Lucy Goes to a Rodeo

You've got a point, but still it seems like kind of an asshole thing to do to show favoritism in that way. If I were Ricky, I would have declined knowing that agreeing might hurt my wife's feelings.

"The fact that she sucks unless the script wants her to be good, then she automatically becomes a professional singer/dancer").

Uh, do you even watch this show? I feel like we're discussing two different programs. I can't think of a single episode where Lucy sings, or even dances "professionally."

Lucy Ricardo WAS a talented character. What she wasn't was polished. When she got the rare chance to perform without barging into a show, she could be good, say lightly dancing and talk/singing her way through the Van Johnson number. She did well here because she had seen Johnson's hotel show every night. This was hardly "automatically" dancing well because the script called for it.

Ricky used to love to say "Lucy has no talent", rather than concede that his own ego and sexism prevented him from recognizing her gifts.