Friday, November 5, 2010

Here's to Good Friends...








Lucy: Oh gee, Ethel, thanks. It’s times like these you know what friends are really for.

Ethel: If I had known this was what friends were for, I’d have signed up as an enemy!

There’s no denying that Lucy’s friends went above and beyond the call of duty, time and again, for their unpredictable pal. But isn't that what true friendship requires of a person? Anyway, I would argue that everyone in Lucy’s circle – Ethel, Fred, Caroline Appleby, even Mrs. Trumbull – got back everything they gave and then some. For one thing, friendship with Lucy guaranteed constant entertainment. For another, the woman was as loyal as Ricky’s accent was thick. Why else would Ethel be willing to help her best buddy steal John Wayne’s footprints from outside of Grauman’s Chinese Theater or agree to dress up like an alien on a NYC rooftop?

When trouble did arise in companionship paradise, Lucy and Co. didn’t stoop to sterilizing their emotions for the sake of a "rational" argument. It was full-on emotional warfare; a knock-down, drag-out fight.

Take Episode 69, "Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress." Set to perform a duet of Cole Porter's "Friendship" on television (television!), the pair unwittingly purchase the exact same gown to wear. When they figure out their mistake, both Lucy and Ethel graciously offer to return their dress to the store. Then they realize that to be truly fair, they should both return their gowns and start from scratch. Not until the cameras are rolling do the identically-dressed friends discover that neither has kept her promise. That's when the Girls Go Wild, abandoning their choreographed moves to rip up each others' costumes instead. (Ricky and Fred step in before anyone is actually stripped naked.)

Most conflict-resolution experts would probably find the above scenario unacceptable. But there were no grudges to be held afterward, no lingering resentments. Every shred of ill-will was left in a pile of tatters on the stage. The dresses were destroyed, but the relationship remained intact.

This is the stuff of lifelong camaraderie. My dearest friends are the ones who have seen me at my absolute worst and still (for some reason) stick around. And there's no better bonding experience than a high-stakes, adrenaline-filled misadventure. As I write this, I am flooded with memories of many such times. The only problem is, admitting to any of them would implicate whichever friend was involved, and, while I don't mind tarnishing my own reputation, I can't in good conscience trash any of my friends in a public forum.

Another mark of true friendship: Covering your pal's tracks when necessary. That's what Lucy would do.

No comments:

Post a Comment