Joe Lieberman is Doctor Smith from LOST IN SPACE

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

(The TV show, not the fast-forgotten movie)

When I was a kid I watched LOST IN SPACE primarily to see if this was the episode when they finally killed Dr. Smith. Every week Dr. Smith--the saboteur stow-away who tried to kill the whole Robinson family and caused them to be lost in space in the first place--would use the last of their drinking water to wash out his socks or lock the kids outside the space ship when monsters were coming, or try to sell Penny to intergalactic white-slavers.

And every week I thought, this will be the time they let Major West finally murder Dr. Smith.

But June Lockhart always felt sorry for Dr. Smith, who did keep trying to kill her children but gosh darnit, but had those big puppy dog eyes. I was like Seth Green in Austin Powers, yelling at the TV, "Just shoot him, would you?!"

And the next week he would try, once again, to betray, strand or murder the family Robinson.

Lieberman even looks a little like Doctor Smith.

[valerief]

1. Smith had better jowls and more charm. nt

[David Zephyr]

2. Jeez. They are the same person.

Perfect.

[JeffR]

3. DUzy

Of course, it also works perfectly as a very serious comparison.

Well done.

[JeffR]

4. delete

double post

[CatWoman]

5. LOL

"Oh the pain!! The pain of it all!!"

:rofl:

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

9. That was all I could think of watching his 'apology' today

[Ichingcarpenter]

19. I was hot for Penny but her sister ended up getting killed in 'Alien'

Penny was the same age as me. For a while I didn't know
that Veronica and Angela Cartwright were two different women.

Dr. Smith is not a bad analogy for our generation.

[The Traveler]

6. I will NOT have you besmirch Dr. Smith that way!!

You unsympathetic heathen. Clearly, Smith had issues. But to compare him to Joe Lieberman is simply beyond the pale.

Smith did nothing but try to relieve television viewers and science fiction fans of the burdern imposed by all that really horrible acting. I myself was rooting for him every inch of the way. Penny to the intergalactic white slavers! Little Billy out the airlock door without the benefit of a helmet! Major West shot by his own gun! How can you blame him? Could you have put up with any of those milquetoast sanctimonious wankers for more than an hour without going stark raving mad?

And for these humanitarian efforts on our behalf, you slime this poor healer's reputation by comparing him to Joe Lieberman. Have you no decency?

:rofl:

[Bake]

30. I believe the term is "ninny." Or "bubble-headed boobie!"

:rofl:

Bake

[BumRushDaShow]

7. Ha!

What a whiny, sniveling, sneeky, character! :rofl:

[Skip Intro]

8. Dr. Smith was a lot more likeable. nt

[dascientist]

10. perfect analogy :(

[IndianaGreen]

11. The Dr. Smith played in the film by Gary Oldman

Oldman's Dr. Smith was a truly evil character with no redeeming characteristics.

[RagAss]

12. "Oh the pain, the pain."

[Gregorian]

14. Haha, My first thought.

It really is Liebermanesque. Whiny traitor.

[MadMaddie]

13. At least Smiths voice doesn't grate on every last fiber of my nerves

Listening to Lieberwhore whine....oh dear God.....

[The Backlash Cometh]

25. I watched the entire series in Spanish.

It was the one character and the one show which was perfectly cast through translation. I remember when I heard the show for the first time, I thought the characters of E-smid y robot were way off.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Bluebear]

16. You bubbleheaded booby. nt

[southerncrone]

17. You nailed it!

LIEbeRman is just as selfish, self-absorbed, manipulative, & oh, so easy to hate, as Dr. Smith.

But Dr. Smith WAS entertaining. Joe the bummer, not at all.

[Willo]

18. Oh that is dead on.

And he was so mean to the robot.

[byronius]

20. Had not thought of that. Quite apt.

[Egnever]

21. OMG

Nailed it!

[tomreedtoon]

22. That's Dr. ZACHARY Smith, and you are a homophobe.

The character, played by Jonathan Harris, was one of the leading edge gay characters in 1960's television, along with Paul Lynde, Alan Seuss of Laugh-In and embarrassing comedian Rip Taylor. He was a typical public gay stereotype; self-centered, unable to see consequences to his actions, greedy, and especially exploitative of young male children (Will Robinson, played by Bill Mumy).

Mind you, people, this was the stereotype Harris played on TV. I saw him publicly twice before his death, and he was - well, an esteemed actor. One time at a science fiction con in Orlando, I ate breakfast while he was in an adjoining booth (not visible to me, but who could forget that voice?). It was shortly before the release of the terrible Lost in Space movie, and he was talking to his male companion/handler, and wondering out loud how the movie would work out without him. The movie producers wouldn't pay him a real salary or give him a real part, which disappointed him.

But back to the character. The "evil" Dr. Smith lasted only the first few episodes, and was only intended to be around for the first few ep's, then disappear or be killed off. Only, the theatrical Mr. Harris was a better actor than the whitebread Robinson family, and was a favorite of viewers. From that point on, ol' Zach wasn't so evil as stupid and easily misled.

Heck, you could probably make a case for Dr. Zachary Smith being George Bush with better use of language.

If you want to see his legacy, look at Bill Mumy. He has grown far beyond the name "Billy." Not only did he prove his acting chops in Babylon 5, he performs his own folk music, plus silly/dirty songs as part of the group Barnes and Barnes. (Their big hit was "Fish Heads"...eat 'em up, yum!)

Hey, hanging around with a theatrical gay can be a great education for straight guys.

[The Backlash Cometh]

26. Harris was viewed as a serious actor outside of LIS, from what I remember.

As far as the show goes, I think that being slightly effeminate and, yet intelligent, yet greedy but always getting his comeuppance, well, it suited the era. I don't think people saw him as gay, back then, but a sissy.

[Burma Jones]

27. I think Effete is a good word to describe Smith's Character.......

You can be effete and not gay....You can be gay and not effete.....

Harris was married to the same woman for 64 years.....

[bunnies]

23. If I had been born a guy - I was to be named after him.

Zachary Alan Smith. :spank: Dont crap on my almost-namesake like that. :nuke:

[The Backlash Cometh]

24. How SWEET!

You're so right.

DUzy Award winner, if you ask me.

[dancingme]

28. and Lindsay Graham is the Robot!

[Bolo Boffin]

29. If only Lieberman was as ineffectual as Dr. Smith

But I am laughing over here. The comparison is rather apt, otherwise.