Three's Company - S2 E2 - Jack Looks For A Job

Three's Company
Season 2
Episode 2
Jack Looks For A Job


Overview
Jack needs a job but all he can find is a job that requires him to show his butt. So he tries to sell encyclopedias and instead buys a set. In the end, he gets a job in the restaurant industry.

Physical Comedy
Chrissy swinging the straight razor around was classic. But the balloon with shaving cream was even better. The nude model scene was great. Jack dropping his pants, barging in on a female model. Loved it. And Janet blowing in Jack's ear was great too. The contract confetti was funny too but I'm still drawn to the couch being the central source of comedy on the show.



STEM
As I started searching for how art impacts STEM, I found a movement to include art in STEM to make it STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. I was hoping to find more information on how science and art coincide and coexist but instead I found STEAM. And not the source of computer games. I know I've seen things before that talk about angles and circles and what-not but can't seem to find them. So what do you think, should STEM because STEAM? How is art related to science?

Teacher Resources:

• http://stemtosteam.org/
• http://steam-notstem.com/

Three's Company - S2 E1 - Ground Rules

Three's Company
Season 2
Episode 1
Ground Rules


Overview
With privacy at a premium, Jack, Janet, and Chrissy fight to get some quality alone time. But most interesting to me is the beginning itself. Turns out, Season 1 was just a short, mid-season series with very little hope of continuing past the first six season. When the series was picked up, well, they came back for a full season. In addition to that, the format of the opening changed. It got a little longer and the music changed a little too. I also noticed some changes in how the camera shots are set up. There seems to be more close-up head shots.

Physical Comedy
I think this episode shows the birth of the sloth-like cretin that John Ritter does. I don't know how to describe it other than hilarious.

My favorite gag though is the wind-up hand at the table in the Regal Beagle. I think I've used it before with my kids but I could never remember where I learned it from. I guess the mystery is solved.


STEM
Since the whole male vs. female libido probably isn't appropriate for kids, let's look at schedules instead. The best I could find were a bunch of examples of a daily schedule for STEM teachers or a schedule for a STEM school. All I was left with was some ideas on how to implement STEM in a school. Not the best, but better than nothing.

Teacher Resources:
http://www.doe.in.gov/sites/default/files/ccr/elementary-and-middles-school-stem-implementationv2.pdf

Three's Company - S1 E6 - It's Only Money

Three's Company
Season 1
Episode 6
It's Only Money


Overview
With their rent money stolen, Jack, Janet, and Chrissy try to avoid Mr. Roper. This is also the end of the first season. The show was a mid-season premier that was picked up for a full season the following fall.

Physical Comedy

• It's a minor gag but Jack's heavy breathing face is hilarious.
• Jack jumping into the bathroom like a frog.
• Jack's "bathing suit."
• Jack and the banana. You just know something's coming.

STEM
When their rent money was stolen, my first thought was just like everybody else, that somebody left the door unlocked. But I quickly began to wonder if somebody picked the lock. It didn't look like there was a deadbolt on the door, so it would have been a simple door knob lock to bypass.

Of course we learn later the lock wasn't picked, but I'm now wondering about new technology being used to bypass old technology. For example, a simple picture of your key could allow somebody to use a 3D printer to print a copy of your key. So has the modern 3D printer made it easier to bypass a simple door lock? Or is picking a lock faster?

Teacher Resources:

• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/10996131/Lost-your-house-keys-Just-3D-print-another....html
• https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=9&ved=0ahUKEwj2xe2cgOTMAhVGbz4KHfQXBMoQFgg7MAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cimetrixsolutions.com%2Ffiles%2Fdownload%2F236bdc1f779202d&usg=AFQjCNFMfvIJMggt0drbhCw1JQB4XDy8Hg&sig2=JpKkpv5gonmcZf0yTEIGgw&bvm=bv.122129774,d.cWw&cad=rja
• http://www.nsta.org/docs/2013SeptemberReports.pdf
• http://www.math.ucsd.edu/~crypto/Projects/MichaelLee/LockPicking.pdf

Three's Company - S1 E5 - Jack The Giant Killer

Three's Company
Season 1
Episode 5
Jack The Giant Killer


Overview
Mr. Roper shows he's more of a man than Jack by dealing with a disruptive man at the Regal Beagle. Jack feels emasculated and mopes around the next day. When he finally does make it to the bar to stand up for himself, he gets some unexpected help.

