I have found some comic relief on TV the past two weekends. Although it was originally called drama, when placed in the setting of today, it is more comical than serious. The Sleuth Network on Saturdays has Old School Saturday, where they show old cop shows. Two weeks ago I was dazzled and amused by Charlie's Angels, and this weekend was TJ Hooker. Two shows I never watched when on originally, but couldn't resist the nostalgia trip, plus nothing else was on. These pre Rodney King, pre Kevlar, pre 911, pre Hill Street Blues police were almost funny to watch. And had more in common with each other than you would think.
Far fetched plots were the hallmark of Charlie's Angels, and I found it fascinating that more women watched them for the fashions than men did for Farrah's assets. The other two were flat. Whether watching Farrah in her starched, white nurses outfit fight crime, and never answer a call in a major metro hospital she is assigned to-hey maybe things haven't changed so much, to watching Kate Jackson foil a Polish defector by wearing thick glasses and talking with an accent, to Jaclyn Smith, who looked too much like Jackie Kennedy-she was the sophisticated one-they were stylish, drove Pintos and Mustang II's-remember mpg was more important than mph, and even the fourth Angel Bosley, Bos, had a hint of felinity about him. Only Charlie was the real man, who always seemed to have a babe in a bikini, with her drink on a lawn chair close by.
But the Hooker plot I watched was more of fantasy than anything. The channel guide said the Beach Boys were guest stars, so I had to watch. The following is the plot-please stay with me-this really happened-and we wonder why there was a TV void in the early '80s.
Romano, the teacher's pet, and recruit from Oklahoma had never heard of the Beach Boys. Oh yeah, he'll do well in LA. There they only have two types of music, country and western. So while doing beach duty and caught eying the barely, bikini covered girls of Malibu-"sorry miss, I'm not staring, just checking for concealed weapons" Hooker tells him the Beach Boys are playing a concert. So somewhere between the beach and the music, Romano has to go-promising to buy every one of their albums with his next paycheck. Must have been on the take already. When he finds the tickets are sold out, he hears Heather Locklear has a pair-of tickets, and is told no, she is taking a special man with her.
Enter two dumb as a rock thieves, who are going to rob the box office at the concert, on the day of the concert-does sold out ahead of time mean anything to them? There will be no money-no tickets will be sold. So nothing to rob. But somehow they try, and Hooker and Romano catch these two dribblers, and get free tickets to the show. And of course, Carl Wilson and the Beach Boys know Hooker, he used to surf with them, calling him Kahuna. He was also a champion hill racer in another show. And Heather's special man is her dad, in his sport coat, the police captain, and even Hooker has a date, a blind woman who was the only eyewitness to a robbery-sorry, I didn't make this up. But Romano is there, and with these squeaky clean police are standing in the front row, talking with the Beach Boys, I am not sure if I wanted to laugh or throw up. And I love the Beach Boys! Hey kids-your parents really watched this garbage-may answer a lot of questions you have about them.
But both shows have one thing in common besides pretty people-they are all single, even Hooker, who is divorced, his job is now his true love, and marriage. He has a teenage daughter, who he sees once a year, and sent her a birthday card last year, or was it his birthday this year?
In real life, a captain in the CHP told me, ten years ago, that the number one sexual harassment claim is men against other men. And as we watch how people are still single on TV, but have kids, or are openly gay, and have kids, we really see how far we have come, or more accurately fallen. And as weird as Angels and Hookers can be, maybe they had something there. Something we seem to be missing today- a trace of morals. And sadly, it is everywhere, not only on TV. We have become a nation of rules, because we have abandoned our morals. Tony Soprano is our hero now, how far from LA can you get? New Jersey seen through the eyes of a mob leader, and we romanticize about him. Who are our heroes? I meet people from time to time who do something, and expect special recognition-just for doing the right thing. Reward me, and I will be courteous, show up to work on time, and stay within society's laws. But what does it take to stay within God's grace?
Trust. Respect. Obedience. And a relationship with Jesus. Without Him, you are pray to all the evils of the world, and no rules will help or save you. Only His angels can protect, and no police force on earth can keep you safe. It takes Jesus to save you and no one else can. We laugh at the old shows, but when it becomes reality it is sad, and no longer laughable.
So why wait, Jesus is available now. "Ask yourself punk, do you really feel lucky?" Go with God, the plot is real and I already know the ending!
We win!
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogpsot.com