"Where's the Goat"?

As he walked into the storage room containing unsecured dynamite, I wondered where the producers of this early 60's sit com were going with this episode. The innocence of that period in television comedy history was now gone for me, a former little girl of that time..

While watching a rerun of the 50's comedy series, Andy of Mayberry, an adult goat came into view. Why I asked was this innocent creature being featured walking into a room where weapons of mass destruction were being stored like so much dirty laundry? Children had walked nearby, that morning, as did the deputy of the town, Barney Fife. I shivered.

Where was this episode going? What was the lesson here? Nearly all of early T.V.comedy came with lessons, silly or otherwise. I was somewhat bewildered by it all. That poor goat. Barney had figured out what the goat had done and began to plan its escape out of town. The goat was in peril. People could die, too.

The next scene depicted this innocent creature walking slowly out of town. I waited and wondered. Is anyone going to save the goat? Soon I would find out. The explosion in the distance told me of its violent death in a comedic episode. No words required. The ending was done. And so was I.

In another later series called, MASH, a 70's era comedy series dealing with army life in a mobile hospital unit a goat is seen eating money. The paymaster of the day, Hawkeye Pierce, had left the money lying around in the room. The wages were earmarked for the hospital personel. Responsibility for the money was Pierce's not the goat. Proof had to be given that the money was eaten not stolen. How does something like happen?

“Where's the goat?” she screamed as the leg of the unfortunate animal came spiralling out of nowhere, landing upon the windshield of the van as the T-Rex watched nearby. The audience soon realized the horror of that moment.

It was the week of goats in entertainment. It se easy to commit to a script that denies animals their rights to exist. Does the dog always have to die? In western movies of the 50's and 60's, horses are used in way that have always made me wonder how many died during filming. The falling down of these majestic beasts in these 'choreograhed films seem so dangerous. But what do I know.

In an episode of CSI, long, long ago, the forensic pathologist comments about the reality of horses. There is usually some thing wrong on one end or the other. Extra care should be offered when using animals, reagdless of the species. But why does the audience need to see everything?

The other day as I watched the glorious outdoors, an animal was seen walking behind the pen, the former playground of our pets. It was a wild turkey roaming about. I called out to it letting it know that a human was nearby. He heard me then scurried away. I felt sorry for this creature. Did he have a companion, food, a place to live? Poor little guy, I thought. Times have changed and so have I.