Sexism

[Chris109]

Totally forgot about this shot until I watched it again and got me thinking. How many sexist (sexism) events or comments occurred during the run?
I can come up with 2 off-hand, well, actually 3.

First, the old slap on the butt.



And then Edwin Clutterbuck and TM.

Clutterbuck: You are that damned tart that tried to pick me up the same night that Mau Mau came after me!

TM: Well, which is it, Miss Kiamani, CID or tart?

[Styles Bitchley]

Plenty of examples of things that are probably inappropriate when viewed by today's standards - but that's a bit of a pointless exercise. One thing I will say is that Magnum went there FAR less than other contemporary male oriented shows (as has been pointed out several times in the past).

[Magnum4eva]

Have to be honest I don't see the point of this point other than to perhaps troll? Because let's be real here Magnum is a guy's show. It has always been a guy's show very much like The A Team, Knight Rider etc. There's certain aspects that only the male audience would appreciate and there's nothing wrong with that because lord knows women have a lot of great shows and movies that cater to their tastes.

[Pahonu]

Plenty of examples of things that are probably inappropriate when viewed by today's standards - but that's a bit of a pointless exercise. One thing I will say is that Magnum went there FAR less than other contemporary male oriented shows (as has been pointed out several times in the past).

Agreed!

[Chris109]

Have to be honest I don't see the point of this point other than to perhaps troll? Because let's be real here Magnum is a guy's show. It has always been a guy's show very much like The A Team, Knight Rider etc. There's certain aspects that only the male audience would appreciate and there's nothing wrong with that because lord knows women have a lot of great shows and movies that cater to their tastes.

For pete's sake. Who's trolling? I ask a simple question and all of sudden you guys get your underwear in a bunch. I know, let's have ANOTHER poll about the hottest babe on MPI. So, I guess you are all sexists.

Jeez.

[Aloha Friday]

I would never lump Magnum PI in with the A-Team or Knight Rider. Maybe I was too old for the demographic on those shows, but I never was a fan of either. They were more like Air Wolf or Bay Watch to me. Magnum was more like Rockford Files, Simon and Simon, and Vega$. Exotic location, cool car and cool Private Eye.
It may be sexist at times by today's standard...my wife always points out the helpless, crying female, but it was a different time 40 years ago. The good old days.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

I would never lump Magnum PI in with the A-Team or Knight Rider. Maybe I was too old for the demographic on those shows, but I never was a fan of either. They were more like Air Wolf or Bay Watch to me.

Wow!! How does one clump Airwolf and Baywatch together??? I see no similarities whatsoever!!!

Even Knight Rider and Baywatch have nothing in common except the Hoff!

[Aloha Friday]

I forgot about the Hoff! Sorry. After thinking about it some more, maybe A-Team and The Six Million Dollar Man or The Fall Guy have more in common. I think it was the comic book style...bloodless violence. But I have to confess I only watched Baywatch for the slow motion running parts...and never saw the A-Team until a few months ago. I know it was very popular in its day, but I had a hard time watching it. It was an episode where the A-Team was trying to save a taxi service from being bought out by another evil taxi service or something. They painted the taxi to look like the rival service's taxi. Mr T and the crazy guy didn't get along.

[Pahonu]

I would never lump Magnum PI in with the A-Team or Knight Rider. Maybe I was too old for the demographic on those shows, but I never was a fan of either. They were more like Air Wolf or Bay Watch to me.

Wow!! How does one clump Airwolf and Baywatch together??? I see no similarities whatsoever!!!

Even Knight Rider and Baywatch have nothing in common except the Hoff!

The Hoff connection is the point. I worked for two years on the show as a PA, among other things, and he’s a very nice guy in my opinion, but not the best of actors. He was often very melodramatic and overacted often. He also seemed a bit out of touch with the reality that was Baywatch. I believe I have told this story here before. I recall one early morning on location at Will Rogers Beach where the lifeguard headquarters was located, and his apparently genuine disbelief that Ireland had not picked up the syndication rights because the show had too much T&A. He felt it was a very family friendly program! A bit of a disconnect, I would argue.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

and never saw the A-Team until a few months ago. I know it was very popular in its day, but I had a hard time watching it. It was an episode where the A-Team was trying to save a taxi service from being bought out by another evil taxi service or something. They painted the taxi to look like the rival service's taxi. Mr T and the crazy guy didn't get along.

Well if you didn't like that one then the show probably isn't for you. "The Taxicab Wars" is a fan favorite and one of the best from the second season. Michael Ironside as the main baddie and Brion James one of the goons working for him. Also Ernie Hudson was in it as the good cab company owner that was being helped by the A-Team. It's a silly show for sure but that was the point. I think what makes the show work though (aside from the stunts which probably appealed more to us when we were kids) is the witty dialogue and the interaction between the 4 leads. They are definitely the most eclectic group ever assembled for TV (at least at that time) and they all had great chemistry with each other. The writing was consistently good with the quips (especially for Hannibal) and the crazy antics by Murdock. Jim Carrey even said he was inspired by Murdock's crazy antics. But anyway, the episode you saw was the standard formula for the show - some bad outfit is trying to push another weaker outfit out of business and the A-Team steps in to help. But it's the way they do it that's always fun to watch! Hannibal donning his disguises to feel out if their prospective client is legit (and not a military plant), Hannibal goading the baddie and getting under his skin with his wise-cracks, the plan that he sets into motion (which not always goes to plan), and it was always fun to watch the team build something at the end out of spare parts laying around to defeat the baddies. And through all this you had the great chemistry between the leads, especially B.A. and Murdock driving each other crazy! Oh, and how can you forget B.A.'s paralyzing fear of flying and the team constantly having to drug him to put him on a plane!

