Take a whiff of Sista Smiff and you'll come back for more, that's fo sho!

Saturday, July 29, 2006

Live Bloggin' From The Kornfield

What a treat it's been to indulge in one of my favorite guilty pleasures, watching multiple episodes of Hee Haw on CMT today. A few thoughts for you....

Misty Rowe and Lisa Todd are still a mystery to me (and still irritating). Other than the obvious boobage, did the menfolk really find these two babealicious?

Maybe I did miss out on a great thing not getting to know Buddy Alan a little better when I had the chance.

Were there ever as many toupees in one place as the Kornfield? Maybe on the set of a Bill Gaither Homecoming video taping, but, that's about the only place I can think of that would rival the Big Hee. That fiddle player, Tommy Williams' wig oughta go in some sort of Rug Hall of Fame, along with Hank Snow's and Jack Greene's.

Knowing Lulu Roman was once a go-go dancer (for Jack Ruby, no less) is simply more disturbing than I can express here.

Beauregard (real name Buford)the Dog was the nastiest dog I have ever been face to face with. I had an encounter with this hound in the backyard of his owner, Joe Hostettler, who worked on the show. That was THE most slobbering, stinkingest dog. His stinkiness is what got him fired. That is no joke. (Dog lovers, simma down. I love dogs too, but, even Aunt B would deem this dog nasty)

How unbelievably wonderful it was to see the late Ben Smathers and his Smoky Mountain Cloggers doing their thing. That one brought back memories. Daughter/dancer Candy now travels with Gretchen Wilson and does her hair and makeup.

Just what was that blue and yellow liquid in the bottles in Archie's Barber Shop and notice didn't nobody leave there with a haircut?

As time went on, The Hager Twins attempted to have separate identities. They had different lengths of their Toni Tennille haircuts circa 1980 and grew mustaches. You can tell the Hagers apart because Jim's head is slightly smaller than Jon's. I do love me some Hagers, now.

Barbi Benton's singing along with the Hee Haw Gospel Quartet was intriguing to me. Reckon she learned "There Is Power In The Blood" at those All Night Gospel Singin's at the Playboy Mansion with Hef?

The Kornfield was not the same after the deaths of Junior Samples and Archie Campbell. Pfft You Were Gone just didn't have the same comic effect with Celebrity Spitters like Reba McEntire. I must say though, John Anderson tenoring Buck on the chorus was probably, vocally, the best "Where oh where are you tonight" that ever was. It was also not the same after Buck left. Incidentally, Larry the Cable Guy owes some props to Junior. **Later, I did see George, Tammy and Archie to a three part trio on "Where Oh Where" and it was pretty doggone good, too.**

Animated pigs dancing while Roy Clark sings is just plain funny. I don't care who you are.

George Jones wearing a two-tone, denim, leisure suit, accented by a huge, white, turtleneck, is quite a sight. I imagine that was Tammy's doin's. On this one particular episode, I'm figuring it was about the time of the famous "Lawnmower Incident" because you don't see George without Tammy. She was probably afraid George would slip out and go chasing women with Archie Campbell. And Tammy Wynette's hair during this era...could best be described as a "Hairdo With A Hard-On." Tammy looked exhausted around 1974 and with good reason.

Who knew "May The Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose" done as a chorale by the whole Hee Haw Gang could be so fraught with mirth and merriment?

Laverne Nagger, aka Roni Stoneman, is one of the funniest characters ever on tv, however, she always seemed to have a sinus issue, as she was constantly picking at her nose.

Somebody explain the Hee Haw Honeys, lying in the background on the porch, rubbing their legs together with Junior and Grandpa Jones lying down on the floor,in the foreground, sipping moonshine. They always looked very sleepy. Why is this? What is the implication here?

One episode, about 1979, featured the Palmetto Square Dancers, and one of the dancers was a pudgy, teenaged boy, grinning like crazy and it was probably because his white pants were deeply embedded in his ass-crack.

I do kid and poke fun at Hee Haw, but, do not mistake how I love this show. No, it did nothing to make Nashville look uptown, but, it's a classic.

25 comments:

Sonia said...

Omgosh, what a blast from the past! I remember watching hee haw when i was a kid! LOL. I loved it too...but I wouldn't have dared tell my friends that I actually watched it.

Malia said...

I thought about you and the Hee Haw thang yesterday while we were at the CM Hall o'Fame. I came across the Hee Haw "stuff" and I remembered you blogging about the marathon this weekend.

I remember watching the show as a kid, it was my second favorite. The Dukes of Hazzard, of course, were my very favoritess.

MaryE said...

Love your blog, Sista!
I was raised on HeeHaw, too, and once learned something like 22 verses to "Pfft! You Were Gone." Loved the dancing pigs, never "got" the Hagars, yeah Buck! and Junior Samples was, like, my hero. Thanks for sharing.

ceeelcee said...

Misty Rowe-yes
Lisa Todd-no

You answered your own question about Archie's barber shop. Nobody got a haircut because they all took their rugs to the dry cleaners.

