For reasons unique to American pop culture, media outlets absolutely implode upon news of less-than-pristine working conditions for those involved in the production of classic sitcoms. The newest case in this ongoing oddity revolves around The Brady Bunch — a classic that, let's really face it, hasn't aged very well. After its initial five-season run from 1969 to 1974, a widely popular syndication status helped the series achieved a renewed popularity among younger viewers. This popularity would eventually inspire a hilariously self-aware pair of movie adaptations — The Brady Bunch Movie and A Very Brady Sequel (the straight-to-TV The Brady Bunch in the White House barely counts).
In a recent interview, Susan Olsen (Cindy Brady) detailed the on-set antics and behind-the-scenes tensions which continue to define practically every sitcom ever made — because people will always be people. When asked about rumored physical encounters between various cast members, Olsen kept it vague by including everyone. "I think all of us did [hook up]," Olsen tells the reporter. "We led a sheltered life for part of the year, so if there was anybody to get a crush on or try to date, it would be our counterparts." Olsen adds that she regularly engaged in make-out sessions with Bobby Brady (Mike Lookinland), which surely shatters the illusions of no one.
Olsen's most interesting bit of non-gossip, however, has absolutely nothing to do with supposed cast hookups or the purportedly longstanding grudge between Jan (Eve Plumb) and Marcia (Maureen McCormick). Speaking on the less-than-glamorous pay rate involved with the series, Olsen revealed her eventual career turn. "Technically," says Olsen, "I was really a marijuana grower. My husband at the time and I grew it hydroponically." Olsen adds that she's not a fan of smoking it, but just enjoys the "fascinating" gardening process.
