Wednesday, October 07, 2009

It’s you girl, and you should know it

I know I don’t say this enough, but thank you. Thank you for coming here. Thank you for reading. Thank you for commenting. That you for agreeing and arguing. Thank you for everything. As I’ve said before, I write Dorothy Surrenders largely as an exercise to get the voices to behave and wait their turn. But that you visit, day after day, is something I never take for granted. And while I can’t get back to everyone (either in emails or tweets or what have you) as often or as quickly as I would like, know that I read everything you send and take note.

With that said, when the chance comes along I also like to offer up a modest thank gift whenever possible. So when nice marketing folks ask me if I want to giveaway stuff for free, I say, “Heck, yes!” And when it’s something as fantastic as free copies of the “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” I say, “There isn’t a ‘Yes’ emphatic enough!”

So, today I am giving away three copies of the Season 5 complete DVD set of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” The three-disc set came out Tuesday of this week and features all 24 episodes of the 1974-75 season. In case you needed reminding, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” ran for seven seasons, won 29 Emmy awards and featured television’s first never-married, independent career woman as the lead character. Oh, and it starred Mary-freaking-Tyler Moore. And she threw her hat. God, that show was fantastic.

So, here are the details. If you want to enter leave your email address (you can spell it out for fear of the dreaded spam) in the comments section. If you want you can leave your favorite MTM moment, too. You have from today until noon 11:59 pm PST next Wednesday to enter. The winners will be posted by Friday, Oct. 16. So good luck. Who can turn the world on with her smile? You girls (and guys, I’m equal opportunity). So thanks again. And now, how about a sing-along? Hats ready and go!

UPDATE: Contest entry is now closed. Look for the winners on Friday.

104 comments:

Katie said...

I LOVE this show. Thanks for doing this, Dorothy.

kepruitt at gmail dot com

Annie said...

annie-myers {at} uiowa.edu

Olivia Wilde. easy. I Live for this blog.

This Mom said...

What a great giveaway! Favorite MTM moment? I start smiling as soon as I hear the theme song and whatever episode follows is just icing on the cake.
btmommy at gmail dot com

Middle Girl said...

Heck yes!! theonlydaughter at gmail dot com.

Any moment that included Rhoda (Valerie Harper) and Phyllis (Cloris Leachmon) can be counted as favorites.

Genkigirl said...

I used to come home from university just to watch the midday re-runs of this show in the 90s. Love it!

genkigirl at yahoo.com

Genkigirl said...

Oops, I can't even remember my own email address!!

It's genkigirl1969 at yahoo.com

Sorry about that!

Melissa said...

Oh I love you Dorothy Snarker!

melissa dot brownell at gmail dot com

Andra8888 said...

Awesome! My partner and I have been on a MTM marathon. We are only into season 2.

I got to say that so far, my favorite MTM moments were with Bess, either the "The Birds and ... Um ... Bees" and "Baby Sit-com." Bess and Phyllis (the amazing Cloris Leachman) are great. The show makes me really nostalgic for a time when girls on television could wear black sweatshirts with yellow footprints and that was considered normal. I know I named episodes instead of moments, but I think these two are marvelous.

Please forgive the angsty email address. Its the email address I am willing to risk getting spammed:
ms_melan_cholia [at] yahoo dot com

Anonymous said...

What a great giveaway! Thanks for the opportunity. buellcat360 at aol dot com

The Notorious H.A.M. said...

I can just barely remember watching this with my mom, who also loved it, so that is a nice memory of the show. I also watched it later in syndication, and as I'm trying to pick a favorite moment, all I can think is how fantastic that cast was. Man, what a great show.

thenotoriousham at gmail dot com

kate said...

Thank YOU for writing this blog! And for giveaways!

indubitably DOT kate AT gmail DOT com

tirui said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
tirui said...

thanks for doing this :)

khachikian at hotmail dot com

love love love the show. i've successfully gotten my wife to love it too. after she teased me for it. so many great moments. i do love phyllis and the happy homemaker. so one of my favs has to be when phyllis confronts sue ann about the lars affair.

just for fun... if you like amy sedaris

http://www.pauldinello.net/interviews/planetoutarticle.htm

(see what she says when asked who she'd do between mary and rhoda)

does that get me extra points? lol

Amy said...

I am so glad they started releasing the seasons again! My favorite isn't until the last season (Chuckles Bites the Dust, of course).

inthemainstream at gmail dot com

MizGarfield said...