The blue stuff in the jar sterilizes combs and also is a delightful dessert topping. (Not that I know much about combs...)

Newscoma said...

Animated Pigs add something to everything if you ask me.
And poker-playing monkeys, but I guess that doesn't apply in this case.

Busy Mom said...

Where oh where are you tonight...

Anonymous said...

We watched a few episodes last night, and I have to say I just don't get it. I enjoyed the music and the wardrobes, but the comedy? Eh.

I feel like I have failed as a southerner.

Sharon Collie said...

Malia...you probably sawr my Nephew Smiff, who works in the gift shop over there. I want to go see the Ray Charles exhibit and the new Ray Price one that's either just opened or is about to open up.

wstaple said...

Lisa Todd and Misty Rowe were the 4 reasons I watched Hee Haw as a pre-teen boy!

Anonymous said...

Wow, so much here, where to start.

"Other than the obvious boobage," Weren't none of the HHH hired on to provide the whip-sharp repartee that became a signature of such mixed-gender-hosted shows as "The Shields & Yarnell Show," "Sonny & Cher," and "Pink Lady & Jeff." They were the goodies, and gave folks a reason to tune in and watch Borscht Belt humor accompanied by old wrinkly white guys.

--The blue and yellow jars were as follows. The blue is Barbicide, an unknown mixture of chemicals that kill of the buggies and let Joey Cleanscalp and Flaky McEcxema to use the same set of combs. The yellow may well have been tonic water of some sort ... sort of latter-day hair product for men who don't wear hair product.

--Finally, the fact that this show is back on is a joy. Growing up in Cleveland, OH, I watched The Lawrence Welk Show and Hee Haw on Saturday nights as WebMom and WebDad got ready to go out on one of their infrequent dates. Those two shows probably did more to twist my musical sensibilities than any number of years marching on a field playing trumpet and hoping that a man named P wouldn't hurl his megaphone into the middle of a formation.

Anonymous said...

Lisa Todd was such an old hag, even then. She lists her birthdate as 1954. What a joke. She was NOT 15 when Hee Haw started (more like 35).

And what was Cathy Baker's role on the show supposed to be? The anti-busty gal/butch tomboy?

Anonymous said...

Check out the photo of Lisa Todd at imdb.com

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0865217/

Plastic surgery has left her positively scary.

Sharon Collie said...

Mr. or Ms. Anonymous...

Cathy Baker got her "That's All" gig just by being cute and bubbly. She was actually working as an artist on the show (as in paint and colors) and she had such a great personality, they put her on camera.

How come I can't get a lucrative gig like that with my bubbly personality?!?!?!

Anonymous said...

Mr. Anonymous is fine. Thanks.

Thank you for the explanation on Cathy Baker. I hope you checked out Lisa Todd's scary picture.

Sharon Collie said...

Oh gosh. Lisa is plumb frightening. That should go in the Hall Of Shame for Bad Stretchin'.

Wonder how Gunilla Hutton has held up?

queen of wt said...

Just a little trivia for you----the most popular syndicated show in the HISTORY of TV....is HEE HAW!
Take THAT all you people that say you only watch friggin' PBS! We were cool all along right? Hee Haw is an excellent blast from the past AND I just found it on CMT the other night!

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Anonymous said...

I'd like to reply to 'webslog' on the opinion about the colored bottles in the barbershop window. Despite his or her tone of certainty, I believe he is wrong and that those jars actually have a more historical purpose. I grew up in the colonial town of Fredericksburg, Va., where there is a restored revolutionary war-era apothocary shop, once operated by patriot Hugh Mercer. This shop served as pharmacy, dentist's office, doctor's office, barbershop, etc. Because many people of the time could not read, jars of colored water were placed in the front windows of the shop to let folks know what kinds of diseases and ailments were common at the time. I believe the reference on the show is probably a derivative from this practice.

Also, and perhaps I have a weak spot for cute and bubbly, but Cathy Baker was hot.

Anonymous said...

Just so you know, they were not the "Smoky" Mountain Cloggers. They were the "Stoney" Mountain Cloggers. It is nice to see people remember them and that they still show up on TV from time to time.

Anonymous said...

gunilla hutton has held up just great, the last time i saw her. i used to love seeing gunilla, misty and lisa holding those chest contests in the background while buck and roy told their dumb jokes. Lisa had a 40 inch rack, and even she couldn't measure up to gunilla.

Anonymous said...

I worked recently with Lisa Todd at a retail store in Camarillo. She's really nice but it's strange seeing where she's at now...

Unknown said...

Cathy baker was just damn cute. More like the farmers daughter.

Mammal said...

Cathy Baker and Junior Samples were my favorite cast members. I don't know how true it is, but I heard somewhere that Hee Haw was an influential show in that it was the first TV show to continue in production after being cancelled by the network, in other words new episodes went directly into syndication.

Unknown said...

Completely agree Shawn! I always thought she was such a doll in the "girl next door" sort of way.

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