The Brady Bunch has measles...in 1969

It doesn't look deadly

Following on from my previous post about ‘Deadly measles’…, in which I recounted my own benign experience with the measles when I was 18 months old, in 1961.

Let’s review a famous episode of the US family sitcom The Brady Bunch featuring ‘the measles’, see this clip:

Transcript:

Carol Brady: Peter, what are you doing home from school?

Peter Brady: They sent me home…measles!

Alice Nelson (housekeeper): That’s either measles or a strange case of freckles.

Carol Brady: You have got a temperature.

Peter Brady: They told me, 101.1. What’s the record?

Carol Brady: Never mind.

Mike Brady: Are you sure it’s the measles?

Carol Brady: Well he’s certainly got all the symptoms. A slight temperature, a lot of dots, and a great big smile.

Mike Brady: A great big smile?

Carol Brady: No school for a few days.

Mike Brady: Say hello to my dotted son for me. Tell him I’ll bring him some comic books, and I’ll see you later.

Carol Brady: Ok honey, bye.

Greg Brady: Boy, this is the life isn’t it?

Marcia Brady: Yeah. If you have to get sick, sure can’t beat the measles.

Peter Brady: That’s right.

Jan Brady: No medicine…

Greg Brady: Inside or out, like shots I mean.

Jan Brady: Don’t even mention shots, yuck!

Carol Brady: Measles, measles, measles. Well, all the kids have now had the measles.

Mike Brady: So have I.

Carol Brady: Well, I had them years ago. Looks like the Bradys are finished with the measles.

Alice Nelson: Hold it. You’re not through yet.

Carol Brady: Alice, don’t tell me you’re coming down with the measles?

Alice Nelson: Oh, I hope so. I’d hate to think I was just learning how to blush at my age.

What do you think about this contemporary portrayal of the measles, from the Brady Bunch in 1969?

How does this tally with the much grimmer story we hear today from, say, the World Health Organization:

Please share your thoughts in the comments.