Wonderful show. MizGarfield at gmail dot com

Microkritter said...

A_L_I_E_N89 at hotmail dot com

Unknown said...

I love Mary Tyler Moore! I moved to the Twin Cities for college last month, and my mom and I had many MTM marathons over the summer to get ready. My favorite moment may be when Mary and Rhoda get punchy and write a ridiculous obituary for Minneapolis's oldest living man. :)

chocolatefiend at gmail dot com

SarahJane said...

Hey there Dorothy..Fairly New reader here, LOVE the BLOG!!!! I love classic TV!! It's my rainy day thing to do sometimes. :)

serryjanegrace(AT)Yahoo.com

triplestripe said...

the hat. what could be better than that!!!

triplestripe at hotmail dot com

Kirsten said...

Hah, thank YOU for reminding me of the lyrics to the theme song! Gave me a good laugh, I tell you what. Also a relatively new reader but I've been enjoying myself mightly! And that's what archives are for, amirite?

Hiccup! said...

eileenhail at yahoo dot com

Miz Moffatt said...

Well, and a big thank YOU, Ms. Snarker. I've been reading your blog for quite a while now and it inspired me to take to the keyboard and start my own (dedicated to the queer ladies, naturally. :) )

And MARY TAYLER MOORE -- this is quite possibly the coolest Wednesday ever! Count me in!

starfizz_jones at hotmail dot com

Unknown said...

Ah! My childhood on Nick at Nite!

beccavail at gmail dot com

Awesome.

S Rankin said...

I'm just a kid (so wasn't around for the real-time awesome), but this woman kicks ass.

youngwithoutyouth@live dot co dot uk

Just Me said...

What a great series that was - I loved the episode where Walter Cronkite did a cameo!

laureldench at yahoo dot com

Anonymous said...

Awesomeness!

hmorsey at yahoo dot com

Peggy said...

"I hate spunk!"

GiantVatch at gmail.com

Misborn said...

Ooooooo, niiiiice. BRAVO for the blog, btw!

americanbeauty2366 AT hotmail DOT com

Emily said...

Oh man, LOVE me some MTM! It was my absolute favorite show when I was around 13 years old--Nick at Nite used to show it every evening; and "Mary Mondays" were a weekly marathon of awesome.

Favorite moments would have be Chuckle's funeral (obviously), the time Mary and Lou tried to go out on a date, and every terrible dinner party Mary ever threw--especially the one where her power went out.

*fingers crossed*
LimeyCC [at] aol dot com

Tricia said...

plushpuppy31 at gmail dot com (if you are willing to send to Canada). The one where Lou Grant and Mary try to date and it ends in them realize it is too icky for either of them.

Lindsay said...

I love MTM. My mom and I have just finished season1 on hulu. I was so excited to find it online.

Lwash005 at odu dot edu

Alisha said...

is it weird that whenever i think of mary tyler moore, i think of the sleeping pill episode? and the remember her bouncing all over and then giving into the pill and passing out..

look what i found.. a photo of the layout of her apartment!

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xfxmmOzXySs/SYnCwXw_BfI/AAAAAAAAANw/1LQmFzqVQPc/S1600-R/mary%27s+apartment+70s+child.jpg

webfootedmoose said...

ooh, you make my day everyday when i read your blog or your posts on AE but this is magnificent. when i was little i didn't know how to play carebears and strawberry shortcake. i always wanted to play mary tyler moore and dick van dyke but no one knew what i was talking about. i threw my hat in the air alone a lot.

webfootedmoose at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

I had a terrible crush on my high school social studies teacher who looked just like MTM. She was also my best friend and mentor in HS. Without her, I would have never turned from a D-average slacker into a college-bound honor student. Every time I see MTM I think fondly of Karin. Sigh. I still have a crush on her.
editor(at)vanewsandevents.com

Erin Go Braghski said...

Best show EVER! forte [dot] erin [at] gmail.com

amanda said...

amandahelenhollander at gmail etc etc etc

thanks!

Anonymous said...

ms. snarker,

i personally don't think you need to give anything away to your readers, rather we should give to you. this is the only queer blog i read on a consistent basis, simply because you're witty as hell.

so, um, are you single? right. i should stop this. but, am i the only one here wants to know what you look like.....ok....i'm done.

anyways, keep up the good shit!

tlsintx said...

me too...that theme song fills me with joy!

thank YOU, Snarker. You ROCK!

telliott79 at hotmail.com

Roya said...