Physical Comedy

• Janet and Chrissy trying to fix the couch.
• Jack putting tacks in his mouth and then the girls hitting him with pillows.
• Jack getting his foot caught under the couch.
• Jack taking a drink of whiskey.
• Jack tipping over at the table.

STEM
Mr. Roper has a bad tooth, likely a cavity. Which made me think of when I went off to college and began drinking sodas every day. Shortly thereafter, I began getting cavities. A few years later, I learned about "Mt. Dew Mouth" and the impact sodas can have on your teeth. Sadly, I learned at my daughter's expense that juice often has as much sugar as soda.

So is it the acid in the soda that causes the tooth enamel to decay or the sugar or both? I think a science experiment is in order to figure that out.

Teacher Resources:

• http://www.mylearning.org/learning/investigate/Dental%20Disasters.pdf
• http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/print_project_1166_40
• http://www.projects.juliantrubin.com/science_fair_project/medicine/tooth_decay.html
• http://www.davis.k12.ut.us/site/Default.aspx?PageType=6&SiteID=1&SearchString=colby%20sanders

Magnum Monday Memorial Break

Due to the holiday today, I'll be skipping Magnum Monday and Three's Company Thursday this week. So go out and enjoy your extra free day!

Three's Company - S1 E4 - No Children, No Dogs

Three's Company
Season 1
Episode 4
No Children, No Dogs


Overview
This episode has gone to the dogs. Well, one dog to be precise. Jack brings home a puppy but Mr. Roper doesn't allow pets.

Physical Comedy

• Chrissy pacing in the living room.
• When Larry puts the rubber dog bone in Jack's mouth.
• Chrissy sleepwalking like a zombie.
• Jack tripping over just about every piece of furniture in the apartment.
• The dog food. And Mr. Roper eating it.
• That damn swinging kitchen door.

STEM
With the puppy as the central point of comedy in the episode, one of the jokes is about dog food. They mention the ingredients as "horse meat" and "bone meal and marrow bone jelly." And of course the side effects of scratching, fetching, and the proverbial "ain't fit for a dog" line at the end.

But is dog food safe for human consumption?

In a word, no. It's pretty gross when you get into it, but pet food is generally not considered safe for human consumption. Yes, there are potential sources of "human grade" or "human safe" ingredients, but that doesn't necessarily make it safe to eat.

Today, pet food is fairly well monitored and regulated and is relatively safe for pets to eat. But even with stricter rules regarding ingredients and production methods, it's still not safe to eat. Back in the 1970s when Three's Company aired, the rules were likely far less strict. So that joke about horse meat being an ingredient isn't much of a joke. In fact, during the recession in the mid-1970s, humans ate horsemeat.

In the end, don't eat dog food. It's not safe. And the STEM angle on this? There are a lot of pet-related science projects out there from "left paw vs. right paw" to "what food will my dog eat." I'm not sure I can recommend doing any of those as they rely upon a living animal. However, with a little more work and money, you can test what types of meat are in dog food to see how accurate the labels are.

April 7, 1977 People's Drug ad from the Fredericksburg, VA Free Lance-Star newspaper. Ironically, this is the same day this episode of Three's Company aired.

