3/23/2007

Back again , continuing the story from yesterday- I was talking about rumors , this one being that the original Sven was banned from TV for putting a hamster in a microwave oven (never happened- scroll down and read yesterday’s blog for the full story.) I wondered if it was confused with the rumor that Cleveland’s “the Ghoul” had blown up a frog with a firecracker on air. Then , I wondered if it’s like the rumor/urban legend that sprang up in every city that had a Bozo show back in the 60s. I’ll bet you even know this one- that a kid was playing the “Grand –Prize- GAME!”- and missed a crucial bucket with his ping pong ball. He supposedly swore, and Bozo said (in at least one version) “Oh, that’s a Bozo No-No!” – to which our darling child responded – “Up yours, clowny!” (or, variation on that theme-“cram it ,clowny”-“shove it, Boz”- and several versions I wouldn’t feel comfortable writing!) This story has supposedly circulated in every city that had a Bozo show, which means at least 30 or more! Maybe you know someone who swears they saw it, or knew someone who saw it, or had an uncle who knew a nurse who had a cousin who was there. Read this carefully- as far as the Bozo show in Chicago is concerned- IT’S NOT TRUE. We go to the eminent scholar Doug Graves, my learned musical sidekick. The event would have taken place during the Bob Bell Bozo years, when they had the full Big Top Band. Doug has played with musicians who were in that band- and there for all the broadcasts- and they said it never happened ( and , believe me- if it did- musicians would be the first to be telling the story!) Now- did it happen in one of the other cities? Possibly…but the story supposedly happened all over the country, on various Bozo shows. So- anyway- no, Jerry G. was not suspended from Sven duty for cooking a hamster in a microwave. He was cancelled when Kaiser Broadcasting took over the station, and, after promising him Sven would continue, decided to bring in “the Ghoul” (hey, didn’t he blow up a frog…?) as horror host on all their stations, replacing Sven. As I may have mentioned before- that didn’t go over well, and Ghoul was sent packing fairly rapidly. That’s what you get for messing with the Svengoolie family in Chicago. As long as we don’t send my brother Fredo to work out syndication. (I’d better explain that’s a “Godfather” joke before I start more rumors- “Wasn’t Fredo the original Son of Svengoolie, but he was banned for rigging slots for Moe Green at the Tropicana?”) Come back tomorrow for more blog- I’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse….