"This Male Chauvinist Piggy Went to Market" opened the third season, another 'battle of the sexes' between Keith and Laurie, each trying to one up the other in a class project; Keith takes up baking in the kitchen, while Laurie learns to change a tire. Ever the loser, Keith tries again, whipping up a spinach soufflé while Laurie changes spark plugs (Danny sees that this gets buried in the backyard). Twice the victor, Laurie can't resist humiliating her brother by bragging at school the next day, which earns Keith the wrath of biker Goose Waller (James C. Jordan), only to have his honor defended by sister Laurie's timely judo flip. This only infuriates Goose even more, keeping tabs on the Partridges until he can take another shot at Keith, a brave fool or wise coward. No loss of quality from previous seasons, at least not till the fourth year. The featured song is the unreleased "God Bless You Girl," composed by Irwin Levine and L. Russell Brown, later heard with the exact same footage in "Diary of a Mad Millionaire."
The Partridge Family (TV Series)
This Male Chauvinist Piggy Went to Market (1972)
User Reviews
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Insightful Story About Masculinity
mollysmeow4 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This has always been my favorite Partridge Family episode. Keith learns what it means to be a man. Not fighting but not running away; standing up for yourself but NOT picking fights with others.
Though I always questioned why Keith couldn't have learned self-defense from Laurie, this episode was still feminist and before its time. The message is that Keith becomes a man through refusing to fight WHEREAS the bully isn't representative of true masculinity.
The episode is so well-done that I've always felt sorry for the bully; hope he came to realize the errors of his way.
The Brady Bunch had a very similar episode with Peter Brady refusing to fight (except in self-defense), and even showing kindness towards the bully. But somehow the Partridge Family episode was better done. David Cassidy was always an underrated actor, and his acting was remarkable in this episode. You can actually FEEL and SEE his fear - and his COURAGE.
I'm not positive if the creators and writers did want to send a message about masculinity. But they definitely succeeded.
Though I always questioned why Keith couldn't have learned self-defense from Laurie, this episode was still feminist and before its time. The message is that Keith becomes a man through refusing to fight WHEREAS the bully isn't representative of true masculinity.
The episode is so well-done that I've always felt sorry for the bully; hope he came to realize the errors of his way.
The Brady Bunch had a very similar episode with Peter Brady refusing to fight (except in self-defense), and even showing kindness towards the bully. But somehow the Partridge Family episode was better done. David Cassidy was always an underrated actor, and his acting was remarkable in this episode. You can actually FEEL and SEE his fear - and his COURAGE.
I'm not positive if the creators and writers did want to send a message about masculinity. But they definitely succeeded.
Borrowed from The Monkees song?
rerunwatcher27 November 2020
At the end when they singing, the song began with some la la las. This tune and "la la's" sound so much like the Monkees song "Cuddly Toy". Just a casual listener here, but it sounds much the same to me. The other part of the song sounds different however.
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