HOLLYWOOD

Phillips Affair With 'Schneider' Suddenly Seems Less Creepy

HOLLYWOOD (CAP) - In the wake of Mackenzie Phillips' admission that she had a decade-long consensual relationship with her own father, most of the actress' fans agree that her long-rumored affair with co-star Pat Harrington, a.k.a. One Day At A Time handyman "Schneider," doesn't seem so bad anymore.

"I always thought that was wicked creepy - what was he, like three times her age?" said Janice O'Brien, 41, of Worcester, Mass., a longtime fan of the show. "But looking at it now, it doesn't seem like a big deal at all. AT ALL."

According to a flash poll conducted by the Pew Research Center, opinions have softened regarding much of Phillips' rumored youthful activity, including being shot up with heroin by her father, John Phillips of The Mamas And The Papas, and his associates, everyone from Mick Jagger to the guy who cleaned the pool at their Hollywood Hills mansion.

"I thought that was the most disgusting, unforgivable thing I'd ever heard," said Kenneth Roderson, 50, a social worker from Boulder, Colo., about the multitude of people who provided a young Phillips with heroin. "Now, meh, not so much."

Other Mackenzie Phillips activities people don't find nearly as offensive anymore, according to the poll, include:

- Alleged affairs with Jagger, Keith Richards, Ann and Nancy Wilson, Charlie Watts, Bobby Goldsboro, Allan Melvin ("Sam" from The Brady Bunch), Charlie Watts (again) and all 11 members of The Turtles.

- Pushing stepmother Michelle Phillips out of a three-story window onto Denny Doherty.

- Getting One Day co-star Valerie Bertinelli hooked on Cinnabons.

"Although most people are still pretty disgusted about that last one," noted Dr. Francis Spitznagel, chief researcher for the center.

The poll also found that Phillips' revelation has caused the general populace to evaluate others' actions differently.

"For instance, the day after Phillips appeared on Oprah, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's approval ratings skyrocketed," noted Spitznagel. "The general consensus was, well, at least he's no John Phillips."

In a related note, health care reform protesters have started carrying signs with President Barack Obama's head superimposed on John Phillips in the bathtub on the cover of If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears (1966).

Meanwhile, Pat Harrington, reached at his retirement home in Coral Gables, Fla., said that he never had an affair with Mackenzie Phillips, and in fact hadn't even heard the rumors to that effect. "I did, however, sleep with all 11 members of The Turtles," he said in a prepared statement.