One of the best shows ever... and one of my favorite blogs ever? This is awesome.

Thanks so much for doing this!

macmillardsteinhaus at gmail dot com

izznt said...

izznt (at) hotmail (dot) com

ANYTHING with Rhoda in it. ANYTHING. Rhoda could cough and I'd laugh spasmodically. Especially if she was in a mu-mu and being sarcastic and talking to Murray on the intercom! With a drink in her hand!

Latinbi said...

I love this show watched it all the time. My favorite MTM moment is when Coco the clown died and they all went to the funeral and Mary went hysterially laughing and she couldn't stop either. I laugh everytime that I see that show.

Unknown said...

You are a fabulous blog hostess, Ms. Dorothy. Back when the earth was still cooling and the moon was new, Nick at Nite played a lot of old classics, MTM among them. They had a contest conducted by snail mail to answer MTM trivia. I won a MTM lapel pin and still have it to this day. Thanks again for the blog-o-tainment :-) hakinney at gmail

Latinbi said...

I forgot my email address

ginia47@aol.com

Anonymous said...

I love you and think of you as Mary Tyler Moore with a post modern attitude - not really you are so Rhoda- anyway.

I loved the one when she went to a restaurant and was prodded by Lou to send something back and she said she couldn't because something the person who was criticized would get hurt and he dared her to send it back. And she did and the chef came out of the kitchen chasing the waiter with a knife saying he'd kill him for bringing the criticism to him. It cracked me up for days - and I never send anything back ever.

maryelizabethcav at hotmail dot com

Norma Desmond said...

Ms. Snarker, you are too too good to us.

kesimon0918 at gmail dot com.

Anonymous said...

hiqbal at post dot harvard do edu

thanks!!

Jamie said...

This is one of the shows I love watching with my mom. Timeless.

jslade83 at comcast dot net

Cgquack said...

cgquack at gmail dot com

Carly said...

WOW!!! I can't even express how excited I am that they're FINALLLLLY releasing the 5th season onto DVD. I love and have loved this show ever since my 11 year old self stumbled upon it on Nick at Night (remember, when Nick at Night included classic shows, like I Love Lucy, and The Dick Van Dyke show?). In fact, I believe my first crush was on Mary herself. I love all the moments between Mary and Mr. Grant. Especially the episode where they go on a date and share the most awkward kiss ever... and then break out in hysterical laughter! Thank you for this give away!

carlys_jr at hotmail dot com

Amelia said...

ameliamanderscheid (@) gmail.com

There is a Mary Tyler Moore statue on the Nicolet Mall in Minneapolis, come see it!

Lauren said...

we're gonna make it after allllll :D

foblove86 at hotmail dot com

Susanna said...

susanna AT headoverheels DOT fi

nia said...

abalvanz at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

keepon325 at msn dot com

Vikki said...

I work in downtown Minneapolis and pass the statue of Mary tossing her hat that marks the spot where that was filmed.

vikki at uppoppedafox dot com

tlsintx said...

ps. i must add this...i watched the MTM show back when it was on in prime time...not Nick at Night...just at night, back in the real live '70s...

argh.

Dianna said...

*crosses fingers*
dianna dot blaylock at gmail dot com

Big Shamu said...

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your snarky bloggy voice, your love of tank tops, your ability to share Tina with the rest of the world and your occasional ventures into more serious matters that allows your readers to cut loose on the venting. I like coming here because not only are you whip smart, so are your readers and believe me in a world full of dreck you don't know how precious that is.
Thank you Dorothy Snarker for all that you do and all that you are.

Hoot said...

