Many Men Marcia

June 27th, 2018 by Proprietor

Marcia Brady was the instantly beautiful girl all the boys would fall in love with. This sometimes made her younger sisters extremely jealous and Jan developed major neurosis involved with Marcia. Interestingly enough Maureen McCormick confessed in her book of having image issues in regards to Eve Plumb. Since Eve had longer, blonder hair, and was developing earlier. In the Hawaii episodes, Maureen kept a towel in front of her belly at all times when being filmed in a bikini, because Eve had a flatter stomach, as well as larger breasts.

Marcia was the focus of most of the boy troubles through out the Brady series. Jan has a few real and imaginary boyfriends, and even Cindy has a boy or two. Alice dates Sam, the butcher, through out the show. Yet, no other Brady girl would have the boy troubles or issues Marcia had. Many of Marcia’s story lines revolve around her problems with boys or her self worth problems.

Because of her beauty, it was assumed Marcia would end up as probably a trophy wife of some millionaire or athlete. Though she did make an attempt at a career when she worked at Haskell’s Ice Cream Parlor. More related down below. Marcia’s dreams of taking over the ice cream parlor, and possibly franchising it were ambitious, but were crushed when Mr. Haskell chose Jan. Marcia at first was angered, but got over it quickly when a boy called. Marcia would rather play tennis and hang out with future husbands than have a career.

Marcia is so hung up on her beauty, when she ends up with Braces, her life is ruined. Her self worth is destroyed when Alan Anthony, the handsome and possibly wealthy boy, who was going to take her to the dance, cancels due to an appointment.

Then Marcia dates Harvey Klinger, a nerdy bug collector. This guy is no where near Marcia’s league, but for some reason, Marcia wants to date this doofus, but eventually gives him up.

Several episodes later, Marcia just walks into the room, and Clark Tyson, the guy Jan is crushing on, is enamored. This leads to a fight, and ultimately Carol realizing Clark does like Jan, but because of the way she dresses, he views her as one of the guys. So Carol takes action, and puts Jan in a dress, and all is solved.

When Marcia starts dating seriously in Junior High, she moves into the class of men she should be dating. Being a sort of cheerleader type, though a pom-pom squad failure, Marcia still has the looks to get the jocks. One jock, Warren Mullaney, is the high school rival of Greg. This causes Greg to date the girl who beat Marcia out for cheerleading squad, Kathy Lawrence. As with all things Brady, it is worked out.

Season four, Marcia enters high school, Marcia really becomes full of herself, and the real drama begins. First Marcia develops a crush on her dentist, thinking he is giving her signals that he want to date her. In reality, the dentist is looking for a baby sister.

Then Marcia really becomes ego driven, and a bit of a word rhyming with ditch, but begins with a B. Marcia breaks a date with a sweet guy named Charlie, because big man on campus, Doug Simpson, asks her out. Doug is a football player, and Charlie, just some schmuck destine to do menial work. Ironically, Bobby and Peter are playing football, and Marcia gets hit in the face.

Marcia ultimately gets a taste of her own medicine when Doug breaks the date with her. Ultimately Marcia goes back to Charlie, who turns out to be a much tougher guy than his meek portrayal, when he breaks Doug Simpson’s nose.

When Marcia moves to actually get a job, besides sitting on babies, she finds one in Haskell’s Ice Cream Parlor. Mr. Haskell makes her assistant manager. As stated above, this ignites Marcia’s career ambitions. Unfortunately, Marcia is dating a possibly wealthy guy, Jeff. Jeff is upset that Marcia is working, so he brings a date to the ice cream shop. Marcia sprays Jeff and his date with whipped cream, and then begins outlining her plan to take over to Jan. Mr. Haskell ends up firing Marcia, and keeping Jan. Marcia is angry at first, but Jeff calls, and soon Marcia decides to trade a life of luxury over the whole work thing.

Not able to stay out of drama and enjoying playing femme fatale to Greg’s life and career as a football player, Marcia is smitten with the quarterback of the cross town rival, Fairview High. Jerry Rogers unfortunately has designs to steal Greg’s playbook by using Marcia’s desire to be the popular girl and future trophy wife. This almost works, except, Marcia catches Jerry in the act, thus ending their relationship.

When the Brady Bunch ended, Marcia was dating no one, but a spinoff would launch years later, the Brady Brides. Marcia has graduated college, and is working as a fashion designer. She might be able to find a wealthy man to steal from one of the older women who buy high fashion. Except, Jan is getting married to a college professor. Marcia not wanting to be beaten by her younger sister, marries some sales guy, Wally Logan, she barely knows. Wally Logan is a word play for Willy Lowman, he character in Death Of A Salesman. Marcia becomes a stay at home mom to raise their two children, and develops alcoholism. Guesses are she would have done the same if she had become a trophy wife.

Throughout the entire Brady series and spin offs, Marcia was always hung up on her looks. Her personal hubris lead her to make terrible choices in men, because she wanted a man to acknowledge her beauty. Men whom understood her, used her to get what they want, and men who did want her for her beauty were never good men for her.

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