M.A.S.H. 4077th

The 4077th I would like to discuss one of the few, if not the only television sitcom that I know well, M.A.S.H. 4077th. During my adolescence, I watched M.A.S.H. daily, if not twice daily for a period of about five or six years. Most likely I have seen every episode anywhere from five to ten times. I stopped watching it frequently during the mid eighties, about three to four years after the somewhat highly acclaimed, “Last M.A.S.H.”. I believed the original movie aired in 1970, of which the series was based upon. Thus, four to five years of episodes occurred during the latter part of the Vietnam War. I believe this has great signifigence as evident in the overall, “war is hell” attitude the majority of characters portrayed consistently throughout the series. Capitan Benjamin Franklin Pierce (Hawkeye), was notorious throughout the series reflecting his unceasingly cynicism regarding the absurdity of war and his unrelentless oxymoronic view of the U.S. military. Hawkeye had a passion for the absurd and hypocritical, and this remained quite intact throughout the series. Major Frank Burns provided an outlet for Hawkeye and his bunkmate, Trapper John or B.J., as a means for this absurd hypocrisy. Major Frank Burns was a married, bible thumping, strictly by the book, bigoted fool, having an affair with Major “Hot lips” Hoolahan, also by the book, but proficiently competent as head nurse with a shapely figure and a shade of nymphomania in her. Cornel Henry Blake, company commander, was anything but by the book. Usually he dressed in fishing attire, and often times would share a glass of whiskey with Hawkeye and Trapper John. Blake’s shadow, Corporal “Rader” O’Reily, raised by his mother on a farm in Iowa, added to the cast a role of boyish innocence that I think could be reflective of the innocence of youth, those that served and were exemplictory of the horrific casualties of war. Although often times tasseled by Hawkeye and Trapper over his naive ness regarding women and sex, he was respected and recognized for his role as a very proficient company clerk, highly unlike as Major Frank Burns had been regarded. Charles Emerson Lake Winchester, a refined surgeon from Boston coming from a background of wealth, and evidently so based on his snobbish and self exhalative attitude of his character. Winchester was Hawkeye’s new target for his playful sarcastic practical and not so practical jokes. Unlike Major Burns, Charles was able to take Hawkeye and B.J. with a grain of salt. Often times, Charles was able to pull off a few clever tricks of his own on Hawkeye and B.J., giving him a good laugh. Charles did have a heart and was shown to be just as human as the rest, breaking down the social class bearer he put around himself. This was well demonstrated in one particular episode. Charles painstakingly tries to organize and conduct a piece of music for six or seven peasant Korean musicians, the process proves disastrous. Charles becomes immensely frustrated teaching a piece of Western music to a group of Eastern musicians. He gives up with maybe a slight bit of contempt. Sitting on the back of a flatbed truck as the musicians are making their way out of camp, the group of peasant musicians fluently play the piece Charles had been trying to teach them. On the group’s part, it seemed to be a caring respectful way of saying goodbye. Winchester is completely flattered and sheds a tear or two. The message seems to show his vulnerability of out classing everyone yet also goes to show that he is human and can swallow his pride. I think the expressive realism of M.A.S.H. captured the American public’s emotions, and I think for the time it proved to be beneficial to American Society, bringing home in a comical but serious manner the senselessness and tragic reality of war. If there is such a thing as reality television, I think M.A.S.H. is as close as were going to get for quite some time.