Teacher Resources:

• http://www.wysong.net/pet-health-and-nutrition/the-pet-food-ingredient-game.php
• http://company.justfoodfordogs.com/food-not-feed-are-the-ingredients-in-pet-food-safe/
• https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=s99LAAAAIBAJ&sjid=P4sDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6508%2C906445
• http://priceonomics.com/when-americans-ate-horse-meat/

Three's Company - S1 E3 - Roper's Niece

Three's Company
Season 1
Episode 3
Roper's Niece


Overview
Jack is planning for Janet's birthday and Mr. Roper's niece is in town to visit. Mr. Roper decides to let Jack take his niece out so Jack skips out on the surprise party that isn't a surprise. Mr. Roper catches them kissing at the end of the night but after the confusion settles, Jack is allowed to stay in the apartment.

Physical Comedy

• Mrs. Roper falling asleep.
• Jack "hitting" on Mr. Roper.
• Jack opening the can of beer just after Karen drops her dress.
• Janet taking the cake from Jack.

STEM
Mr. and Mrs. Roper are talking about sex change operations and Mr. Roper begins to wonder how it works. He says something along the lines of "I can see how they can take stuff off, but how do they put stuff on?" Mrs. Roper has a witty comment about Scotch Tape.

What they call a sex change operation back then, is now called "gender reassignment." As to how they "attach things with scotch tape" it's more of a skin graft. Most have a mastectomy (breast removal), hysterectomy (uterus removal), and then use skin grafts and a prosthetic to create the rest of the necessary anatomy.

Teacher Resources:
Seeing as a sex change operation isn't an ideal topic for students, I'm just going to skip this section this time around.

Three's Company - S1 E1 - A Man About The House

Three's Company
Season 1
Episode 1
A Man About The House


Overview
Come and knock on our door, we've been waiting for you....

Three's Company is a greatly underappreciated show. John Ritter is a a greatly underappreciated actor. Combine the two and you have a great TV show that tends to fly under the radar. And when you add in the plethora of sexual innuendo, homosexuality, and Suzanne Somers, and many adults my age never got to watch it when they were kids.

But I did. So I'm going to try to pass along my love for the show.

And my love for that swinging door into the kitchen.

Physical Comedy
In the opening credits alone, we see Jack (John Ritter) fall off his bike, Janet (Joyce DeWitt) pour water on Chrissy (Suzanne Somers), and Mrs. Roper (Audrey Lindley) throws a dart at Mr. Roper (Norman Fell). Below is a list of just some of the physical comedy. Most of it is little things that make the show so funny.

• Jack slips as he gets out of the tub. It's so minor but it gets a laugh every time.
• Jack's face as he tries to eat the scrambled eggs.
• Chrissy breaks the burnt toast.
• Mr. Roper touching the "bosom" of the potential new roommate.
• Jack putting on hot pants. Right out of the oven.

STEM
I know this is coming out of left field but that's kind of my point. How often do TV show reviews cover STEM? Especially when the TV show is a sit-com? Exactly. So let's keep it weird but educational and cover the STEM aspects of the episode.

The ladle turned green after sitting in the punch. Chrissy made the punch by adding "gin, tequila, whiskey, rum, vodka" and maybe a few other things. As viewers, we're left to believe that the alcohol turned the silver ladle green. Let's find out if that's true.

First, the ladle is likely made of Sterling Silver, not pure silver. Sterling Silver is made of a copper base and silver plating. When the plating wears off, the copper is exposed which then oxidizes and becomes green.

Many sites recommend using rubbing alcohol to clean Sterling Silver so it's likely not the cause behind the ladle turning green.

However vinegar would cause this chemical reaction. But vinegar in a punch sounds a little far-fetched. But knowing Chrissy, it's distinctly possible. Anyway, vinegar, or some other acid, would create the chemical reaction needed to turn the copper green.

Teacher Resources:

• http://buggyandbuddy.com/science-for-kids-make-a-penny-turn-green/ 
• http://www.thetech.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/Science-Labs/Chem_Post_Lab_Activity-Green_Pennies.pdf