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Ah, the good old days of television when questionable decisions were made with a shrug and a wink! Alison Arngrim, that delightful menace from “Little House on the Prairie,” is back in the spotlight, celebrating the show’s 50th anniversary. But instead of reminiscing about the wholesome values, she’s dragging us through the cringeworthy moments that would have the PC police up in arms today.
Let’s dive into this delightful dumpster fire of nostalgia.
That time when romance got a little too real
On a recent episode of the “Little House 50” podcast, Arngrim and her co-stars dug into an episode titled “Here Come the Brides,” which aired back in 1977.
The plot? Nellie, played by Arngrim, gets swept off her feet by a teenage boy named Luke Simms. Sounds innocent enough, right? Wrong! They elope after a whirlwind romance, only to be dragged back by their parents like some sort of twisted fairy tale gone wrong.
I mean, really, who thought this was a good idea? Oh, right, the 70s.
Arngrim was just 15 during filming, while her on-screen love interest, Bob Marsic, was an astonishing 22. Can you imagine the uproar today? “Hey, let’s cast a grown man to kiss a 15-year-old!” Cue the outrage! But back then, it was just a Tuesday.
Arngrim recalls the filming process being awkward from the start, with her love interest arriving on set without any prior introduction. Talk about setting the mood!
What even was that dynamic?
As Arngrim puts it, there’s a scene in which young girls, barely out of childhood, are practically throwing themselves at this grown man.
“That would not happen today, right?” she quips. And she’s absolutely right. In today’s climate, casting someone who could pass as a minor would raise more eyebrows than a Kardashian on a magazine cover. Not to mention the presence of intimacy coordinators—what a time to be alive!
But the real kicker? Marsic’s girlfriend showed up on set during filming, and Arngrim couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity.
“Does this woman think I’m a threat?” she mused. Spoiler alert: she wasn’t. Can you picture it? A 15-year-old girl with acne scars stealing the heart of a 22-year-old man while his girlfriend watches in horror. Priceless!
A deeper look into the nostalgia
As the podcast continued, Arngrim and her co-stars peeled back the layers of what it was like to film such scenes back in the day. Dean Butler, who played Almanzo Wilder, also chimed in, recalling his own anxiety around filming romantic scenes with Melissa Gilbert. At 23, he was tasked with giving Gilbert her first kiss, both on-screen and off. Can you say pressure? He described the entire experience as fraught with tension, considering Gilbert had never even been on a date. But hey, they pulled it off, and the audience ate it up.
Butler reflects on how the audience was prepared to accept the age difference because they had watched Gilbert grow up on screen. It’s fascinating how the context of time can shift perceptions. What was once viewed as innocent romance now teeters on the edge of being utterly inappropriate. What a wild ride!
How times have changed
Fast forward to today and we see a completely different landscape in television. Not only would a scene like that be scrutinized, but networks would likely face an avalanche of backlash for even considering it. It’s almost as if society collectively woke up and said, “Wait a minute, this is messed up!” And thank goodness for that! Or maybe we’re just more aware of how these portrayals affect young audiences.
Butler’s reflections on the set dynamics reveal the old-school approach to on-screen relationships. “There’s been no casting pairing like what they did with us since then,” he admitted. And isn’t that the truth? The industry has shifted dramatically, and while nostalgia is nice, it’s hard to ignore the uncomfortable truths lurking behind the scenes.
Final thoughts on the past
As Arngrim and her co-stars relive these moments, one can’t help but feel a sense of irony. The same show that taught us about family values and community now stands as a relic of a more naïve time. It’s a fascinating study in how far we’ve come and how far we still need to go in ensuring the safety and well-being of young actors.
Arngrim’s candidness gives us a peek behind the curtain of television history, reminding us that while we may have loved these characters, the reality of their creation was often far from perfect. So, as we raise a glass to the 50th anniversary of “Little House on the Prairie,” let’s not forget the lessons learned—or the cringe-worthy moments that should probably stay buried.