Folks here talk about the great chemistry between TM, TC, and Rick - 3 buddies. But I gotta say that they've got nothing on the chemistry between the leads in the A-Team. Higgy is probably the closest in terms of quirkiness.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

I would never lump Magnum PI in with the A-Team or Knight Rider. Maybe I was too old for the demographic on those shows, but I never was a fan of either. They were more like Air Wolf or Bay Watch to me.

Wow!! How does one clump Airwolf and Baywatch together??? I see no similarities whatsoever!!!

Even Knight Rider and Baywatch have nothing in common except the Hoff!

The Hoff connection is the point. I worked for two years on the show as a PA, among other things, and he’s a very nice guy in my opinion, but not the best of actors. He was often very melodramatic and overacted often. He also seemed a bit out of touch with the reality that was Baywatch. I believe I have told this story here before. I recall one early morning on location at Will Rogers Beach where the lifeguard headquarters was located, and his apparently genuine disbelief that Ireland had not picked up the syndication rights because the show had too much T&A. He felt it was a very family friendly program! A bit of a disconnect, I would argue.

Yeah but what does that have to do with any similarity between Knight Rider and Baywatch? I don't see any. The Hoff was an actor in both shows and that's it.

[Aloha Friday]

That is cool you worked on those shows. I bet you do have some stories. I think Baywatch was a family friendly show...pretty tame storylines and something for dad and the kids to enjoy.

[Pahonu]

That is cool you worked on those shows. I bet you do have some stories. I think Baywatch was a family friendly show...pretty tame storylines and something for dad and the kids to enjoy.

I only worked on Baywatch from 93-95, not Knight Rider. The scripts were pretty bad and the joke on the set was that when the network cut the show after one season, they saved money by syndicating and cut the budget entirely out of the writing! This wasn’t my comment but I heard it more than once. I came on during the third season in syndication and, I kid you not, family members of some crew were supplying story ideas. There was one about a giant octopus in a cave.

While the stories weren’t anything crazy, the “jiggle factor” was definitely high.

[Pahonu]

I would never lump Magnum PI in with the A-Team or Knight Rider. Maybe I was too old for the demographic on those shows, but I never was a fan of either. They were more like Air Wolf or Bay Watch to me.

Wow!! How does one clump Airwolf and Baywatch together??? I see no similarities whatsoever!!!

Even Knight Rider and Baywatch have nothing in common except the Hoff!

The Hoff connection is the point. I worked for two years on the show as a PA, among other things, and he’s a very nice guy in my opinion, but not the best of actors. He was often very melodramatic and overacted often. He also seemed a bit out of touch with the reality that was Baywatch. I believe I have told this story here before. I recall one early morning on location at Will Rogers Beach where the lifeguard headquarters was located, and his apparently genuine disbelief that Ireland had not picked up the syndication rights because the show had too much T&A. He felt it was a very family friendly program! A bit of a disconnect, I would argue.

Yeah but what does that have to do with any similarity between Knight Rider and Baywatch? I don't see any. The Hoff was an actor in both shows and that's it.

The similarity is that they both shared some pretty bad acting… from Hasselhoff.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

I would never lump Magnum PI in with the A-Team or Knight Rider. Maybe I was too old for the demographic on those shows, but I never was a fan of either. They were more like Air Wolf or Bay Watch to me.

Wow!! How does one clump Airwolf and Baywatch together??? I see no similarities whatsoever!!!

Even Knight Rider and Baywatch have nothing in common except the Hoff!

The Hoff connection is the point. I worked for two years on the show as a PA, among other things, and he’s a very nice guy in my opinion, but not the best of actors. He was often very melodramatic and overacted often. He also seemed a bit out of touch with the reality that was Baywatch. I believe I have told this story here before. I recall one early morning on location at Will Rogers Beach where the lifeguard headquarters was located, and his apparently genuine disbelief that Ireland had not picked up the syndication rights because the show had too much T&A. He felt it was a very family friendly program! A bit of a disconnect, I would argue.

Yeah but what does that have to do with any similarity between Knight Rider and Baywatch? I don't see any. The Hoff was an actor in both shows and that's it.

The similarity is that they both shared some pretty bad acting… from Hasselhoff.

Except nobody watched either show for the Hoff. They watched Babewatch for the babes and Knight Rider for KITT. Without KITT there would be no show! So comparing a crime-fighting action-adventure show with a futuristic car to lifeguards/babes on the beach is like comparing a Spring Break Cruise to an Apollo Mission to space! But... but... but... they both involve travel of some kind!!