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As the Stomach Turns: Renée's Weight Problem
The setup
The premise
Here’s the bit.
In this installment of the Canoga Falls soap parody, Marian finds her houseguest Renée working through an entire layer cake and diagnoses food as a stand-in for love. Renée confesses that her husband Marvin adores her so smotheringly that she can't bear him, and her attempts to stop eating are undone by a ringing doorbell, a visit from Marian's newly bald daughter and Marvin himself, who pleads for her return before leaving with a sung insult. An ambulance-chasing lawyer talks Renée into a bargain Mexican divorce paid for with her wedding ring, and the newly single Renée is soon swept up by a crooning stranger who happens to own a chain of bakeries, setting up the usual string of cliffhanger questions.
The funny people
Meet the cast. 6
Say it with us
Highly quotable.
That is not true, Marian. I took an hour off for lunch.
I suppose my eating problem all began right after the wedding. You see, I ate all the rice.
All these years living with him, I didn't know he could sing.
Behind the scenes
The people who made it.

Dave Powers
Director
A little extra
Notes from the archive.
Pat Carroll returned as Marian's friend Renée in a later As the Stomach Turns installment broadcast on January 4, 1971.
Script
Automatically generated script; wording may contain errors. Speaker labels are inferred.
- 00:01
As the stomach turned when last we left Canoga Falls Marion was just settling her monthly bill with the milkman
- 00:12
Speaker 1 ?
That'll be $21
- 00:13
Marian ?
Tell me how much is this worth
- 00:20
Speaker 1 ?
that's That's worth about $10. Now you owe me 31,000.
- 00:31
Marian ?
Thank you Fresh.
- 00:38
Marian ?
Renee? Renee the kitchen then now then Renee, where were we?
- 00:56
Renée ?
I don't know where you are, but I'm halfway through this layer cake
- 01:00
Marian ?
Oh, Renee, Renee, you've been eating cake and candy now for eight hours straight.
- 01:05
Renée ?
That is not true, Marion. I took an hour off for lunch.
- 01:10
Marian ?
Mark my words, if you're not careful, you're going to get fat.
- 01:14
Renée ?
Oh, I don't think so.
- 01:16
Marian ?
Oh, Renee, you've just got to stop this eating. There are other things in life besides food. Here, have a beer.
- 01:23
Renée ?
Oh, oh, oh.
- 01:26
Marian ?
Renee, you're an intellectual just as I am, and we both know that when a person overeats it's because they have a problem
- 01:34
Renée ?
i'm sorry marion i can't talk with my mouth full
- 01:38
Marian ?
your mouth isn't full
- 01:40
Renée ?
it is now
- 01:42
Marian ?
oh renee renee i have to talk to you sit down it's Renee, to you, food is a substitute for love you overeat because you feel that you're unloved but that's not true dear I like you Sarah Lee loves you and I know your husband must worship the ground you stomp on
- 02:17
Renée ?
all right Marion you wanted the truth I'll tell you the truth the my husband does love me he adores me he worships the ground I walk on and that's my trouble Marion you see I can't stand him. I loathe him. Oh, yes, he's good. He's kind. He's considerate. He He's affectionate and it drives me crazy. I tell you, he can't keep his runs off of me. He follows me everywhere, to the supermarket, to the butchers, the bakers, the living room table, the dining room table. You wanted to know what my problem is, married. Well, I'll tell you. It's my marriage. It's bad, bad. bad! Ugh!
- 03:28
Marian ?
Chins up, Renee! get Well, your face out of there you'll suffocate
- 03:42
Renée ?
I suppose my eating problem all began right after the wedding. You see, I ate all the rice. I just kept up from there. Yes, he loved me. I didn't love him. Food problems, problems, food, food, problems. Well, that is the end of my story, Marion. I hope I haven't bored you.
- 04:07
Renée ?
Mary? Marion? I'm
- 04:34
Marian ?
Oh, Rene, Rene, I'm going to help you. look into my eyes
- 04:39
Renée ?
yes
- 04:39
Marian ?
now you must just keep your mind off food you will not think about food
- 04:47
Renée ?
i'll try there's the ding dong oh i love ding dongs all chocolatey
- 04:54
Marian's Daughter ?
mother don't
- 05:01
Marian ?
Hello. Who are you?
- 05:03
Marian's Daughter ?
Mother, don't you recognize me
- 05:08
Marian ?
mother i i don't remember having a son
- 05:12
Marian's Daughter ?
i'm not your son i'm your daughter
- 05:14
Marian ?
don't tell me tell your hairdresser
- 05:18
Marian's Daughter ?
really really mom this is the new unisex look completely hairless
- 05:23
Marian ?
hairless and careless
- 05:32
Marian ?
tell me is it a boy or a girl
- 05:34
Marian's Daughter ?
really mother this is 1970 it's up to the baby when it's 21 it decides for itself
- 05:42
Marian ?
Wonderful.
- 05:43
Marian's Daughter ?
well I have to run along now I have a heavy date tonight and I haven't even even shaved.
- 05:47
Marian ?
Well, I guess they can't all be like Julie Nixon. Now then, where were we? Oh, yeah, sorry.
- 06:00
Renée ?
