7.11.00 - 00:59:04
Oleelo ladie oladie i-oh, that's Hardrock, and Coco, and Joe
Now listen my children and you shall hear
A story fantatistic, a story so queer
It's all about Santa and his helpers three
There's Hardrock and Coco and Joe...
I did not grow up with this little taste of Christmas, but I'm enamoured of it nonetheless. You see, old Santa really had no need for Joe, but he took him 'cause he loved him so.
It is so sweet it makes me cry.
Hula brought home a video tape of kid shows last Friday night (purchased while he was out having a good time and I was home Vapo Rubbing myself while watching the Big Brother people mow their freakin' postage stamp size lawn for the third time). On it are some cartoons I remember from my very early youth (Tom Terrific, Clutch Cargo) but also on it are these three holiday animated tales which I have never seen before. If you lived in Chicago in the 60's, you'd remember them. Along with "Susie Snowflake" and a kicky jazz version of "Frosty the Snowman", "Hardrock, Coco, and Joe" was a Christmas classic on WGN.
It's surprising and wonderful to be reminded how beautiful black and white TV used to be. I wish I could show this to you, but all I could find on the internet were some chopped up versions at Toon Tracker, and the full audio versions at Fortune City.
Frosty's friends bounce and dance with a jerky animated glee I can only recreate in dreams and Suzy Snowflake in her bald, glittery, Barbie Doll body floats about the town bringing joy to every girl and boy in a manner which makes me want to go back in time and live in the 1950's forever. (No comments about women's rights, racism, or run-on sentences please).
And Joe. Poor useless Joe. Who can't identify with the misfit who is loved despite the fact he has no redeeming qualities whatsoever? He's clearly the prototype for the elf who really wanted to be a dentist, but I like Joe better.
What happened between 1950 and 2000? Where did this innocent and breathtaking vision of life and happiness and Christmas go?
