Even though she not only said she was pregnant but wrote it into the show and brought a record-breaking number of viewers with it, but she did all this in a time where the network didn’t even allow her or the rest of the cast to say the word ‘pregnant’ on TV. Why? CBS considered the word to be too vulgar.
Not so shocking, since we are talking about a time where sex was extremely taboo, especially when it came to women.
Ball and Desi Lied About Their Ages
Back in the 1950s, it was not common, and even frowned upon, for a woman to be older than her husband.
Lucille was actually six years older than Arnaz, but after they got married, they decided the smartest thing to do was to lie to the press about it, to avoid any issues or controversies. So, they officially listed their birth dates as 1914.
A Real-Life Pregnancy Got More Viewers Than A Presidential Inauguration
Lucille was one of the first women to ever portray a real-life pregnancy on TV, and it was a sensation both on-screen and in real life. Actually, Lucille gave birth only 12 hours before her onscreen counterpart gave birth on the TV show!
The episode raked in a record-breaking audience of 44 million viewers, surpassing even Dwight Eisenhower’s inauguration into the presidency, which brought 29 million.
Lucy’s Mother Was There for Every Recording
For those who were regular watchers of the show, the memory of someone yelling in awe every time Lucy got into one of her conundrums might come up.
That person yelling was Lucy’s mother, Desiree Ball, or DeDe Ball, as she was affectionately called. DeDe was there for the recording of every single 'I Love Lucy' episode.
The Lucille Ball Statue in New York
There was a life-size statue of Lucille Ball in Celoron, a village in the southwest corner of the state of New York. But it was called “Scary Lucy” by fans that, rightly so, thought the statue not only didn’t resemble Ball at all, but actually looked oddly creepy.
The issue was so discussed, that a Facebook page was even created advocating the removal or replacement of the statue. Even the mayor said he was on board. So, in 2016, a new sculptor made a new statue, that actually looks a lot like the beloved Lucy.