was to then discover THE LUCY LOUNGE!! I had the same thing at Sitcoms Online, nobody posts anything but crap, and that idiot former soldier i told you guys about, kept briging up the fact that she used to be a communist, friggin moron! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 Dunno if he was cruel, but he sure was smart, did you notice he always catches on before anyone else, he had said to the writers not to make him the usual stupid tv comedy husband and i think they succeeded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.