Now That's Entertainment!

Tonight I asked the girls whether they preferred McDonalds or pizza for dinner. Pizza won, hands down. I phoned the order into Venice Pizza, one of Edmonds' better kept secrets. They're tucked away in this weird little shopping center a block from where I live that has dog groomers with hand lettered signs, a cool little game store with thinly stocked shelves, and numerous other instantly forgettable small businesses. But the pizza rocks, and their staff is nearly ecstatically grateful when you buy it. If you live north, screw Dominos. Support scrappy immigrants who often seem perplexed by their own cash register and are pursuing the dream.

Anyway, they were cutting the thing and boxing it up when we arrived. For a few minutes the girls were able to play with Pizza Elmo, who lives on the counter. Squeeze his hand and he sings. First Elmo, and then the pizza, who is an Italian contralto. His lips move as Elmo waves him around. "Yummy, yummy, yummy pizza pie!" sings Elmo.

As the girls went to bed, Twin B asked why the pizza sings, "Yummie, yummie, toss me in the air!" "Toss me in the sky," corrected her sister! "Why does he say 'toss me in the sky,'" pusued Twin B? "Um," I said, "It's because you toss pizza in the sky when you make it."

Always the guy with the answers.

"Wow!" said Twin B.

Below is Duckie. He is ready for bed, wearing pajamas, seated on a pillow and sporting a bracelet on his head for a crown. He measures nine inches tall and nearly ten long. Twin B nearly exploded with joy when she found him discarded on a sidewalk in front of one of the odd little stores next to the pizza joint. During bath time tonight, Ducky was the star. I was asked to not disturb him tonight as he slept.



Just before bed, the girls opted for Youtube over stories. After watching Chilly Willie in Hot and Cold Penguin for the twentieth time (the appeal fades), I said daddy got to pick the last one. I went for Tex Avery's Magical Maestro. Any serious fan has seen it. This wikipedia entry has a detailed exegesis, which includes an explanation of "the hair gag" and tells you which sections Cartoon Network edited out in the late nineties to avoid offense. The version below is original and uncut.



I suppose I shouldn't be exposing them to racist stereotypes at such a young age, but I'm pretty much already over it. There's plenty of equal opportunity ridicule here. Even the stuffy opera audience is parodied. The girls were less than impressed, and only found a few parts funny (the Polynesian segment was a big hit).

I guess there is a lot of set-up involved for a few thin jokes. But it's still brilliant, even if it couldn't, and shouldn't, happen now.

Tom Terrific

TV has changed a lot since I was a kid. When I was my daughters' age, it was Captain Kangaroo, this semi-portly guy in a strangely cut suit who had greying hair that looked like it was cut by his mom. He'd chat awhile with Mister Greenjeans and the moose puppet behind his counter and then maybe show us how to do something cool with construction paper and glue. It was a slower time.

Tom Terrific was part of the show. I don't think I've seen this since I was about four, but I always remembered Tom — the little line-drawing guy who wears a funnel and turns into stuff — and his faithful companion Mighty Manfred the Wonderdog. The cartoon was first made in the late 50s' but was in reruns on Captain Kangaroo through 1964.

I'm starting to get a little bored with Chilly Willy and wanted something else to show Twins A&B. I found this. They laughed, but Chilly Willy is better. Even by 50's standards, this is primitive. Maybe that was the point.

Chiller Dillers

This Chilly Willy from 1967, which illustrates the age old tension between rock & roll, authority, and shameless commerce, has emerged as Twins A&B's top pick. Doin' the mukluk bop ...

Swing Social, 1940

I was sitting on the couch with my daughters watching Chilly Willy shorts on YouTube this week when I stumbled across Swing Social. My jaw dropped straight into my lap. The first time around, I felt a bit guilty to be enjoying it so much. This could never be produced today. Heads would roll. Careers would be ruined.

The second time around, I began seeing the remarkable details and the political sophistication of the jokes. Uncle Tom's Cabin, for instance, being purchased with an FHA loan. Baby FDR saying, "My friends, my friends, as I said before, I hate war." This was, remember, 1940.

The third time around, I'm thinking, this isn't white people making fun of Black culture, although there may be a bit of that in there as well. This is also Black culture appreciating itself. The Voodoo Drummer segment, the third of the four songs, with its dancing baby black bass back-up singers (tomma-tomma-tay-tay!), blows my tiny little mind every time I see it. The segue into the devil song seems to be about Christianity as an overlay over much older folk traditions. The artistry throughout is stunningly rich. The early 40s seem to be a high water mark in the world of animation.

So this week, I combine my cultural offering with a new poll. How should we regard Swing Social from our sophisticated vantage point of twenty-first century political correctness? Is this a racist piece of trash better left to decay in the vaults of MGM, a sensitive homage to the morays of early twentieth century Black America, or something in between, of enduring cultural value? As always, make your opinion known at top right. This time, you can choose more than one option.

This weeks poll, having missed the big day, drew even more scant attention than usual, proving that to be possible. Still, it is typically informative. The video is of enduring value, and may or may not simultaneously be racist AND sensitive to early 20th century Black culture.