The MASH Episode That Snuck A Blatant F-Bomb Past Censors (Until High Definition Arrived)

A season 2 episode of MASH managed to sneak a big f-bomb right by censors and audiences – until high definition arrived. MASH ran for 11 seasons, and it’s fair to say it got considerably more dramatic in its later years. The show was often at its best with a mix of comedy and drama, but it’s undeniable that the early seasons were more fun. The sitcom was still finding its feet during these first few years, and while it toned down the gore and dark humor of Robert Altman’s 1970 movie, it felt closer in tone to the film.

Like the latter, the series originally revolved around the antics of surgeons Hawkeye (Alan Alda) and Trapper (Wayne Rogers). When Trapper’s role began to get downgraded in favor of Hawkeye, Rogers was one of the first MASH actors to exit the show. Also leaving the party early was McLean Stevenson, who, despite being an important part of the ensemble, wanted to leave and front his own solo projects. The shock death of Stevenson’s Blake in MASH season 3 would then kickstart the show’s swing towards dramedy in the years ahead.

MASH’s “The Trial of Henry Blake’s” Secret F-Bomb Was Only Unearthed In HD

Trapper’s note to Klinger got a little sweary

During his run on the show, Stevenson penned the season 2 episode “The Trial of Henry Blake.” This sees the title character facing treason charges, filed by – who else? – Frank (Larry Linville) and Margaret (Loretta Swit). Later in the episode, Hawkeye and Trapper must escape custody to testify on Frank’s behalf, but they need Klinger’s (Jamie Farr) help first. Trapper holds a note to Klinger that reads “Give the guard a f***ing gallon of phenobarbital“ which will knock out the sentry guarding them.

Being a network sitcom means that MASH never had characters utter any f-bombs, so this message was a sneaky way to get one into an episode. Of course, the resolution of televisions back in the 1970s would have made this message all but impossible to actually read. However, the advent of DVDs and HD makes Trapper’s offending word clear to see for those who wish to pause and squint at his note.

Alan Alda Hated MASH’s Censorship Battles

Alda truly gave a “damn” about MASH’s censorship issues

In a chat with FoundationINTERVIEWS, Alda reflected on the various network censorship battles MASH faced during its early seasons. The big example he cited was CBS nixing Radar (Gary Burghoff) stating he was a “virgin;” this so annoyed showrunner Larry Gelbart that in a later episode he had a soldier reveal they were from the “Virgin Islands”, just to get the word in. Alda also claimed that certain scripts would contain way more swear words like “damn,” knowing that number would get cut down by the network, but they could still keep a few.

Alda labeled this behavior as petty, but as MASH became more successful, the show was allowed to get away with far more. Censorship would still rear its ugly head, like an episode that involved Margaret pointing to one of Hawkeye’s jockstraps. CBS complained about this, telling the creatives the jockstrap could neither be shown nor identified in dialogue under any circumstances. Alda found this very ironic, as multiple episodes had seen bras or women’s underwear being seen without any network complaints, as this wasn’t considered offensive.

That makes “The Trial of Henry Blake’s” stealth f-bomb all the funnier – even if it took decades for viewers to actually see it. This MASH episode smuggled another risque double entendre into dialogue too: when Hawkeye spots Margaret giving Frank a neck rub with a massager, he quips “Behind every great man, there is a woman with a vibrator.”

Source: FoundationINTERVIEWS

M*A*S*H is a drama-comedy series set during the Korean War, centering on the lives of the staff at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital as they navigate the challenges of wartime medical service with humor and resilience.

Cast

Alan Alda , Loretta Swit , William Christopher , Jamie Farr , Harry Morgan , Mike Farrell , Gary Burghoff , Larry Linville , David Ogden Stiers , Wayne Rogers , McLean Stevenson , Jeff Maxwell , Kellye Nakahara , Odessa Cleveland , Johnny Haymer , Patricia Stevens

Release Date

September 17, 1972

Seasons

11

Streaming Service(s)

Hulu , Apple TV+

Writers

Larry Gelbart , Richard Hooker

Showrunner

Larry Gelbart

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