(Jewish Group) That time 'I Love Lucy' confronted antisemitism in front of millions of Americans

[thucythucy]

2. My mother learned English watching "I Love Lucy."

I think a part of the appeal for her (aside from the physical comedy, which was amazing) was the idea of an immigrant with an accent being a star of the show. She also loved all of Lucy's various schemes.

Another first not mentioned in the article is how Lucille Ball's pregnancy was handled. Pregnant women were never seen on American TV--too risque or something. She had the writers work it into the series arc--in fact the whole idea of a narrative arc on TV was a breakthrough.

Among my favorite memories of watching with my mom: Lucy stomping grapes, and of course the famous chocolate factory conveyer belt scene.

One downside, Lucy getting spanked at the end of some episodes, though as an adult I always wondered about that--perhaps a way for the writers to sneak in some kink?

One more bit of Lucy trivia: Lucille Ball was accused by the rabid right of being a communist or communist sympathizer. Desi Arnez issued a statement saying "The only thing red about Lucy is her hair." I forget why this became an issue, other than Ms. Ball being a progressive and married to a "foreigner."