Was Lucille Ball dimwitted, or simply a masochist?

Lucy, from I Love Lucy, sure did find herself in a lot of situations where her husband Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz) ended up putting her over the knee for a butt spanking.



LOL. 50s television...so politically incorrect now. Anyways, did Lucy repeatedly get herself into trouble because she wasn't smart enough to keep a secret from Ricky? Or did she actually want him to find out and catch her in the act to fulfill her insatiable kinky desires for him to punish and beat her silly.

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Originally Posted by GussieFinkNottle

That man would be prosecuted today, he should be the one in question not her.

So you're saying Ricky was a sadist? ...or something?

It appears she hit him a fair amount too:



I wonder if this was a "thing" in their real marriage, not just something they scripted for TV.

Lucy the executive built up her own studio, conceived a character that she felt the American audience can relate to and then sold it off when it became Paramount.

Lucy Ricardo seems an exaggerated, over the top interpretation of a wife who's justifiably suspicious of her husband's antics on the road, while not quite challenged enough at home.

I think you mean Lucy Ricardo in the title, not Lucille Ball.

And its just a sitcom about a couple, one bumbling and one the straight man. There are hundreds of those, it's just that in 95% it's the husband who is the bumbling fool.

Originally Posted by the_mango55

I think you mean Lucy Ricardo in the title, not Lucille Ball.

Meh...too late to fix it now.

She may have been bumbling, but that was the plot device that drove the show. She was so good at it, too! The idea that Ricky would later find out about all the insane crap she did with Ethel during the day was what provided the necessary comedic tension for viewers.

And I agree, men are usually portrayed as the bumbling fool, although I probably take issue with the suggested rate of 95% of the time.

@Inhuman One: that scene with Harpo Marx is such a classic! FTW!

To me the show seems quite corny, only bits I saw where with celeberty guest appearances who steal the show.
Though with Harpo Marx, she actually is funny when recreating a famous marx brothers scene. Must be because she's silent here. Her voice is a bit.. intense.

Harpo was about 65 here by the way, during the second world war the two of them have worked together in comedy bits, Fred Astaire as well. Lucile Ball was a fan of the marx brothers.

Tallulah Bankhead stole the show though, then again she pretty much stole the show where ever she appeared.

"When miss bankhead is bored, she will let you know."
She wasnt too young anymore here either, think in her fifties or such.. a life of drugs, alcohol and hedonism took its toll though, but still a great actress.

The scene is even funnier if you've done line work in a factory.

I doubt she was dimwitted but probably a savvy businesswoman, but she's also infamous for this interview about radio waves inside her mouth due to dental work.
http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/fillings.asp

It's a nice change to see the woman as the chaotic one, personly I am quite tired of tv couples where the woman is the boring perfect wife and the guy gets in trouble doing silly things.

Appreciating Lucille's effort definatly, though I must say I prefer Gracie Allen more when thinking of female comedians of that age. She was quite a natural and so endearing.


Not from their show, but I figured to show a short bit of Burns and Allen instead of an entire episode.