IF I ONLY HAD TOUGHER SKIN

Buddy Ebsen, of 'The Beverly Hillbillies,' Is Dead at 95 (NY Times, July 8, 2003)

He was originally signed to play the Scarecrow in the MGM classic "The Wizard of Oz." But in a late casting switch, Ray Bolger pushed him out of the part, and Mr. Ebsen was recast as the Tin Woodman. After weeks of rehearsal, however, a severe allergy to the aluminum-based makeup forced him to relinquish that part to Jack Haley.

I'd always thought that was the most interesting thing about Buddy Ebsen's career, until Kevin Whited found this:

The Beverly Hillbillies was an instant success when it first aired in 1962, and Nielsen continued to rank it among the top twelve programs for the following six years. Its ability to appeal to various sectors of the audience contributed to its staying power. Liberals could see the above episode as a jab at the business establishment, while more conservative viewers might have taken it as a confirmation of traditional morality. Furthermore, the program is as much a joyful celebration of America's material pleasures as it is a satire of them. Like Rip Van Winkle, the Clampetts stumble upon a society that delights as well as repulses them. They enjoy what their wealth can do but always temper their spirited liberality with common sense. Granny's passions are lusty but never illicit. The younger Clampetts (television's early attempt to portray flower children) are intent upon using their wealth for the betterment of society and nature. Jethro experiments with modern art (as well as women), and Ellie Mae looks after a menagerie of woodland creatures. Sheared of inhibitions and devoted to art and nature, these ersatz hippies, however, never stray from the hearth nor contradict their stern elders.

This balance of liberality and common sense appealed to a wide audience in the early I 960s, but by the end of the decade, when liberal and conservative as well as generational factions had grown apart, the balance shifted, a fact apparent in public statements made by the program's actors. For Irene Ryan and Buddy Ebsen, who played Granny and Jed, the program was as much an affirmation of their own conservative politics as it was a satire of American materialism. In interviews conducted in 1968, both announced their support of Ronald Reagan's candidacy for Governor of California, their contempt for the welfare system, and distaste for protestors. As Ebsen put it, "Hippies are the greatest conformists." Interviewer Edith Efron perceived these real-life political remarks as extensions of the actors' roles. Granny, like Ryan herself, notes Efron, is a symbol of America's individualism and strength.

In short, as the gap between blue-collar worker and student, between Silent Majority and young militants, grew, The Beverly Hillbillies came to represent in the public mind a form of individualism that contrasted sharply with the putative conformism of anti-war and civil rights dissidents. Nielsen and TVQ ratings confirm the shift. As one might expect, rural comedies fared well in the South, but by 1968, the motif had become more popular among blue-collar workers throughout the nation than Southerners

Here's another factoid for you. Both the Beverly Hillbillies and Batman--perhaps some others too--were so popular they were shown twice a week for awhile. Posted by Orrin Judd at July 8, 2003 8:43 PM