Harper Valley PTA

I love the old song -- sung by Jeannie C. Riley, written by Tom T. Hall -- "Harper Valley PTA." I always have loved it, because I love the "Mama" in it and her attitude.

The PTA doesn't think Mrs. Johnson's bringing up her little girl in a good way, since she, Mrs. Johnson's wearing mini skirts and apparently running around with men and going wild. She doesn't deny it.

But the PTA happens to be meeting that very afternoon. And she wears her mini skirt into the room! (And maybe she ought to have a couple of the men with her, looking at the PTA gals and licking their lips.)

Mrs. Johnson's tactic of rebuttal is to point out the hypocrisy of those who are gathered, thinking themselves to be the moral arbiters of their generation. These include Bobby Taylor, who's asked Mrs. Johnson out for a date seven times. And Bobby's wife who uses a lot of ice when he's away. And Mr. Baker, whose secretary had to leave the town. And Widow Jones, who doesn't keep her window shades pulled completely down, and must be doing something in full view of passersby, that, frankly, I'd like to know more about.

In addition to these hypocrites, we have Mr. Harper -- of the famous Harpers, I guess -- who missed the meeting because he's at Kelly's Bar again. And Shirley Thompson, sitting there with gin on her breath.

Mrs. J sums it all up: "Then you have the nerve to tell me you think that as a mother I'm not fit. Well, this is just a little Peyton Place and you're all Harper Valley hypocrites!"

That's my Mama! the little girl seems to say. Because she celebrates what happened: "No I wouldn't put you on because it really did, it happened just this way. The day my Mama socked it to the Harper Valley P.T.A., the day my Mama socked it to the Harper Valley P.T.A."

I love Mamas like that. My actual Mama's like that. She doesn't run around with men and go wild like Mrs. Johnson. But if push ever came to shove, she'd definitely "sock it to 'em!" And good.