I’ve often thought I was born too late. I mean, imagine marching on Washington in support of the Equal Rights Amendment, and doing the Hustle in a sincere way rather than a dorky way. (Okay, I probably still would have done it in a dorky way.) And I know I’d have looked good in a flowered peasant shirt and those enormous sunglasses.
But now, no matter how young, old, or dorky you are, you can enjoy a gem from 1974: Free to Be… You and Me, now streaming on TVLand.com. If you haven’t seen it or heard the album (and I do mean album), you’re in for a groovy experience. It’s a collection of skits and songs about, um, freedom, including the freedom to have a doll if you’re a boy, or to operate a jackhammer if you’re a girl. It’s awesome, not to mention star-studded, featuring Marlo Thomas (the force behind the whole thing), Mel Brooks, Roberta Flack, Shirley Jones, Diana Ross, Rita Coolidge, and a young and happy (and adorable) Michael Jackson.
Now if only they’d offer clips of Battle of the Network Stars. Kristy McNichol and Penny Marshall rocked the obstacle course.
