Swingtown: Harry Reems, Janet and Rosy Perfection-Part Deux

By ElaineB

Sometime in the ’70s (and it is probably a good thing I can’t remember exactly when), I got invited to my first Tupperware party. The young mom hosting it was, at that time, a lot like Janet – still trapped in expectations reminiscent of her own mother’s. I got as far as her front door. There her husband and mine and few other guys had congregated with a couple of six packs since they had nothing better to do and the house was off limits. I hung out with them for most of the party, then, like Trina, I just placed an order. The host became one of my closest friends because she changed, too. Once she confessed to me that after the party I did not attend, she thought she would never come to like me because we were so very different.

So are a lot of the characters on Swingtown. Susan, from the hair to the clothes, is a woman just made for flower power, but she got married too early and missed the heartbreak and fun. Janet, as noted, thinks life in the 50s was just fine, but there is a mélange of change in the air and she is more than a little curious. Roger just wishes his sex life was better, especially now that we know he only gets some every other Friday. And he lives with this because ….possibly because he has that old chivalrous view of wives. They set the schedule. He could try flowers, chocolate, spiking her brownies. Nope, he just lives with it and looks longingly Susan’s way. Here, it’s Bruce’s turn to be the conservative one, and though Susan is not liberated enough yet to notice, his attitude is dangerous.

That’s because Bruce has not embraced the notion that women are equals, which makes him a very dangerous mate for a woman unsure of her place in the world but courageous enough to go to a porn theater alone to see Deep Throat after she learns that Tom and Trina are having a fundraising party for Harry Reems to help with his legal defense. Unfortunately, the fundraiser conflicts with Bruce’s bowling night and he all but forbids Susan to go (this is what husbands used to call a “discussion”).

Laurie stands up for mom, but Susan says nothing.

After Bruce heads out thinking he’s taken care of the matter, Susan gets dressed and goes across the street. No sooner does she arrive than so does Janet, whom Susan had invited earlier. “I’m here for Susan,” Janet tells Trina before the poor girl even asks. Heading over the scout out the buffet, she runs into Reems (played by Rick D. Wasserman, Alex Hewitt on 24: Day 2, who’s a ringer for the real Harry). She realizes he does not have horns and a tail and actually seems very nice.

Meanwhile, Roger and Bruce are doing what, I suppose, men do – discussing their wives over beer. I don’t know what’s up with Susan, Bruce says, after confessing their sex had improved dramatically after their experiment in swinging. Roger is not sympathetic and confesses about his own nearly-non-sex life. They apparently discover their wives are missing and head over to the Decker’s. Neither wife wants to leave and Roger stays with them so he and Janet can watch Deep Throat. Bruce goes home in a snit.

Trina has a moment alone with Susan. “Change isn’t easy on a couple,” she says.

“What if I’m the only one who’s changing? What if Bruce is incapable somehow?”

“Then you have to help him,” Trina says. Gawd, I am really starting to like this woman.

Later at home, Bruce says, “I want to know where all this is taking us?” Susan has no way to reply.

Meanwhile the kids are acting like mature adults. Laurie breaks up with Logan in the school hallway where she has just delivered snacks and coffee to her teacher Doug. Logan seems to take it like a man instead of whiny little boy. When Doug volunteers to drive her home, she says she’d rather walk, and comments that school is almost over. This means, I assume, once he isn’t her teacher they are free to be a couple. B.J. and Sam are watching Nadia Comaneci score those perfect 10s at the Olympics and Sam wishes she could be the young gymnast (just goes to show what people knew about life in Romania in the pre-Google days). B.J. says he just wants to be himself. Later, he looks out his window and sees Sam and her mother, who is very drunk and looking ready for a fight. Sam diffuses the situation beautifully, and he holds up a 10.0 sign when she gets to her room.

Janet and Roger discuss how, ah, silly Deep Throat was and wind up making love on their kitchen floor. And I doubt it was their Friday, either.

PS – To this day I cannot understand the whole Tupperware concept. Fortunately, Tupperware has given way to Pampered Chef (where at least the food is good), wine tastings and Slumber Parties – the last, I am sure, the now sixty-something Trina would love.

PPS – Just made Rosy Perfection Salad, sans marshmallows and with added shredded carrots. Go with a quarter to half cup of water if you want it to gel. As for the taste, well, there has to be better ’70s food out there than this. I had this great recipe from Minneapolis for “Instant Fake Working Girl’s Sweet and Sour Meatballs” that had some wow factor, particularly for those eating funny brownies. Mix burger, 1 egg, salt, pepper and shape into balls. Drop into a sauce made of 1 small jar chili sauce and 1 small jar grape jam. Simmer and serve over rice. This is what women who worked and cooked and cleaned and took care of the kids called gourmet. And does anyone think a catering business may be where Janet is headed if Roger can’t find a job soon? Wouldn’t she and Trina make a heck of a partnership? It is the ’70s, after all, women CAN leave home if they want to.