Thursday, May 23, 2013

“Keep Wearing the Pants in Family”


In The Lone Ranger episode “Man of the House,” Casper Dingle inherits his uncle’s ranch.  When he travels there, he falls in love with Maude, the woman running it in his uncle’s stead.  As he was raised in the city, he marries Maude and works inside the house, doing the cooking and cleaning, while she handles the running of the ranch.

"That was my favorite plate, Casper!"

Yet neither seems entirely happy with this arrangement, and when rustlers steal their cattle, Maude despairs that she married a mouse instead of a man.  Casper cowers beneath her glare, and apologizes for breaking the plate he dropped when she yelled at him.  Then she rides off with the ranch hands.

The Lone Ranger and Tonto, who have been on the trail of the rustlers, stop by the house.  Poor Casper, seeing the ranger’s mask, straps on a gun belt, but can’t even pull the gun out of the holster.  After the Lone Ranger assures him he intends him no harm, he tells Casper that he’s not really a coward: he’s just let everyone make him think he is.  

"Uh, Mr. Dingle, you'll do better if you open your eyes."

While Tonto tracks down the rustlers, the Lone Ranger teaches Casper to shoot.  But when Tonto’s horse returns rider-less, the lesson is over.


Tonto’s horse leads them to the hideout, and thanks to the Lone Ranger’s training, as well as his belief in him, Casper proves instrumental to capturing the rustlers.  The group return to the ranch, but Maude can’t believe her husband helped capture rustlers.  So he shoots her favorite teapot off the shelf on the wall to prove his marksmanship, as well as his willingness to defy her.  As Tonto leaves, he tells Casper, “You keep wearing the pants in family,” and Casper stares down Maude until she agrees to do all the cooking and cleaning from now on, while he minds the ranch.  As the Lone Ranger and Tonto ride away, Maude asks him the identity of masked stranger.  Casper replies, “Typical woman, you don’t know nothin.’  That was the Lone Ranger.”


Much has changed since this episode first aired, including gender roles and race relations.  It’ll be interesting to see how Hollywood transforms the sixty-year-old TV show into a blockbuster movie, with a high profile actor as Johnny Depp playing the role of Tonto, the sidekick.  In the meantime, I’m enjoying The Lone Ranger on COZI TV.  “Man of the House” struck me as unique, so I thought I’d share it with you.  I like how the Lone Ranger unlocked the power inside Casper that was ready to be released.  Sometimes that’s all any of us need: someone to believe in us, give us a little instruction, and accompany us a short distance along our new path through life. 

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must finish the laundry before my wife gets home.  Hi-yo Silver!  Away!

Dragon Dave

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