Oscar Madison and his impact on our industry.

I would guess that the biggest impact has been to set the stereotype.

 

Had to google this to figure out the name.

Never saw the show, kinda heard of it. Reminds me of "Perfect Strangers", but they aren't relatives.

 

I'm 31, so he was before my time and made no impact on my first career choice. I blame Micheal Keaton and Randy Quaid.

 

If you're not doing anything, check out the reruns and look at the Odd Couple movie with legends Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and compare it with Tony Randall and Jack Klugman.

 

Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau were the movie Odd Couple. The next movie they did together was a remake of the "Front Page" with, among others, the recently-deceased (and quite badassed, judging by his obit) Charles Durning. That probably had more to do with my career choice than did the TV version of "The Odd Couple."

 

Of course, who can forget about the revival version that started Ron Glass (Harris from "Barney Miller") and Demond Wilson (Lamont from "Sanford & Son") that ran during the 1982-83 season? Glass played Felix; Wilson played Oscar.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Odd_Couple

I was a teenager at the time, but I remember thinking this version was trifling with the original. (Which was trifling with the movie, but that's for another thread.)

 

Of course, Oscar set a bad precedent in the episode where he took Fear-of-Flying Felix on a trip to Houston (both had assignments there). Felix panics, and Oscar can't cover his game in person. Felix apologizes, but Oscar says, "That's OK, I watched it on TV and filed my column."

 

Went to a book reading -- Richard Ford, "The Sportswriter" -- and had a chance to meet him when it was over. Told him what I did for a living but acknowledged, "I'm more from the Oscar Madison school..."

Got less smile than grimace.

 

I see what you did there.

rb

 

Why? Dude never went to work and was always home on nights and weekends. Most realistic portrayal of a sportswriter ever.

 

Plus he had kids that he almost never had to interact with.

 

Nicely done!