Saturday, August 6, 2011

Happy Birthday, Lucy

I love Lucy. Today would have been her 100th birthday and it's pretty amazing that she can still make people laugh even though we have all seen the clips a million times. There was one classic episode of I Love Lucy that means a lot to The Bitchy Waiter; Episode #92, "The Diner." It aired on April 26, 1954. It's the one where the Ricardos and the Mertzes buy a diner together and it culminates in an all out food fight at the end of the episode before they sell the diner back to the original owner. How can something filmed over fifty years ago still seem so fresh and funny? All four of those actors were comedic geniuses, that's why. Well, Desi Arnaz was just about the best straight man ever and could set up a joke like nobody's business. I can never get enough of a good pie fight. It has been my dream ever since I was a little waiter to have one but the opportunity doesn't present itself very often. Or ever. I did manage to have an egg fight once which was pretty good. About twenty years ago, my partner and I went through a dozen eggs as we threw them at each other and laughed our asses off. I was running out of the apartment to escape the next egg being thrown my way when a neighbor saw me and said, "What kind of life ya' livin' where you got egg all over ya?" I'll tell you what kind of life I am living. I am living a life where I will do anything and everything to have a laugh and make a great memory.

In honor of Lucille Ball's 100th birthday, I give you two of my favorite moments from I Love Lucy. First is "The Diner" followed by episode #172, "Lucy Does the Tango" from March 11, 1957. In the second clip, she ends up covered in eggs just like I was in 1991. What kind of life ya livin' where ya got egg all over ya? A damn good one, that's what kind. Do your best today to create a memory that will last you the rest of your life. Cleaning up that egg mess twenty years ago was a pain in the ass, but it's one of my fondest memories that I will ever have. Happy birthday, Lucy.

(sorry about the ad before this clip...)








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11 comments:

itswhatiam said...

I saw the episode the other day where the four are sitting in a nice restaurant, and Lucy doesn't know what she wants to eat. First, they switch tables after they're seated. Then, every time someone orders, she changes her order to "I want that instead!" After they order, she makes them move back to the other table.

The whole time I was watching it, I thought of you, BW!

L said...

She was fantastic! Proof that you can be funny without being a slut. Hollywood should give that idea a try again.

Lolamouse said...

My mom used to sit me in front of I Love Lucy when I was a baby to make me stop crying! I still love it! My favs are the candy factory and Vitamitavegamin.

Unknown said...

Ohhhh, thanks for the memories, honey. I remember watching her every afternoon, and I Love Lucy is a show that never gets old. If you ever head down to Texas, stop by my place in OKC, and I'll make sure that you and yours have a wonderful pie fight and take some great memories back to NYC with you.

Anonymous said...

just that screen shot of the diner cracked me up LOL! thanks

Anonymous said...

i don't think it is an overstatement to say that nearly every moment of every episode was genius. and still funny after all these years and multiple viewings.

Confessions from the Hairdresser said...

Lola beat me to it.

But vitamitavegamin. So much less impactful now that she's said it first.

Anonymous said...

My favorite will always be the candy factory one because my mom actually worked for Russel Stovers candy factory for like ever when I was kid. That episode always makes me think of my mom. Lovely post, bw.

Anonymous said...

My favorite episode will always be the candy factory one because my mom actually worked for the Russell Stover candy factory for like ever when I was a kid. That episode always makes me think of my mom. Lovely post, BW.

Gabriele Agustini said...

Someone in our family was named 'Lucy', after the redhead, herself. We all love her!!
Great show, great cast, great memories.

ChiTown Girl said...

I watch "I Love Lucy" every Sunday for a few hours (on a great station called MeTV) Today, they are having a 24 hour Lucy Marathon. I've been sitting here watching for hours already. :)