Reclaiming My Youth
I had a great childhood. However, most adults my age have memories of the Muppets, Sesame Street, Electric Company, Mister Rogers and Zoom. I, on the other hand, have memories of the programs I watched with my family: Three’s Company, Love Boat, Solid Gold, Benny Hill and Sha Na Na.
As an adult, I’ve seen some episodes of those traditional children’s programs and, quite frankly, have not been impressed. I guess I’m glad my parents exposed me to those other campy shows.
So here I am on a Saturday night flipping stations between the network airing of Bambi and Cops. This is the first time I’ve ever seen Bambi in my life. I’ve concluded I’m simply not an animation fan. Well, at least I’m not a wholesome Disney animation type of guy. Befitting my childhood, I’m more of a Family Guy, South Park and Simpsons fan.
Anyway, the only reason I started watching Bambi was because I’ve heard people over the years talk about how they cried their eyes out when Bambi’s mother gets shot. I was expecting this to occur rather early in the movie but it took an hour and fifteen minutes (it didn’t help that there were commercials every eight minutes and there was 5 minutes of Disney babble before starting the movie again).
But I was quite disappointed that the death of Bambi’s mother was rather anti-climatic. I suppose I could have been traumatized as a kid. But there was no blood, no guts and no guns shown. You see them running, you hear a gunshot, and that’s it. Then Bambi meets up with the big male deer and it’s on to the next scene.
I was more disturbed when Chrissy was replaced with Cindy on Three’s Company. Or when Laverne and Shirley endured the earthquake upon moving to California.
This also probably explains why I was flipping back and forth between Bambi and Cops tonight. I never watch Cops…but I was getting so bored waiting for the big death scene that I had to do something.
HMMM – does this make me insensitive? I mean, the minute the mother was shot, I walked away from the movie and turned on the computer. I saw what I wanted to see and was ready to move on. Now I’m eagerly awaiting the finale of Popularity Contest. That’s more my speed – an entire community voting on who the most popular person in town is and then having the sheriff escort the least popular person away. THAT’S entertainment.
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Bet you were disappointed, huh Karl. Now you have to wait ONE more week for the GRAND FINALE. Who do you think is the winner…sshhhh???? I am selling T shirts in town that say, “Vega, Texas…where EVERYONE IS POPULAR.”..and then The Top 11 reasons to live in Vega, Texas…..Selling like hotcakes….i’ll have to get you one to wear in Boston…want PINK or turquoise???
I’d wear that shirt! Though…not so sure about the pink or turquoise! LOL
I can’t believe last night’s episode was a re-cap show!?!?! Now I have to wait another week! And I’ve got company next weekend, too. I wonder if they’ll mind if we stay in that night? hehe.
As for winners…I predict Alex will win (though, I wouldn’t mind if either of them won – I’m just glad Jose is finally out of there).
Well Karl, Bambi wasn’t one of my favorites, but it did kick off Disneys fascination with parental death!!
Yeah, what David said. Good ol’ Walt had to start someplace, offing the parents of our unsuspecting and innocent protagonists. I found Bambi saddish but only after I had kids. Before that it was like, yeah, well…there you go. Now I see it from Bambi’s point of view and it kind of breaks the heart to think of one’s baby just being on its own. But frankly, it’s not my favorite movie. The drippy soundtrack sticks in my head and makes me mental. Dumbo – now THAT’S a sad movie. Those big myopic baby elephant eyes…sheesh.
And for the record, I was a hybrid Muppet Show/ Mr.Rogers / Sesame vis a vis Love Boat, 3s Company and Sha na na kid myself. Let’s just think of it as having made us the well rounded socially adept citizens we are, no? hahahaha.
Well, Karl, keep in mind that Bambi was made in 1942. Sensibilities were different, and we as a society are really desensitized to violence. I’m sure that the little bit they actually allowed was fairly shocking for a children’s movie in that day.
OH, and (thanks for reminding me Karyn) I was a hybrid Muppets/Mr. Rogers/cartoons and Love Boat/Six Million Dollar Man/Emergency/Bionic Woman kind of kid.