I had a super-crush on Mary and loved the show - still do. But, strangely, my favorite moments were ones in which Ted is once again stomped on by Lou and/or Murray. Of course, Mary was never that mean (but, she could bust out laughing at a clown's memorial service.
- harrisonglazier at gmail dot com
--------
TED: This is Ted Baxter saying: Happy days are here
again!
MARY: Did you make that up, Ted?
TED: Naw, it's from some song. (Thinking) I forget the name of it.
MURRAY: And what are you so happy about?
TED: The circus is in town and they want me.
MURRAY: That's terrific, Ted. Do you have to bring your own shovel?
TED: It so happens they want me to ride at the head of the parade. I'm this year's Grand Marshall. It's something I've always wanted. (Bitterly) I should have had it *last* year--but they gave it to that stupid weather girl from Channel Six. Well it served them right what happened...
MURRAY: What happened?
MARY: It... rained on their parade.
TED: (Still bitter) And the year before that, when they chose that big, dumb basketball player who does the sports on Channel Eight. Made a fool of himself!
MURRAY: I don't remember that, either.
MARY: He got in the wrong car. He...squeezed into the little tiny one with all the clowns in it and...wedged them in. They eventually had to take the car apart. It kind of spoiled the effect.
MURRAY: Gee. It sounds as if the Grand Marshall's job has a history of disaster.
TED: Yeah, well--this year they've got me.
MURRAY: I rest my case.
TED: Ha-ha. You can't bug me, Murr. Nothing can spoil my day now that I'm going to be Grand Marshall of the circus parade.
Lou enters from his office on Ted's last line.
LOU: Forget it, Ted! You aren't.
TED: (Staggered) W-what, Lou?
LOU: I said forget it. My anchorman isn't marching down the street with a chimp. It tends to give him an undignified image!
TED: Lou, please! It *won't* give me an undignified image.
LOU: (To Ted) I was talking about the chimp.

Anonymous said...

Awesome!

Genkidaiyo at gmail dot com

Eva Matthews said...

I absolutely love this show. Great giveaway woman!

bedofclover at icqmail dot com

Unknown said...

GREAT show. Betty White rocked in it.

wardlumich [at]yahoo dot com

ant said...

I love the show and this blog! One of my favorites is when Lou sets up Mary on a date with his lawyer buddy. leftkovitz [at] yahoo dot com. Thank you!

Jessie Maims said...

jix1125 AT gmail DOT com

Anything with Rhoda after they stopped putting her in a fat suit.

Suzar said...

Thank you, Ms. Snarker! True confession: I recently sang the MTM theme song to myself, to bolster my courage when moving to a new city. (It still works.)Favorite moment? Chuckles the Clown ep, hands down.

suzar1[at]yahoo.com

Nekanuq said...

7 seasons of brilliance. I can't even begin to narrow it down to a few favorite moments.

Nekanuq at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

zippy45 at gmail dot com

The theme song for sure.

Unknown said...

Thanks so much!!

jennburn at hot mail dot com

antk8 said...

I remember the Saturday night CBS lineup: All in the Family, MASH, Mary Tyler Moore, The Bob Newhart Show and Carol Burnett. That was the greatest back-to-back block of shows ever! And Mary was the highlight...

antk8 at att dot net

Anne said...

I wasn't so fond of Cloris Leachman when I used to watch the show on TV - but have come to love her work! So any MTM with Cloris is fabulous in my books!

aelyden at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

Best show ever!!!
auntiebeebuzz@yahoo.com

Great blog, I never miss a post. Keep up the great work!f

Andy W. said...

awelfle {at} Gmail, yo. Awesome!

Anonymous said...

you can have a town, why don't you take it? you're gonna make it after aaalllllll
kat period yun at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

I've been watching MTM on Hulu recently and re-fallen in love (with great writing)...

jackihu29 at gmail dot com

Art Serratelli said...

Dorothy! You make my week! Your wit, compassion, and honest observation is a true gift. Love it.

mfghandi at gmail dot com

PS: Favorite MTM moment:
When Ted Knight and the entire cast sing this song - - which started as a knock knock joke

Knock, Knock.
Who's there?
Anna Maria Alberghetti
Anna Maria Alberghetti who?
Anna Maria Alberghetti in a taxi honey, better be there 'bout half past eight...

twofistededitor said...

twofistededitor at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

"A little song. A little dance. A little seltzer down your pants"

All-time favorite episode: Chuckles Bites the Dust. (Season 6) The WJM-TV clown was offed by an elephant in a parade while dressed as Peter Peanut. Sublime.

Thanks for a consistently wonderful read!

magstrrr [at] gmail [dot] com

Dee said...

I grew up watching MTM and I never, ever missed an episode! I seem to recall an episode I thought was very funny and it involved Sue Ann Niven and Veal Prince Orloff. I loved Su Ann - she was so evil, in a truly clever way... LOL

I am doing a raffle for charity over on my blog The Crab Chronicles, if anyone wants to GO THERE NOW [hint, hint, cough, cough...]

