SYMPATHY FOR NURSE RATCHED

I don't know. Maybe it is the cold or the fact that I still do not have my voice back, but I just watched ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST for the first time in at least 15 years or so. And, I had a whole different take on it. People! Nurse Ratched was just doing her job! I mean, this bum wanders in trying to fake mental illness so he can skip out of prison labor and he sets about turning the whole ward upside down with the mixing of whiskey with meds and running away to fish. OK, granted Mildred Ratched's attempts at group therapy may be a bit misguided, but what would you do if you were having to deal with the English teacher from CARRIE and Danny DeVitto?!?!? The poor thing is just getting by!

You know, I am only half joking. I can remember being like, "Way to go, dude!" when Nicholson tries to strangle Louise Fletcher (AKA Nurse Ratched) --- but this time, I was like --- "This guy is nuts!"

Of course, I guess one would need to point the finger of blame toward Nurse Ratched for the suicide of Brad Douriff --- but if Mac hadn't snuck the slut and whiskey into the ward none of it would have happened.

On top of that, poor Louise Fletcher. Despite an OSCAR win for her work as the wrongly hated Nurse Ratched --- she has been stuck with that "Poor Man's Ellen Burstyn" ever since. Of course she didn't help herself much when she agreed to step into the "mother figure role" in EXORCIST II because Burstyn could smell the stench from Broadway. Much like the Rolling Stone's song about The Devil, I feel that Nurse Ratched is a misunderstood figure. I mean, come on --- we all know it was you and me!

Oh, dear. Time for some more cold medicine, tea and sleep.