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America and Andy Griffith
I hope everyone has a fun and safe Independence Day -- and that we all take some time to remember what this holiday is about, and how much we should appreciate the courage, sacrifice, and forethought of our founding fathers.
It's perhaps ironic that just a day before the Fourth, the world lost an iconic symbol of Americana with the death of actor/comedian/singer Andy Griffith, who passed away at age 86. Many of us remember Andy from his leading roles on the TV shows Matlock and, of course, The Andy Griffith Show, but he had many more talents, including gospel singer. He was also a standup comedian, or more like a humorous storyteller in the Mark Twain/Bill Cosby mold. Here's the audio (with fun illustrations) of his famous story "What it was, was football", from way back in 1953:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNxLxTZHKM8
I was reading about some of the darker roles he took as a younger actor in the obituaries. It's really surprising when you consider the roles he's best known for.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that, too. I suppose sooner or later all the really talented entertainers decide they need to stretch a bit.
DeleteHe was quite versatile.
ReplyDeleteThe Andy Griffith Show was an example of the kind of humor I love best--the kind that's funny but not vulgar. Today's so-called funny people--Seth MacFarlane, Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen and their peers--will never hold a candle to Andy!
You said it; this is one of those areas where the good old days really were better!
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