During the original run of the TV series “MAS*H”, I remember there being a big controversy about the use of the phrase “son of a bitch” in an episode. (Hawkeye calling a South Korean officer that because he was taking a patient of his to her inevitable execution.) I don’t remember the phrase ever being used again in the series.
More recently, a local station was carrying reruns (before FX picked it up) and the phrase seemed to be popping up all over the place. Is my memory faulty, or was the series originally edited to exclude the phrase? I was raised in a devout fundamentally religious household, and I think I would have remembered it if this phrase was used a lot.
“The day after tomorrow is the third day of the rest of your life.” -George Carlin
I used to watch MAS*H all the time on Fox, and I don’t remember anyone saying son of a bitch (excepting that one episode which you mentioned). I don’t think Fox would have edited it out, and if it had been orginally, why would any station go through the trouble of putting the expression back in?
The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.
– Henry David Thoreau
Can’t say a lot about the regular part of the series from memory, but the last episode, ‘Goodbye, Farewell and Amen’ (if I remember right) Had that line in it.
After the shrink (Dr. Sidney Feilding???) got Hawkeye to remember the bus incident that he had blocked out, Hawkeye replied: “Why did you have to make me remember that, you son of a bitch!”
It was on a local Fox affiliate that I saw the rerums. I was thinking, “Why don’t I remember all these ‘SOBs’ from the original run.” I mean it wasn’t like it was every other word out of their mouths, but it seemed like once every four or five episodes.
It’s become a fairly common phrase on TV these days, so it might be easy to overlook. OTOH, I haven’t seen it since it’s been on FX, so they might be running the edited version.
“The day after tomorrow is the third day of the rest of your life.” -George Carlin
Yes, the psychiatrist on the final episode of MAS*H was Major Sidney Freedman. He was conducting Hawkeye out of an episode of denial: On the bus back from Inchon on July 4th, they had to hide at night: a Chinese patrol was passing. When telling the story, Hawkeye said that a chicken one local on the bus was holding started clucking. He said he told the woman, “Keep that damn chicken quiet!” Sidney got him to remember: it was a baby, not a chicken–and the frightened woman smothered the baby lest the Chinese hear its voice. Hawkeye now remembered it and hollered, “Oh my God! I didn’t mean for her to kill it! It was a baby! She smothered her own baby!” Then he glared at Sidney, his eyes blinded with tears, and snarled, Ÿou son of a bitch—why did you make me remember that?"
I recall one episode where Hawkeye said “Don’t let the bastard win” while trying to revive a patient. He was referring to death being the bastard. It was the first time I recall hearing that word on TV (when it was originally broadcast in the early 70’s).
–Let us not forget, that hackneyed male puppy was in the 1st ten minutes of the MOVIE MAS*H “—the son of a bitch who stole my Jeep!”. (Anybody remember the movie? They hadn’t grown haloes yet!)
Cheers
Yeah, that movie is pretty strange for people who are used to the TV version. Did you notice that at the beginning you can hear the P.A. voice that was heard but never seen during the whole run on TV? I think him and Radar are the only ones that made it to the series.
The PA announcer was Sal Viscuso. Not the same as the wealthy philanthropist on “The Millionaire”(Paul Frees’voice), or Carlton, the drunken doorman on "Rhoda,"but just as mysterious.
I’m not complaining, Jeff. Even if it was in a bit at the end. Hey, I would have waited to hear Harpo Marx speak–even if it were in an outtake. (Or hear Nancy Kulp laugh, or see Joe Besser actually throw a punch!)
