George (M*A*S*H) gay people were prohibited from serving in the United States armed forces; all recruits had to certify that they were not homosexual and had not committed homosexual acts, and could be prosecuted for fraudulent enlistment if they lied. Gay television historian Stephen Tropiano notes the continued relevance of "George" because it "expos[es] the ignorance behind the discrimination of homosexuals in the military". He notes that, unlike other gay-themed episodes of the era, "George" does not make its gay character the target of jokes except from the bigoted Frank Burns. George (M*A*S*H) George is the 46th episode of the "M*A*S*H" television
M*A*S*H (TV series) "M*A*S*H" finale aired in 1983, 83.3 million homes in the United States had televisions, compared to almost 115 million in February 2010. "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" broke the record for the highest percentage of homes with television sets to watch a television series. Stories persist that the episode was seen by so many people that the New York City Sanitation/Public Works Department reported the plumbing systems broke down in some parts of the city from so many New Yorkers waiting until the end to use the toilet. Articles copied into Alan Alda's book "The Last Days of M*A*S*H" include interviews