# The bullying of Frank Burns in M\*A\*S\*H
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bullying-of-frank-burns-in-m-a-s-h/922329
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Tags:** tv-shows-scripted
**Created:** [October 6, 2020, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bullying-of-frank-burns-in-m-a-s-h/922329 "2020-10-06T10:53:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 13
### Author:  [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2020, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bullying-of-frank-burns-in-m-a-s-h/922329/241 "2020-10-23T15:25:32Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#):
>
> Threatened Frank, married Ted and Georgette - John got around.
Ted Knight was a voice on the PA in the movie.
Stay tuned for Radar’s butt.
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### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2020, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bullying-of-frank-burns-in-m-a-s-h/922329/242 "2020-10-23T16:53:08Z")
Bravo! 😁
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2020, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bullying-of-frank-burns-in-m-a-s-h/922329/243 "2020-10-24T08:40:30Z")
> [@JohnT](#):
>
> Also, the devolution of Radar from nebbish clerk to child begins with the 1st appearance of his Teddy bear.
I respectfully disagree; the teddy bear first appeared in the tenth episode. IHMO, what really did it was a third season episode: “Private Charles Lamb”. You know, the one where Radar got Henry to discharge a lamb.
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2020, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bullying-of-frank-burns-in-m-a-s-h/922329/244 "2020-10-24T09:07:15Z")
Without the bear, there wouldn’t be this great exchange in Season Four’s “The Gun”:
**Col. Chaffey:** Corporal, you’re drunk!
**Radar (imitating John Wayne, pointing his bear at the colonel):** You better believe it, mister, or I’m dead where you stand!
(gunshot is heard from outside)
**Radar:** My bear went off!
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2020, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bullying-of-frank-burns-in-m-a-s-h/922329/245 "2020-10-25T03:05:34Z")
> [@bump](#):
>
> Meanwhile, Hawkeye, Trapper and BJ were civilian doctors who’d been drafted into service for Korea. Maybe they were a few years younger than Burns and Houlihan; that might explain it- they were still in med school at the end of WWII. Anyway, they were NOT career military people, and didn’t really want to be there, and the military nonsense that Burns and Houlihan represented was odious and worthy of mockery in their minds.
I recently caught the first “Mail Call” episode, in which Hawkeye says to Frank, “Which war? I’ve been in two.” Of course, he still had Mom & Sis at the time so all this could be attributed to Early Installment Weirdness.
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### Author:  [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2020, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bullying-of-frank-burns-in-m-a-s-h/922329/246 "2020-12-08T01:07:12Z")
> [@Wheelz](#):
>
> She saw his flaws as much as anybody, but more than being attracted to him _per se_ , she was attracted to what he represented to her regular-army sensibilities.
In the EP where Hot Lips got drunk, she says to Hawkeye and Trapper, “Did either of you ever kiss Frank? Frank Burns is a lipless wonder.” And he polished her boots. Maybe not just with polish, if you catch the way I am drifting, which I think is a quote from Henry
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### Author:  [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2020, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bullying-of-frank-burns-in-m-a-s-h/922329/247 "2020-12-08T01:14:55Z")
I think the first 3 seasons are classic, almost every episode is great, the next two not bad. After that, comedically, not the least bit funny. You can track the shark jumping with BJ’s mustache. For newcomers, if you tune in to an episode, and BJ has a mustache, skip it. Or if Klinger only has an earring. Although, when the stories focused on drama, there were good EPs up to the end
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### Author:  [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2021, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bullying-of-frank-burns-in-m-a-s-h/922329/248 "2021-01-04T18:19:26Z")
> [@Odesio](#):
>
> He offered Klinger his chance to get out of the military but he’d have to sign a document stating he was a homosexual and transvestite. Both of them knew that wasn’t the case and Klinger didn’t want that on his record so he refused and from that point on stopped wearing women’s clothing.
It’s a long time ago, but IIRC at that point Klinger had taken over for Radar as company clerk. He no longer felt like a random victim being acted upon, but was a vital cog in the wheel that saved lives every day. So it was more than just not wanting it on his record. He chose to honorably complete the honorable job he had finally been given.
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### Author:  [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2021, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bullying-of-frank-burns-in-m-a-s-h/922329/249 "2021-01-04T18:31:13Z")
Actually… 😛
S2E3, _Radar’s Report_, was the episode.
> **[Radar's Report (TV series episode)](https://mash.fandom.com/wiki/Radar%27s_Report_(TV_series_episode))**
>
> Radar's Report was the third episode of the Season 2 of the TV series M\*A\*S\*H, also the 27th overall episode of the series. Written by Sheldon Keller (story) and Laurence Marks (teleplay), the episode was directed by Jackie Cooper. It...
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2021, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bullying-of-frank-burns-in-m-a-s-h/922329/250 "2021-01-04T22:18:34Z")
And Klinger was still wearing dresses after that episode. 🙂
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### Author:  [@AnnieOkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnnieOkie)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2025, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bullying-of-frank-burns-in-m-a-s-h/922329/251 "2025-10-27T16:24:20Z")
I always thought that Larry Linville was under-appreciated for his portrayal of Frank. It’s one of those cases where the actor so naturally portrays the character it kind of flies under the radar, similar to Jason Alexander in Seinfeld.
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### Author:  [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2025, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bullying-of-frank-burns-in-m-a-s-h/922329/252 "2025-10-27T16:30:29Z")
> [@Odesio](#):
>
> He offered Klinger his chance to get out of the military but he’d have to sign a document stating he was a homosexual and transvestite. Both of them knew that wasn’t the case and Klinger didn’t want that on his record so he refused
Because I believe it would have been a dishonorable discharge meaning he’d lose all of the benefits as a veteran he earned.
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### Author:  [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2025, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bullying-of-frank-burns-in-m-a-s-h/922329/253 "2025-10-27T16:36:58Z")
> [@AnnieOkie](#):
>
> I always thought that Larry Linville was under-appreciated for his portrayal of Frank. It’s one of those cases where the actor so naturally portrays the character it kind of flies under the radar, similar to Jason Alexander in Seinfeld.
Welcome to the Dope! And, yes, Linville did a great job with Burns and I think he left the show for the right reasons - they weren’t going to do anything with the character, so why repeat himself?
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### Author:  [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2025, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bullying-of-frank-burns-in-m-a-s-h/922329/254 "2025-10-27T18:15:11Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#):
>
> Because I believe it would have been a dishonorable discharge meaning he’d lose all of the benefits as a veteran he earned.
It’s worse than that, it’s about the same as being a felon. It’s something that can follow you for the rest of your life.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2025, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bullying-of-frank-burns-in-m-a-s-h/922329/255 "2025-10-27T21:39:14Z")
Oh, sure, Linville did a fine job of portraying Burns. It’s just that the character he did a fine job portraying was an absolute ass.
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### Author:  [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2025, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bullying-of-frank-burns-in-m-a-s-h/922329/256 "2025-10-27T21:56:27Z")
> [@Odesio](#):
>
> > [@Saint\_Cad](#):
> >
> > Because I believe it would have been a dishonorable discharge meaning he’d lose all of the benefits as a veteran he earned.
>
> It’s worse than that, it’s about the same as being a felon. It’s something that can follow you for the rest of your life.
No. It was as true in the 1970s as it was in the 1950s. Straight men feared being branded homosexual far more than “merely” crazy.
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### Author:  [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2025, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bullying-of-frank-burns-in-m-a-s-h/922329/257 "2025-10-27T22:02:47Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#):
>
> > [@Odesio](#):
> >
> > He offered Klinger his chance to get out of the military but he’d have to sign a document stating he was a homosexual and transvestite. Both of them knew that wasn’t the case and Klinger didn’t want that on his record so he refused
>
> Because I believe it would have been a dishonorable discharge meaning he’d lose all of the benefits as a veteran he earned.
Besides the real-world considerations y’all are addressing, from the show’s creative perspective, the joke had kind of worn itself out.
* * *
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My late husband was a Medivac (Dustoff) Pilot in Vietnam. He said MASH captured quite realistically the spirit of those field hospitals-- manic, then boring, then manic again, plenty of drinking, pranks, terror, camraderie, strong friendships.
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2025, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bullying-of-frank-burns-in-m-a-s-h/922329/258 "2025-10-27T22:52:16Z")
The oral surgeon who removed my wisdom teeth in the early 80s was a MASH dentist in Korea during the war. He told me that the books were incredibly realistic. He had a cabinet in his office with a lot of memorabilia.
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### Author:  [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2025, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bullying-of-frank-burns-in-m-a-s-h/922329/259 "2025-10-27T23:31:27Z")
wasn’t there an episode where BJ danced with her? And was she the nurse Burns yelled at?
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### Author:  [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2025, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bullying-of-frank-burns-in-m-a-s-h/922329/260 "2025-10-27T23:49:01Z")
> [@fedman1](#):
>
> wasn’t there an episode where BJ danced with her? And was she the nurse Burns yelled at?.
I have no memory of BJ dancing with her.
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