50s WEATHER GIRLS

 Long time readers of Theory Corner know all about this Ernie Kovacs video...I've blogged about it before. What you might not know is that Jolene Brand (above) parodied a real life sexy weather girl, Teri Thurman.



Ernie's parody was pretty drastic, but it had to be. Thurman's real-life show was already pretty far out there. And the show was popular. It lasted more than a decade and was broadcast nationwide on the Monitor Network.




I wish I could go back in a time machine and watch some of the other weird 50s shows. High on the list would be "The Continental," a show where a woman we never see is daily invited into the bachelor apartment of her suave, sophisticated neighbor, The Continental. This (above) is a Saturday Night Live parody of that show. Let that sink in...there was a real show like that.

Unfortunately no kinescopes were made. The original show exists only in the memories of the people who watched it.

GREETINGTH, POETRY LOVERTH!

This poem of Longfellow's is one of the funniest I know, rivaling even "Jabberwocky." One of these days I hope I'll get a chance to animate it.

It was taken very seriously in it's day. Towns were named for it as were high schools, an aircraft carrier, a TV space ship, a corporation, a bath mat, and shipping fodder. There's even a book called "Excelsior, You Fathead," which is my very favorite name for a book. If you're not familiar with this poem , then read on. Excelsior!