Girls, What Is It With Librarians??????????????

I am sorry, darlings, but the issue must be talked about. It was triggered last evening, as Monsieur and I snuggled up to an evening of "Law And Order SVU," where they ran an oft repeated episode, entitled "Mother."

The title is triple edged. It concerns a psychotherapist named Greta who employs unorthodox techniques in dealing especially with her male patients. One of those patients, Robert, is obsessively in love with her, much to the consternation of his alleged sister, Christina. I say alleged, because, in the end, Christina turns out to be his mother. She got pregnant when she was 14 years old, and once the baby was born he was taken from her, and she was thrown out by her mother. For the next seven years, Robert was raised by Granny, albeit abusively. But Christina comes back, and the night she does, a "mysterious fire" breaks out at home, killing Granny. Christina tries to raise Robert as her own, but he is much too damaged. In the end, Christina gets hauled off to jail for murdering her own mother, though you certainly cannot blame her.

But this is not what has me riled. There is a subplot involving Greta, the Doctor, being attacked by one of her patients. Before it is established Christina was the attacker, Robert is a prime suspect, but so, too is this ex sex-offender named Benny Edgar Ralsey, played by P.J.Marshall. A real smoothie, this one; he ditches his ankle monitor onto a cat and takes off into the streets. While shacking up with a woman who is sensitive and sympathetic to his plight (he tells her he has a Gambling addiction!!) who turns out to be........a librarian!!!!!!!!!

Here we go again--the Librarian As Cultural Stereotype!!!!!! And this show was shot within the last ten years. First, we have Mrs. Cochran, overly officious and about as spinsterly as Agnes Moorhead as Aunt Fanny in "The Magnificent Ambersons", in Alfred Hitchcock's film, "Shadow Of A Doubt"; next, we have Donna Reed as the hypothetical unmarried Mary Hatch in "It's A Wonderful Life," not to mention Shirley Jones' unfulfilled Marian Paroo in "The Music Man." But as recently, as ten years ago--a librarian who cries out the stereotype that they are so desperate for anyone romantic they can only hook up with deviants???? I am telling you, I have had it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ever since the golden days of Shirley Berkowitz and Eunice Marowitz back in Highland Park, New Jersey, librarians have had this image. If not repressed and spinsterly, then overly officious. But the notion that being in this profession one is so desperate for a romantic partner they will take up with anyone borders on the libelous. I mean, Theresa Dunn (based on real-life Roeseann Quinn) in "Looking For Mr. Goodbar" was a Special Ed teacher!!!!!!!!

Of course, some librarians don't help the cause, any, with their lack of fashion sense, an inability to say or write in two sentences what it takes them to say or write in six, and an overt obsession with procedure rather than results. And then they wonder why they sometimes get such a bad rap!!!!!!!!!!!!

But the one on 'SVU' is the worst!!!!!!!! Any librarian worth their mettle should write to Dick Wolf and ask for a retraction. Some librarians may not be wrapped as tightly as one might like, but not all are pathetic, socially maladjusted creatures!!!! Believe me, I have seen some lawyers who would fit this last criteria!!!!!!!!!!!!

Librarians have been taking crap like this for years!!!!!! Give them a break!!!!!!!!!!

But don't you touch MY bookshelves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!