Wednesday, January 21, 2009

I Love Lucy

One of the greatest things about having off from work this month, is that I was finally able to go though a bunch of old boxes in my closet, and sort through all the stuff I’ve been hanging onto for years.

Yesterday I was delighted to find a special treasure that I had totally forgotten about, which I would like to share with you.

But first, a little introduction….

Even to this very day, I Love Lucy remains one of my all-time favorite T.V. comedy series.

I actually own several seasons on VHS, which I continue to watch over and over again.

Now I’m also aware that many people find her show ridiculously slapstick, totally over-the-edge, unrealistic, and even detestable.

(and we’ll hear about “one of those people” a little later in the post)

However for me… I Love Lucy is pure genius.

And the reason for this genius, was because Lucille Ball had a way of making you believe that every slapstick, totally over-the-edge, and unrealistic thing she was doing was REAL, because SHE believed it - and that’s a brilliant actress.

I mean come on…

…who else on this planet could make you believe that she and Ethel Mertz got jobs working at Kramer's Candy Kitchen chocolate factory, and frantically had to stuff their mouths with about five hundred ready-to-box-chocolates, because the conveyor belt was moving too fast ?

(I’d like to see Arnold Schwarzenegger do that and get away with it)

When I was a kid, I lived for I Love Lucy.

I would watch it every single day, right after General Hospital and Dark Shadows.

(I believe it came on around 4 PM)

Anyway, I don’t know what ever possessed me, but one day I wrote an I Love Lucy fan letter and mailed it to The Philadelphia Enquire Newspaper.

Then one morning, while I was eating my Captain Crunch with crunch berries, I just so happened to pick up the TV Week Magazine, which was like a TV Guide that came inside the newspaper.

So I’m sitting there, flipping through the pages when low and behold….

…I SEE MY FAN LETTER!

Holy cow…I wanted to DIE!

I think I remember spitting out a mouthful of crunch berries, as I catapulted from the table; running upstairs to my mother SCREAMING…

…”LOOK! LOOK!…they published my Lucy fan letter!”

(my mother thought I was going to hyperventilate)

And after I finally calmed down, I realized that not only had they published my love letter, but the magazine also published a hate letter to show conflicting views.

(the filthy RAG magazine)

Anyway, so here they are…..






Ok, I know that we’re all entitled to our own views, but at 16 years old I felt terribly bitter towards this woman. I always wanted to say something to Miss Tight-Ass Elizabeth Berry, but couldn’t express myself at the time, because I never found the proper words.

However, suddenly yesterday the words became perfectly clear…

…“EAT SHIT”


Respectfully,
Ronnie Carnavil