ive been barrelling through the first five seasons of MASH for the past month and a half and i think it might have actually genuinelly helped me grapple with present day politics. it is "the horrors persist but we stay silly" the show. It also remarkably holds up politically, despite some jokes and cultural portrayals that havent aged super well, and its because it values, its principles of respect for other human beings, are incredibly consistent.
also, i love that its got incredible multigenerational appeal. Ive always been geeky, with niche interests in sci fi and comics and video games. But MASH wasnt niche, like most nerdy fandoms, where it attracted a certain kind of audience made up largely of awkward introverts- it was one of the most popular shows ever made. My grandparents watched it, my mum watched it. Long running fandoms arent new- lots of fandoms span generations- star trek, doctor who, sherlock holmes. But I'm not used to finding other fandom members just casually sitting across from me at family dinner. It makes connecting with them much easier.
tl:dr- watching MASH has been such a grounding and liberating experience that has made it easier for me to connect to people outside my age group. its also way gayer than i expected and i fully believe that you could drop these characters into 2025 and they'd thrive.
