Wow!  What a wonderful night it was on CBS.  Friday evenings, we typically watch Public Broadcasting, or our station of choice to  catch up on the week’s  news.  Unfortunately,  politics  doesn’t make for a very good night’s sleep, so it was a relief last  Friday  night,  when we were treated to reruns of “I Love Lucy,”  and “The Dick Van Dyke Show.”

It  was great  to remember  that kind and gentle era when comedians  didn’t swear,  brag about their sex life,  or  express their political preferences.  Comedy shows were a way to relax , laugh , and  get your mind off your troubles.  Good comics found it remarkably easy to be funny without ever referencing POTUS,  affordable care, immigration, war, climate change  and all of the other serious issues  that today’s comedians think they need to lecture us about.

And yet, there was plenty to be upset about in the early fifties when ” I Love Lucy” was  a popular show.  Our boyfriends, husbands and brothers were drafted into the Korean War. Jim Crow laws legitimized segregation. The Cuban revolution brought Communism to our doorstep. Medicare didn’t exist, and few had health insurance.

In the early sixties, while we watched “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” the Berlin Wall was built, and our men were being drafted into the Vietnam War.    Mistakes were made by all politicians, but there was a certain civility that kept things on an even keel.   News reporters and journalists were no doubt biased, but they tried to be objective and civil.  And entertainers simply entertained.

English teachers often advise budding writers not to “mix their metaphors.”  I wish performing artists  would stick  to their knitting and not  try to mix their specialties.  They’re not political scientists ,  elected  officials,  or trained military strategists.

Actors should act, singers should sing, dancers should dance, and comedians should be funny.  That’s all we want from you, guys.  We don’t want you telling us how to vote or mocking elected officials.    When we want entertainment, we’ll watch ” Dancing With the Stars” , or the  Hallmark Channel. If we want to hear about politics, we will turn on the news channel of our choice.

So, thanks to Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz , Mary Tyler Moore  and Dick Van Dyke  for making us laugh during some tough times.