Puppets
by sloanranger
Does anyone remember Howdy Doody?
Howdy was a puppet on early TV, and us kids,
we sat there in the Peanut Gallery – at home, or in the studio –
and watched, watched Clarabelle the Clown running up and down
the aisles squirting Buffalo Bob with his seltzer bottle.
They were the only two humans on the show. I don’t know,
maybe he was trying to wake him up.
And remember the banker, Mr. Bluster and how flustered he got?
And what about Flub-a-Dub? I was never sure what he was supposed
to be. I think it was a duck.
And then Howdy was in Mad Magazine and they called him
Alfred E. Newman. ‘What, me worry?’
Uncanny how the media tries to warn us sometime,
and from the Titanic to Three Mile Island – they warned us.
Howdy began to multiply in the eighties, he even became
President of the United States and began bombing countries
and people for no reason.
His successors are still at it and a lot of those little kids
who grew up with him are still cheering.
He was on two or three late night shows for a while: Ted Koppel and
Letterman retired, but Conan’s still there. Sometimes I wonder
what his next incarnation will be.
There was only one character on the show I really loved –
the only girl puppet, Princess Summer-Fall-Winter-Spring.
And the thing I wonder most about now, is,
who was back there, pulling all those strings?
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh so clever. Astute and insightful commentary. Let’s hope the media can keep shining that light. Thank you for this enjoyable article.
ShannonKellie – and thank you for your comment, Shannon.
There is a serious side to this tale, one we all might learn from.
@glynhockey – thank you, very much, Glyn – for the visit and the comment. Funny how as much as things change, they tend to stay the same : )
???????????
Okay, what did I do wrong, Geoff :)
Nothing, nothing at all, sloanranger, I apologize if my question marks gave that impression. I’m just dense and I have to admit that I’ve never gotten poetry. No, I just meant to say I didn’t get it and I was hoping someone would explain the point of it to me. Obviously, the other two who commented got it. It would not be the first time something went over my head.
Well, you’re not the only one, Geoff -haha. No worries : )
I think most poetry for the past several decades has been doing its best to be indecipherable. That’s why nobody reads or buys it. I believe there’s a big push now to bring rhyming back & I’m all for it. Our brains are hard-wired for rhyme – you can see it in kids (nursery rhymes), music, pets (they love it), and even all these new breakthroughs with healing. I’ll put up with any kind as long as I can understand it.
That said, I consider myself a writer first (not a poet) & feel my fiction is my strongest work. As for poetry, I guess I’m competent & sometimes I even get lucky & write something pretty good – but I use it mainly as a gateway drug to get people to read my fiction.
Been scooting around the ‘Rag’ and see you’re quite a writer yourself : )
Well, I’m happy to see that I didn’t offend you. As anyone who writes knows, it is easy to have an unintended reaction to a piece of writing because each person brings their own filter to what they read. I certainly have offended folks, sometimes intentionally, or expected, but sometimes not at all intentionally. I do agree with your point about rhyming, I do find poetry written that way to be easier to read. Keep at it, don’t mind me.
Geoff Page – On the contrary, I’m appreciative that you were kind enough to comment. Thank you, again Geoff.
If you are a fan of this article, you’ll probably like my friend Bradley The Dynomite. Check him out on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/bradleythedynomite
John O. – I’ll try and check it out. Thank you for dropping by : Does he write mostly humorous &/or political? :)
I read it twice and can see the direction of your writing. Should be read by every political leader.
Colmn Herron Thanks for coming all this way from Derry, Ireland, Colm. I do appreciate it. How are sales of “The Fabricator,” (by Colm Herron:))), doing?
I loved this Sloanie. It brought back memories and made me do a double take. Every political leader should be asked to read it.