I Didn't Like Pam Referring To Digger As A Loser.

[Billy Wall]

It was the scene when Cliff was in the hospital after he tried to kill himself. Pam's there visiting him and says, "Digger was a loser and you're better than him." I thought that was a cold thing to say to the man that raised her and said on his deathbed "I loved you as if you were my own Pammy." But act as if Rebecca, who ran out on you, is a queen.

I know they have to keep the show going and Pam and Cliff can't carry on with a resentment towards Rebecca, but to talk down on the man, despite his numerous faults and who raised you, was a little harsh IMO.

 

[Lastkidpicked]

To talk down on the man, despite his numerous faults and who raised you, was a little harsh IMO.

I agree! There is a difference between a person who has been broken and a person who is a loser.

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

I don't think Pam meant what she said.

We've all come out with stuff that we don't really mean in the heat of the moment. The Barnes and the Ewing's are no exception.

 

[Billy Wall]

I don't think Pam meant what she said.

We've all come out with stuff that we don't really mean in the heat of the moment. The Barnes and the Ewing's are no exception.

Watch the scene again. She was very poised and meant what she said.

 

[Angela Channing]

Digger was a drunk who threw away his life because he resented how the Ewings were rich and he wasn't. He never seemed to take any responsibility for his role in how his fortunes worked out. I think Pam had a point.

The thing is, she was talking to her brother, it was part of a pep talk to encourage him out of a funk. She would never speak about Digger like that with someone outside of the family, she would staunchly defend her father.

 

[Jon Ewing Jr.]

The man was a loser. So was Cliff

 

[Billy Wall]

The man was a loser. So was Cliff

Maybe, but Pam had no business calling him that. Rebecca was a mom who abandoned her kids. She became rich, so all is forgiven.

 

[Billy Wall]

Digger was a drunk who threw away his life because he resented how the Ewings were rich and he wasn't. He never seemed to take any responsibility for his role in how his fortunes worked out. I think Pam had a point.

The thing is, she was talking to her brother, it was part of a pep talk to encourage him out of a funk. She would never speak about Digger like that with someone outside of the family, she would staunchly defend her father.

What point did Pam have? Yes, Digger was far from perfect and him resenting the Ewings ruined his life, but he did raise Pam after queen Rebecca ran off. I'm not even saying he wasn't a loser and I hate that word because nobody's perfect and what exactly qualifies someone as a loser anyway, but Pam had no business calling him that. He did say on his deathbed, "I loved you as if you were my own Pammy."

 

[Taylor Bennett Jr.]

But act as if Rebecca, who ran out on you, is a queen.

The one who really got the unfair treatment was Aunt Maggie Monahan. She worked hard for years raising Cliff and Pam as if they were her own, then Rebecca reappears and they become fabulously wealthy and barely ever see or mention her again. We see her once years later in a small house in Marshall, TX, with Cliff making what appears to be a rare visit for the sole purpose of trying to track down Digger's copy of a contract outlining his 1/3 ownership of Ewing Oil. Just cold-hearted on the part of both Cliff and Pam!

All this on top of the sudden inexplicable transformation and tragic disappearance of her own son, the charming young Cousin Jimmy! The writers should be ashamed of themselves!

 

[Mustard]

What point did Pam have? Yes, Digger was far from perfect and him resenting the Ewings ruined his life, but he did raise Pam after queen Rebecca ran off. I'm not even saying he wasn't a loser and I hate that word because nobody's perfect and what exactly qualifies someone as a loser anyway, but Pam had no business calling him that. He did say on his deathbed, "I loved you as if you were my own Pammy."

Who doesn't have squabbles with their parents/family or speak badly of them sometimes? Pam was speaking to her brother anyway, trying to get him out of a suicidal funk, after Cliff had once dragged himself up to being a promising lawyer, politician and businessman, and was now reduced to attempting suicide. Digger never dragged himself out of mess for long, but he was also never suicidal, was Pam's point.

 

[Mustard]

The one who really got the unfair treatment was Aunt Maggie Monahan. She worked hard for years raising Cliff and Pam as if they were her own, then Rebecca reappears and they become fabulously wealthy and barely ever see or mention her again. We see her once years later in a small house in Marshall, TX, with Cliff making what appears to be a rare visit for the sole purpose of trying to track down Digger's copy of a contract outlining his 1/3 ownership of Ewing Oil. Just cold-hearted on the part of both Cliff and Pam!

All this on top of the sudden inexplicable transformation and tragic disappearance of her own son, the charming young Cousin Jimmy! The writers should be ashamed of themselves!

It was Cliff and Mandy who visited Maggie in Season 8 DVD, not Pam. Maggie knew what Cliff was up to, anyway. She knew her nephew very well.

Yeah, Jimmy should have been a regular or recurring character, not just 2 episodes.

 

[Taylor Bennett Jr.]

It was Cliff and Mandy who visited Maggie in Season 8 DVD, not Pam

oh yes, I meant it was cold-hearted of them to (apparently) favor Rebecca so much. When Cliff made such a big deal out of Afton buying her mom a $100,000 “mansion” in Biloxi, was it out of subconscious guilt for letting poor Maggie languish in Marshall? …although, Maggie seemed like the type who would have refused a gift like that.

