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THE 1970s Moore was a headstrong , smart career woman in her most iconic role of Mar y R ichards. I have to admit that while I admired her, Mar y was never my favorite on the show. e antics of blundering Ted, narcissistic Sue A nn and quirky R hoda appealed to me, while Mar y was simply the calm, collected, somehow slightly sad epicenter of the storm that sw irled around her. She was likable enough—v iewers never w itnessed Mar y say an unk ind word about anyone—but maybe I worried that she was too nice. How was she "gonna make it" if she was always too concerned w ith ever yone else's feelings? In fact, the role was w rien to closely match Moore's ow n personalit y. She once said, "I was that person. I grew up in a ver y conser vative household, and I went to a private girls' school, and you behaved in a certain way. So it was second nature to me, I didn't feel that separate from the character I was play ing." While Mar y R ichards had a successf ul career as the associate producer (and later, producer) of a news program, and she had repeated run-ins w ith her prick ly boss, Mr. Grant, that toughened her up and taught her to stand up for herself and her rights as a woman in the newsroom, her work life seemed like a constant struggle (and the ideal centerpiece for episode aer episode of comedy gold). No doubt that is why she became such an important symbol for women ever y where—her journey wasn't an easy one; it was realistic, and reflective of others' ow n path toward their goals. e prejudices and stereot y pes Mar y confronted were in tune w ith the times. e '70s were a decade that celebrated and encouraged great change for women, but there was still plent y to be angr y about. is slightly troubling combination of hope and concern I feel for Mary's character can be summed up in a story I stumbled on about the series' theme song. It was wrien specifically for the show, and the lyrics were changed between the first and second seasons. e opening lines initially asked, "How will you Left: Moore as Mary Richards, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." Above: Moore, Dick Van Dyke and Larry Mathews, "The Dick Van Dyke Show." " I grew up in a very conservative household, and I went to a private girls' school, and you behaved in a certain way. So it was second nature to me, I didn't feel that separate from the character I was playing." make it on your own? is world is awfully big , and girl, this time you're all alone," and ended with the prediction, "You might just make it aer all." By season two, the lines were rewrien to ask, "Who can turn the world on with her smile? Who can take a nothing day, and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile?" At the critical moment when Mary throws her hat in the air, the lyric more definitively concludes, "You're gonna make it aer all." (Damn, I'm tearing up just writing those words! Of course, I can't help but sing along in my head.) THE 1960s is brings me to my second theor y—that my reaction to the Mar y character somehow hints at where she was coming from, not where she was headed. A s a child I had also watched reruns of "e Dick Van Subscribe at GravitasMag.com | 77

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