Dee

Anonymous said...

Love the site, you do a great job, snarker. The giveaways are bonus!

kyelenak at gmail dot com

ROUGEE said...

Woohooooooo!!!! Coolness.
tapoxac at gmail dot com

Daña said...

favorite moment? I get to see it every time the intro plays: it's the disapproving looks of the two women behind Mary as she tosses her hat into the air. To me, they represent the societal disapproval of women moving up in the world, taking jobs like producer of a news show. And Mary obliviously and exuberantly tosses her tam into the air in celebration of all the unknown adventures that await her.
dalder at charter dot net

Christina said...

One of my absolute favorite shows. I absolutely LOVE every moment with Ed Asner, and there's no way I could choose just one. Well, maybe Rhoda's famous line about her episode-long good luck streak....

chrismb [at] email [dot] arizona [dot] com

the little girl that could said...

I second "mfghandi" above ... You're the best. You make my GoogleReader blush!

And, well ... you inspire me.

"Wishing and hoping and thinking and ...."

theemailforaccounts{at}gmail{.}{com}

elle said...

thank YOU for being there. yours is a bright spot in this e-world of mine.

ebritt said...

Please, please choose me!!

ebrittingham at mccneb.edu

thanks...

Pyewacket said...

A little song, a little dance...

a little seltzer down your pants...

pyewacket22 at gmail dot com

:)

Robyn said...

What a fun giveaway! One of my favorite moments in every episode is when the frame freezes as she throws her hat in the opening credits. There is a lady in a babushka and cat-eye glasses caught between the credits, staring at Mary and my brother and I, every week without fail, would gleefully cry "Look at the lady! Look at the lady!"

robyn at chiquelife dot com

Anonymous said...

thanks for the reminder!

pootine at hotmail dawtcom

Katie said...

Thanks for the reminder!

kroche74 at gmail dot com

And thanks for doing the blog. It is by far my favorite blog and I look forward to reading your posts each morning.

Roberta said...

"A little song, a little dance, a little seltzer in your pants."
Have more poignant words ever been spoken at a clown's eulogy?

Love your blog Ms. Dorothy!

Roberta
yahbella1@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Thanks... don't know if I'm too late, but nonetheless: imthey@usa.com

Hilarywho said...

Dear Ms. Snarker, I LOVE your blog and I love MTM. Haven't seen it in ages & would be thrilled to have the box set. hilhar@sbcglobal.net

amanda said...

What a great contest!

amandarose at gmail dot com

Lucy said...

Aw, LOVE this. Thanks so much.

lwebbedits at yahoo dot com

Amanda said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Amanda said...

My favorite MTM reference was actually on Family Guy, when Peter plays the theme on the piano. At the end, they show Mary throwing her hat in the air and freezing that way, as everyone around her looks at her strangely...

abschoen(at)gmail.com

Anonymous said...

:)

lopeytal at gmail dot com

Lisa said...

Ms. Snarker, you are a freakin' riot! I look forward to your daily commentary on life, love & lesbos. Please enter me in the MTM giveaway. Years ago I dated a guy (yeah, I was confused, what's it to you?) who said I reminded him of Laura Petrie (The Dick Van Dyke Show was on Nick @ Nite at the time). Sometime later he sent me flowers and the card read, "to the most beautiful woman in New Rochelle." He was a very funny guy. Sorry, now I'm the one who's "waxing."

Anyway, my email address is: lkaster@aol.com

Dana said...

I grew up in MN and this show was a huge part of my childhood. I desperately wanted to be Mary Richards!

danadenise at gmail dot com

Bron said...

I'm in the "Anything with Rhoda" camp. I was so mad when they married her off and shipped her off to her own (bleh) spin off. She belonged with "Mar"!

And I also think fondly to the group hug that moved as one across the room... Heh.

Thanks for the contest.

branlloer (at) sbcglobal (dot) net

Julia said...

Any of Mary's so called dinner parties were always hilarious.

jmdjd93@cox.net

katie said...

Love your blog, Dorothy! And all the lovely ladies in various states of undress!

Fingers crossed! doomsday dot robot dot army at gmail dot com

Zed said...

To this day, whenever I see a bunch of pigeons standing around on the sidewalk, I yell "MARY TYLER MOORE!!! " at them and fling my arms up in the air as they fly away. heh

iamaleo said...

moniquedgray at gmail dot com

love it!