(really, I think this was a case of the writers forgetting about and/or de-emphasizing Maggie and not something meant to reflect poorly on especially Pam. I would have liked to have kept some notion of the Barnes family as the scrappy underdogs rather than fabulously wealthy peers of the Ewings, but the powers that be wanted to take them in a different direction.)

 

[Angela Channing]

What point did Pam have? Yes, Digger was far from perfect and him resenting the Ewings ruined his life, but he did raise Pam after queen Rebecca ran off. I'm not even saying he wasn't a loser and I hate that word because nobody's perfect and what exactly qualifies someone as a loser anyway, but Pam had no business calling him that. He did say on his deathbed, "I loved you as if you were my own Pammy."

Pam was trying to get Cliff out of his depressive mood by telling him some home truths. It wasn't about how Digger brought them up which wasn't exactly as idyllic as you suggest, didn't he dump the children on Aunt Maggie so he could go out on the lash? She was telling Cliff that Digger had allowed himself to throw away his life and that she didn't want Cliff to go the same way.

By contrast Cliff was never a loser, he was a fighter. Whenever he was knocked down he just continued fighting and Pam wanted to remind her brother of that. The thrust of her argument was Cliff was a better person than Digger so there was no reason for Cliff to feel like he had failed. Sometimes when you are having those types of conversation you have to use direct language to get your point across effectively and in that context saying Digger was a loser conveyed her point more strongly than if she just used warm words.

 

[Top Jimmy]

Calling him a loser was a bit harsh, but Pam did kind of soften that criticism by saying that despite what Digger was, he "played his cards to the end. " Pam was saying that Digger wasn't a quitter, and that Cliff should fight and not give up on life.

 

[Jimmy Todd]

The word "loser" reflect Jock's influence and his and JR's penchant for dividing the world into "winners" and "losers." Gary referred to himself with that word when Lucy visited the cul-de-sac. I like to think Pam was being harsh more to motivate Cliff with language he would understand than to take a swipe at Digger.
Then again, it's true she was very forgiving of wealthy Rebecca. Maybe Pam liked the money a wee bit more than she would admit. JR even remarked once that Pam had a habit of falling into unearned money(Bobby, Rebecca, Mark).

 

[DallasFanForever]

I can understand Pam using the terminology she used given the circumstances. Was it the best choice of words? Maybe not but I do understand it. Her brother had just tried to commit suicide. She was angry with him and perhaps even feeling a little guilty, as most in that situation would. Perhaps it was her idea of tough love and choosing not to baby him. Digger had drank himself to death over the years, and Pam may have looked upon that as “Well, Digger killed himself but I’m not losing you too.” Thus calling Digger a loser was done to separate him from Cliff and make him realize he was better than that and had reasons to live.

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

I can understand Pam using the terminology she used given the circumstances. Was it the best choice of words? Maybe not but I do understand it. Her brother had just tried to commit suicide. She was angry with him and perhaps even feeling a little guilty, as most in that situation would. Perhaps it was her idea of tough love and choosing not to baby him. Digger had drank himself to death over the years, and Pam may have looked upon that as “Well, Digger killed himself but I’m not losing you too.” Thus calling Digger a loser was done to separate him from Cliff and make him realize he was better than that and had reasons to live.

The reason she said that was to pointedly allude to the fact that Cliff could turn into a loser himself.

Being cruel to be kind was the whole point of that remark.

 

[Snowcat]

Digger was a loser in the sense he let his bitterness & alcohol get the best of him. Pam knew this, but that does not mean she didn’t love him. She didn’t want to see Cliff defeated too. She was trying to jolt him out of self pity. Cliff understood what she meant.
Pam was desperate for Rebecca. She was so happy to have Rebecca in her life. It had nothing to do with money. In fact she was worried about Cliff using Rebecca for her wealth. I don’t think Pam or Cliff forgot Aunt Maggie. She was only part of the show when she was relevant to the plot. Pam knew Cliff & Digger for who they were. She sincerely loved them both warts & all.

 

[Laurie!]

Maybe, but Pam had no business calling him that. Rebecca was a mom who abandoned her kids. She became rich, so all is forgiven.

It can also be argued that Digger abandoned his kids too by getting drunk 24/7 and therefore, not being present for the most part.

Aunt Maggie raised Cliff and Pam, not Digger. Yes, Digger deserves credit for considering Pam to be his daughter when she wasn't biologically his.

 

[Billy Wall]

It can also be argued that Digger abandoned his kids too by getting drunk 24/7 and therefore, not being present for the most part.

Aunt Maggie raised Cliff and Pam, not Digger. Yes, Digger deserves credit for considering Pam to be his daughter when she wasn't biologically his.

Digger certainly wasn't the ideal father, but the times he wasn't drunk, I get the feeling that he at least tried to be a parent, unlike Rebecca. He was around enough for them to have a dislike of the Ewing's and for them to at least know he was their father.