For the last three weeks, I’ve been writing about the serious topic of parent and adult child relationships. But this week I thought I would follow the advice found in the title of a memoir written by Roz Chast about her relationship with her parents at the end of their lives titled Can’t We Talk about Something More Pleasant?
So to lighten things up a bit, since life isn’t just about the challenges we face, I’m going to share some questions and answers from a popular game show which debuted on NBC in 1966. But first let’s shake things up and start with a question about that game show.
For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the name of the panel game show where two contestants played tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes and featured comedians and celebrities including Cliff Arquette as Charlie Weaver, Rose Marie, Rich Little, Buddy Hackett, Marty Allen, Florence Henderson, Carol Wayne, Gorge Gobel, Jonathon Winters and Paul Lynde who for years held the center square? Email your answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or send it with a picture of the comedy team Peter Marshall and Tommy Noonan in the 1962 movie Swingin’ Along.
And now a little humor from a time not too long ago.
Q. Do female frogs croak? A. Paul Lynde: If you hold their little heads under water long enough they will.
Q. If you’re going to make a parachute jump, at least how high should you be? A. Charley Weaver: Three days of steady drinking should do it.
Q. True or False, a pea can last as long as 5,000 years. A. George Gobel: Boy, it sure seems that way sometimes.
Q. You’ve been having trouble going to sleep. Are you probably a man or a woman? A. Don Knotts: That’s what’s been keeping me awake.
Q. According to Cosmo, if you meet a stranger at a party and you think that he is attractive, is it okay to come out and ask him if he’s married? A. Rose Marie: No. Wait until morning.
Q. Which of your five senses tends to diminish as you get older? A. Charley Weaver: My sense of decency.
Q. As you grow older, do you tend to gesture more or less with your hands while talking? A. Rose Marie: You ask me one more growing old question Peter, and I’ll give you a gesture you’ll never forget.
Q. During a tornado, are you safer in the bedroom or in the closet? A. Rose Marie: Unfortunately Peter, I’m always safe in the bedroom.
Q. Can boys join the CampFireGirls? A. Marty Allen: Only after lights out.
Q. When you pat a dog on its head he will wag his tail. What will a goose do? A. Paul Lynde: Make him bark?
Q. If you were pregnant for two years, what would you give birth to? A. Paul Lynde: Whatever it is, it would never be afraid of the dark.
Q. According to Ann Landers, is there anything wrong with getting into the habit of kissing a lot of people? A. Charley Weaver: It got me out of the army.
Q. Back in the old days, when Great Grandpa put horseradish on his head, what was he trying to do?
A. George Gobel: Get it in his mouth.
Q. Jackie Gleason recently revealed that he firmly believes in them and has actually seen them on at least two occasions. What are they? A. Charley Weaver: His feet.
Q. According to Ann Landers, what are two things you should never do in bed? A. Paul Lynde: Point and laugh.
Now the answer to last week’s question. The disc jockey with an exuberant on-air personality and gravelly voice that broadcast from the Mexico-based station, XERB-AM, and heard across the United States was Wolfman Jack. (This week’s correct answers were sent in by Jo Smith, Bud Earl, Lana Tepfer and the winner of a free quilt raffle ticket Jim Heitkemper who bought the 1976 record “Did You Boogie with Your Baby in the Back Row of the Movie Show” by Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids because it featured Wolfman Jack).
Well it’s been another week trying to deal with what I’m dealt. Until we meet again, don’t forget to appreciate the little things in life.
“Life is a great big canvass and you should throw all the paint on it you can.” Danny Kaye
