I watched an old rerun of Mary Tyler Moore tonight that featured a spanking. No it wasn't Mary's cute backside being spanked, nor did she give the spanking. Ted Baxter spanked his adopted son, David. As near as I could count, Ted gave David 13 licks on the seat of his pants, using his hand. (Although he did ask Lou Grant if he could borrow a hairbrush. Obviously the balding Mr. Grant didn't have one.) David didn't cry, but Ted began to cry about a third of the way through the spanking. After the spanking was over, Ted told David that he loved him and never wanted to have to do that again. David hugged Ted, and told him he was glad he was his father. All in all, a very touching scene. It was perhaps the most sympathetic portrayal of Ted Baxter ever on the show. |