“Little House” star to appear in Knoxville

Alison Arngrim and Santa

Over the years Alison Arngrim has learned to laugh at overly zealous fans of the show that made her famous, “Little House on the Prairie.” On more than one occasion since the show debuted she has had to deal with fans that have taken her role as nasty Nellie Oleson a bit too seriously.

“Since I was 11-years-old I have had fans come up to me and call me names,” said Arngrim. “It’s like they don’t realize it’s just a TV show.”

Arngrim played the arch-nemesis of Laura Ingalls in the series based on the novels by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Arngrim’s character, as well as her onscreen mother, played by Scottie MacGregor, often plotted against Ingalls and others in Walnut Grove much to the chagrin of dedicated viewers. While Arngrim earned more than her share of fans that enjoyed her role, there were still those that failed to separate reality from the fantasy.

I was in a parade when I was 16 and someone threw a cup of orange drink at me” recalled Arngrim. “Not long ago, I was at an LA celebrity autograph event and some woman walked in and stood a few feet away from my table and for a minute she was just staring at me with her fists clenched and I’m thinking, ‘here we go again’ and she pointed at me and said ‘I forgive you!’ After she left my husband and I just laughed and he asked ‘does that absolve you of everything you’ve ever done?’ I laugh about it. I must have done a really good job at making people believe in the character I portrayed.”

After “Little House” Arngrim made numerous appearances on TV shows such ‘The Love Boat” and “Fantasy Island.”

She has written a book that made the New York Times best sellers list that chronicles her life and her roles on TV. The book “Confessions of a Prairie Bitch,” is laced with humor and insights of what life was like on the setoff the popular TV series.

“Michael Landon loved practical jokes. He spared no expense with his pranks,” said Arngrim.

Landon once played a prank on his long-time friend Johnny Carson. Landon and Carson had dinner at a popular Hollywood restaurant. Hours later, Landon called Carson and told him that he had ran over the restaurant owner’s cat when he was backing out of the parking lot. Landon invited Carson out to dinner the next evening at the same establishment. When the waiter handed Carson the menu, he noticed there were several entrees on the menu that made of cat such as feline filets. Carson sat dumbfounded and confused while Landon tried to contain his laughter.

“He had phony menus printed up,” said Arngrim. “He spared no expense. But that was so typical of Michael. He was like a big kid. ”

Arngrim has taken on social issues in recent years and has worked as a tireless crusader to protect children from sexual abuse. It seems inconceivable that in the year 2013, child sexual abuse and pornography is considered a misdemeanor in some states resulting in light sentences and even probation for sexual offenders. In Illinois, the law read that if the offender was the father of the child or a close relative then there would be no jail time. Similar laws existed in California until Arngrim testified in August of 2013 before the California assembly in an effort to enhance the punishment for child pornographers and sex offenders. Her efforts were successful. The crimes are now treated as felonies and provide much harsher punishments.

“In California, until this year, rape of a child was known as a wobbler,” said Arngrim. “That means they could be charged as a misdemeanor or felony. Until 1949, rape of a child was punishable by 30 days in jail. The laws in California were antiquated.”

Arngrim belongs to an organization known as PROTECT, a national association for the protection of children. Arngrim worked with actor David Keith, of Knoxville, to create a Knoxville chapter of PROTECT.

Arngrim will be appearing Friday Dec. 20 at 6 p.m. at the Barnes and Noble bookstore on Kingston Pike in Knoxville, signing copies of her book and meeting with fans of the long running iconic show. A portion of the proceeds from the signing will be donated to PROTECT.

For more information about PROTECT, visit the Web site www.protect.org.