Friday, April 12, 2013

Jonathan Winters R.I.P.

I remember Winters' first network TV appearance EVER.  Per usual, I was staying home from school, allegedly sick. And on the Garry Moore daytime show, Moore intro'd this brand new comedian from Dayton, Ohio. Winters then came on and proceded to thoroughly and absolutely KILL (that's comicspeak). So much so that at the end of his turn, Garry invited him back for the very next day's broadcast. Naturally, I was "sick" again the next day. I did that a lot. I was a TV baby, and I LOVED the new-ish medium. School? Feh! If it was a choice between seeing Jonathan Winters on his SECOND TV shot, or else learning how to diagram a sentence. . .fergit it. No contest! Who can EVER forget Winters' "World's Oldest Living Airline Stewardess"? Just read the NYT J.W. obit in which Jonathan describes his alcoholic salesman father as "a hip Willy Loman." Now, I ask you, how hip is that? In the early sixties my friend Ken Weaver and I almost never spoke to one another in anything but Winters argot.

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