The Colonial Theatre Tea Garden

The beauty spot of downtown Richmond was, in 1921, the Tea Garden of the brand-new Colonial Theatre. Herein, we recreate the essence of elegance, joy and hauteur that was once found in Virginia's first real picture palace. Bathtub gin is available at the top of the grand ramps.

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

The Cities of Baltimore, Washington and Richmond are buried in snow. This is somewhat delightful for me--as long as school is closed, I don't have to go to work, and I can walk to everything that I actually need--but it does present the problem of What To Do With Your Time Off.

I could, of course, clean the house, which is currently in such a state of disreptutability that the local crack whores are in shock.

Fortunately, I have net access and do not have to worry about such things. Rather than subject you to a giggly version of "Baltimore in the snow!" or a maudlin version of "How I'd love to be in Richmond in the snow!" I have elected to find, for your viewing pleasure, some youtube postings based on something I wrote a while back.

Every year at Super Bowl season, I wait for the ads. As a Redskins fan, I kind of have to live for the ads; my team hasn't done diddly-squat for eons. I love the commercials when they're witty and fun; hate them when they're just too slick. In any case, I always have to remember the guileless commercials of the '70s. Did we really fall for these goofy things? Oh, yes, we did--and how.

Some time ago, I marvelled that Monchichi still existed. I then mentioned that its '70s commercials were always hand-in-hand with Dancerella. Here you go:


Monchichi, in all of its hideous creepiness:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od3cNTl40VI

Dancerella, cute li'l fat chick that she is (Viennese-style music and all!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7-WQv0M04w

and, just for fun, BIG WHEEL!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjTAA_da97w
What the hell was up with Big Wheel anyway? It was a plastic glorified tricycle. Still, I thought I was the shit because I got one, and proceeded to terrorize the streets of Baltimore with it. Most kids who were old enough for it were also old enough for real bicycles, and I do remember that within a couple of years the thing sat lonely in the backyard, its colors quickly fading,long eclipsed by a bike--which would eventually be eclisped by a hand-me-down Chevy, and that by a Buick. And then, the kind of commercials that I'd once watched on snow days would be eclipsed as well.

Would life be easier for us all if we still worried about things like Big Wheels?