Well, you see, Marion, I don't think my eating problem will ever be over until I break up with Marvin. That's him, Marion. I recognize his ugly ring.
- 06:10
Marian ?
Okay, calm down. I've never met Marvin, but I'm sure no one could be that bad.
- 06:19
Marvin ?
Hello, I'm Marvin, Renee's husband.
- 06:22
Marian ?
his ring His ring may be ugly, but the rest of him is beautiful.
- 06:29
Marvin ?
Oh, Renee. Renee, my darling. I'm so glad I found you. I was so afraid you were lost forever. Oh, Renee, sweetheart, please come home. That big house is so empty without you, and I'm so lonely I don't know what to do.
- 06:43
Renée ?
Marvin, leave me alone.
- 06:48
Marvin ?
Oh, Renee, sweetheart, please come home. That big house is so quiet without you. I miss all the little sounds you made, the refrigerator door slamming, The electric can opener The blender The crunching and the munching
- 07:03
Renée ?
Oh, Marion, please tell him to leave me alone
- 07:06
Marian ?
Yes, I will Come, Marvin, this way
- 07:09
Marvin ?
No, no, Renee Please, come back to me I love you, I miss you I've saved up a thousand kisses And I have nobody to give them to
- 07:16
Marian ?
Come upstairs, Marvin
- 07:17
Renée ?
Marvin! Marvin, get this straight once and for all I find you repulsive
- 07:27
Marvin ?
all right Renee very well I can see that it's all over between us but there's just one last thing that I want to say to you before I go
- 07:41
Renée ?
what is it
- 07:41
Marvin ?
fat fat the water rat
- 07:45
Renée ?
I'm I'm shocked I mean I'm really shocked all All these years living with him, I didn't know he could sing. Oh, Marion, Marion, please, you've got to help me get a divorce lawyer.
- 08:09
Divorce Lawyer ?
I'm Hello, I'm a divorce lawyer.
- 08:13
Renée ?
At last.
- 08:14
Divorce Lawyer ?
Yes, I was just chasing an ambulance and I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. Now, for $5,000, I could offer you the best divorce package in Reno. You will stay at the best hotel where you will be entertained nightly by such divorce celebrities as Liz Taylor's Eddie Fisher, Eddie Fisher's Connie Stevens, and everybody's Zsa Zsa Gabor. more.
- 08:32
Renée ?
That sounds great, but it sounds very expensive.
- 08:35
Divorce Lawyer ?
Well, how much money did you want to spend?
- 08:36
Renée ?
Oh, about $25.
- 08:38
Divorce Lawyer ?
My dear, for $25, all I can get for you is a boxed lunch and a street map of Tijuana.
- 08:44
Renée ?
What about the quickest divorce? What's that one?
- 08:46
Divorce Lawyer ?
My Mexican special.
- 08:47
Renée ?
Is it really quick?
- 08:48
Divorce Lawyer ?
Si, senora. Sign here. Gracious senorita. That'll be $300.
- 08:54
Renée ?
Oh, would Would you take my wedding ring?
- 08:56
Divorce Lawyer ?
Oh, I'll say. Hmm. Not bad. You have change coming.
- 09:04
Renée ?
You're welcome.
- 09:08
Divorce Lawyer ?
Oh, it's my lucky day. Another accident. Whiplash! Whiplash! Whiplash!
- 09:16
Marian ?
Well, Well, Renee, now that you're a free woman again, I do hope you've made the right decision.
- 09:23
Renée ?
What do you mean?
- 09:24
Marian ?
My dear, I've been a widow now for 12 years, and believe me, I know it's not easy to find another man here in Canoga Falls.
- 09:31
Renée ?
Well, with my face and figure, I figured that shouldn't be a problem. Now I'm sure the man will just be banging down my door.
- 09:40
Renée ?
I said banging, not banging.
- 09:47
Bakery Chain Owner ?
Some enchanted evening, you will see a stranger. You will see a stranger across a crowded room.
- 09:54
Renée ?
Hello.
- 09:56
Bakery Chain Owner ?
Hello, young lover, whoever you are. Do you live around here? I have often walked down this street before, but the pavement always stayed beneath my...
- 10:06
Renée ?
Hold it, Tristan. What do you... What do you do for a living?
- 10:12
Bakery Chain Owner ?
I own a chain of bakeries.
- 10:16
Renée ?
I'm getting married in the morning. Ding dong, those bells are going to chime.
- 10:25
Marian ?
Wait! Before you go out that door, there's something I have to tell you.
- 10:34
What is it that Marion has to say? And what about Renee? What will her new husband do when he finds out she has a sweet tusk? And what about Renee's ex-husband, Marvin? Will he wish her well, or will he come after her with a harpoon? And what about Marion's runaway daughter? Will she buy herself a blonde wig, or do baldies have more fun? And what about the unethical lawyer? Will he be exposed before or after he's nominated for the Supreme Court? And And what about Marion? Will she finally find romance? who is the muscular stranger about to enter her life? For Well, the answer to these and other questions rated X, tune in tomorrow as the stomach turns.
The rabbit hole continues
One more couldn’t hurt.
More from The Carol Burnett Show.








