Things NOT to ask on a job interview: Lou Grant and Mary Richards

From the pilot of the Mary Tyler Moore Show, September 1970:
LOU GRANT (Edward Asner)
How old are you?

MARY RICHARDS (Mary Tyler Moore)
[Straightforwardly] Thirty.

LOU
No hedging? No "How old do I look?"?

MARY
Why hedge about it? How old do I look?

LOU
Thirty. What religion are you?

MARY
Mr. Grant, I don't know quite how to say this, but you're not allowed to ask that when somebody's applying for a job. It's against the law.

LOU
You wanna call a cop?

MARY
No.

LOU
Good. Would you think I was violating your civil rights if I asked if you're married?

MARY
Presbyterian.



LOU
Huh?

MARY
I decided I'd rather answer your first question.

LOU
Oh, you're divorced.

MARY
No.

LOU
Separated?

MARY
No!

LOU
Never married?

MARY
No.

LOU
Why?

MARY
Why? How am I supposed to answer that?

LOU
I guess I know the answer. Do you type?

MARY
There's no simple answer to that.

LOU
Yes, there is. You can either say, 'No, I can't type' or 'Yes, I can.'

MARY
[Points over her shoulder, suggesting she was referring to the previous question.]
There's no simple answer to why a person isn't married.

LOU
There can't be that many reasons.

MARY
Sixty-five.

LOU
Sixty-five reasons?
Let me guess.
[Points at Mary]
My typing question.
[Mary nods]
Look, Miss...just so you're not the first person to get overtime for a job interview, why don't you try
answering the questions as I ask 'em.

MARY
It's not easy when you ask questions like, 'Why aren't you married?'

LOU
Okay, so you want to be married.

MARY
Who doesn't?

LOU
Me.

MARY
Are you married?

LOU
Of course I'm married. Would I say I didn't want to be married if I wasn't married?

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