Give me 24 minutes and I’ll make you smile
My friend Mimi commented on yesterday’s piano stairs post saying that she smiled because the video brought out the “kid” in her. That got me thinking.
And then, last night, I curled up on the sofa with my daughter and my beau, our Boboli pizzas (chicken and broccoli for her, pepperoni for him, and Hawaiian for me), and a DVD of the Muppets, Season Three.
You remember the Muppet Show, right? Please say,”yes.” Don’t make me feel older than I am.
Jim Henson’s masterpiece of a puppet-run variety show was a family favorite when I was a kid. As I sat down to watch the episode featuring Kris Kristofferson and his lovely wife Rita Coolidge singing sappy duets with each other and Muppet friends, I was transported back to my much more carefree youth. Watching Kermit, Miss Piggy, Rowlf, Gonzo, and Fozzie fumble, karate chop, sing, dance, and explode around the set of one of my favorite childhood shows gave me an excuse to feel (and act!) like a child all over again. We broke into hysterics over Miss Piggy’s role as a diva of destruction, Fozzie’s bad jokes, and the cutting banter of Statler and Waldorf.
So – today’s tip: If your mood needs a boost, take a little trip back to your childhood. Visit your library, video store, Hulu, or even YouTube. Carve out 24 minutes (the average actual length of a 30-minute sitcom) and regress. Go back to the days when your biggest fear was a zit on prom night or a bad grade on that pop quiz in Social Studies. Let the grown-up world take a hike for a bit, and just revel in something silly.
What were your favorite shows when you were a kid? Have you watched them recently? Did they still make you smile?
October 15th, 2009 at 4:21 PM
aw…thanks for the shout out! Anything I can do to help get your juices flowing!
I love the Muppet Show. I was just thinking the other day about it and how I need to look out for it on DVD.
October 15th, 2009 at 4:56 PM
@Mimi – Yeah – it’s a classic. And you can get the whole thing on DVD – hours of regression therapy. 😉 (Love your profile pic, btw!)
October 16th, 2009 at 1:34 AM
I JUST decided my children needed to watch these as part of their cultural heritage! What a coincidence!
October 16th, 2009 at 10:18 AM
@Rebecca – Really? It is classic programming. It’s funny for so many reasons – not the least of which is the very non-politically correct nature of some of the skits. It’s not like it was THAT long ago (ahem!), but they could never get away with some of that stuff these days! I hope your kids love the Muppets as much as my daughter does – will give you an excuse to indulge your inner child! Enjoy!