From That Girl to Girls: Rethinking Ann Marie/Marlo Thomas as a Feminist Icon
Diamonds, daisies, snowflakes THAT GIRL!Chestnuts, rainbows, springtime. is THAT GIRL!She's tinsel on a tree..She's everything that every girl should be!At times, the theme song for That Girl feels like a random conglomeration of words albeit, a happy, glittery, random bunch of words.1 And yet, those simple words are apt descriptors of the perky sitcom that aired on ABC from 1966 1971 and made actress Mario Thomas a household name. She was the girl described in the song and the girl that everyone wanted to be, down to her perfect hair, eyelashes, stockings, and broaches. The show revolved around the independent Ann Marie, played deftly by Thomas, who moved to New York City by herself and maintained close ties to her parents. In typical sitcom fashion, the budding actress got herself into awkward, harebrained situations: temporary gigs as a speaking mop or dancing chicken, jamming her big toe in a bowling ball, trapping herself in a fold up bed, and even working for the mob in a position where she starts as a coat checker dressed as a cave girl who finds herself arrested after hiding inside a fake cake.While the show is often saccharine, That Girl deserves serious reconsideration, particularly in light of Mario Thomas' little acknowledged role as creator and producer. That Girl led the way for The Mary Tyler Moore Show (CBS, 1970 1977) Laveme Shirley (CBS, 1976 1983) Kate Allie (CBS, 1984 1989) Murphy Brown (CBS, 1988 1998) among others. Further, following the show, Thomas capitalized on her celebrity, publishing the powerful Free to Be. books and albums, starring in made for TV films that addressed timely and necessary topical themes like domestic abuse {Nobody's Child, CBS, 1986) and homophobia {Consenting Adult, ABC, 1985) Outside of her television and film career, Thomas advocated for various important political causes, like the Equal Rights Amendment, and worked with Gloria Steinern and others to found the Ms. Foundation for Women, a nonprofit organization with the goal of helping women and girls throughout the country.Besides Thomas' important career and activism, That Girl needs to be seen as more than just the sweet little sitcom; it should be recognized for its willingness to take chances and start conversations, even within its conventional sitcom premise. The show dealt with the lead characters' sexuality repeatedly and distinctly, and there was increasing pressure for Ann and her boyfriend Donald to get not only engaged but married, which Thomas strongly resisted. It was her producing role that allowed Thomas so much control over the program and helped provide a space for women in television to do more than just appear or even star on a program, which is evident in the success of women like Mary Tyler Moore, Tracey Ullman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Zooey Deschanel, and, perhaps most significantly, Lena Dunham. In comparing the increasingly visible and powerful career of Dunham, the parallels between Thomas and the young ingenue become clear: supportive and artistic parents, commitment to their craft, devotion to their creative process, producing and running their series, supporting charitable causes close to their hearts, and using their visibility and celebrity to champion politics and politicians aligned with their values. When one looks back on Mario Thomas and That Girl, it becomes clear that the show was a pivotal moment in television and women's history, one that marked a meaningful change in the roles women were able to play on television, but perhaps more pointedly, the behind the scenes positions that women were able to take.That Girl could never have had happened without the powerhouse that is Mario Thomas. Born Margaret Thomas in Detroit in 1937, she grew up primarily in Beverly Hills. Her father, Danny Thomas (1912 1991) was a traveling comedian and actor, as seen in Make Room For Daddy (which later became The Danny Thomas Show, ABC, 1953 1965)