The Jolliest Fat Man - Lenny and the Squigtones

Here's a flashback to the classic Laverne & Shirley episode

"Oh Hear the Angels' Voices"

They were awesome together, weren't they?

Ben Cooper Costumes

When I was little, my mom made our costumes.

I remember being a clown and also a hobo.

But as we got older, we wanted more "serious" costumes.

Big kid stuff. Ben Cooper costumes.

And I don't remember which ones I wore.

I seem to think there may have been a CHiPs costume, or a Duke cousin.

But I honestly can't remember.

So, anyway, here are some Ben Cooper costumes I think are cool,

weird, or just creepy. Enjoy!

Aquaman (thanks to The Aquaman Shrine)

Why does Aquaman have a mask? He never wore a mask.

Technically, this means your costume is wearing a costume.

Meta before meta was a thing, I guess...

Dukes of Hazzard costumes.

Now that I see these, I really hope I wasn't a Duke boy.

Creepy!

The Six-Million Dollar Man

His eye is on fire...

And why did the costumes always have pictures of the characters on the chests?

Mork from Mork & Mindy

Can't decide whether this is great or creepy.

No, it's creepy.

And why does the face on the shirt look less like Robin Williams

than the oddly serious-looking mask does?

Devil & Frankenstein's Monster

So the costumes got less scary and more unsettling as time went on, I guess?
'Cause these two pretty much rock.

Samantha from Bewitched

Did Ben Cooper think she was a heavily made-up, slutty, bedraggled ho?

And this time, TWO pictures of herself on her top!

Laverne from Laverne & Shirley

Guess she had a tough day bottle-capping, since her mascara is running.

And the costume is "dressed" in what might be the worst fake clothes for any horrible plastic costume ever.

Fonzie from Happy Days

Again, you would be wearing the Fonz wearing the Fonz.

I guess it was just cool at the time.

And hey, at least the nose on this costume gave you some breathing room!

Sleestak from Land of the Lost

Okay, they made it less creepy in one sense,

and more creepy in a totally different way.

Sheesh...

Clown

Seriously, why are clowns so damn creepy???

Do you all have a favorite Ben Cooper costume memory?

Share it in the comments!

Laverne and Shirley: Haunted House

Laverne & Shirley is one of my all-time favorite shows. I loved the Milwaukee seasons better than the Burbank seasons, but that is a debate for a different day.

Today I wanted to showcase a Halloween-ish episode of the show, "Haunted House", which first aired on March 22, 1977 during the show's second season. Why in March? I have no clue. But it is a perfect episode to watch around Halloween.

The plot: The girls need a new couch and when a local house has an estate sale, they head over. But the house is long-rumored to be haunted and Laverne, Shirley, Lenny and Squiggy will sound find out the truth for themselves!

A quote from the episode:

Shirley: (screaming after spotting a skull) This person didn't leave here alive.
Laverne: Shirl, it's a knick-knack.
Shirley: It's a skull!
Laverne: Does it have hair? Is it a hairy thing?
Shirley: No.
Laverne: Then we're staying.

Watch the entire episode below!

Fun stuff!

thanks to desperatehouselove for posting the videos

Laverne and Shirley

Last night, the kids, my wife and I finished watching the entire run of Laverne & Shirley.
Several months ago, it started airing about four times a week on the Hub network. So we decided to watch every episode with the kids, since we loved it when we were young and wanted them to enjoy it, as well.
Happily, the kids loved it, too. And because we had missed the first few episodes, we got to finish watching the series with classic episodes from the first season, back in 1976. They were just as funny as ever, and a much better way to end a viewing of the series than the 8th season, which wasn't great. Uneven and chaotic sums it up, diplomatically.
I am glad we shared this with them. A bit of television history, some great characters and laughs and a much better way to spend some TV time than watching any of the 'reality' shows out there.
Posted below is the 20th Anniversary Reunion of the cast that aired on ABC in 1995.
Great to see the cast together and remembering good times. Even Fonzie shows up!
 


We have watched the entire run of Laverne & Shirley and also I Love Lucy with the kids.
We are thinking The Dick Van Dyke Show might be next up!
Laverne & Shirley is currently airing on the Hub network at 11:00pm EST, with encore airings at 5:00am.

Lessons from My Third Parent

We have been watching and enjoying Laverne & Shirley reruns with our kids. The show airs on the new Hub channel at 11:30 pm and 5:00 am, Monday through Thursday.



Most of the show is just silly fun, but one thing they did try to do, in their own wacky way, is keep true to the fact that these characters were from the "other side of town" in Milwaukee. That is, not the nice suburban neighborhood that the Cunninghams and their friends lived in on "Happy Days." These characters had a tougher go at life, yet they always did the right thing, even if it would have been easier to look the other way.

And friendships were paramount. Whether it was the best friend bonds between Laverne and Shirley, or Lenny and Squiggy, or the bonds between all four. The girls always recoiled at the antics of the two guys, but they were always there for them when need be, and vice versa.

I know, "Wow. He reads a lot into a goofy show." Well, maybe. But I watched this show often as a kid and I think the lessons in friendship were good lessons to learn. My third parent (aka TV) stepped up again here, and I was the better for it.

This is a clip from a show that aired back in December of 1979 called "Testing, Testing." The owner of the brewery has all the employees in for testing, and the gang is worried they will be fired because they all have their own issues and problems that make them less than perfect. But the examiner sees through all this to the truth. Watch, the clip below is just the last 2 minutes of the show.



A good little bit from a wacky, goofy, fun little show.

You can view the whole episode here: YouTube: Testing, Testing