Red's Wrap
Happiness. It's relative.
Banana Flips and Pies in the Face
I learned to dance from American Bandstand but I learned to laugh from Soupy Sales. Soupy Sales was crazy. His skits were wacky and out of control, his two sidekicks, White Fang and Black Tooth, were largely unseen save for their giant paws, and there were pies in the face everywhere. Indiscriminate pies in the face, predictable and ridiculous and hilarious.
It was 1957. I was nine. We’d moved from a small town to the big city. Everybody worked in the family store. Except me. I watched Soupy Sales. Probably reruns because his show was called Lunch with Soupy Sales but I had lunch at school. A peanut butter sandwich and a Hostess banana flip.
The key was under the mat. When I came home, I called my mother at the store and asked her what to do about dinner. Every day she would tell me to peel potatoes and set the table. So, that’s what I did and then I watched Soupy Sales. i sat on the floor cross-legged in my plaid school dress that tied in the back and I watched Soupy Sales act crazy with White Fang and Black Tooth and nobody had any idea. If my parents were alive right now, they’d have no idea about Soupy Sales unless they remembered the part about how he told all the little kiddos to sneak into their parents’ bedrooms, find a dollar bill, and mail it to him. I never did that. My folks didn’t leave money laying around and there was the whole challenge of finding the right stamp.
Soupy Sales had no educational value. I learned nothing from his show except to relax and not care about anything. Which was pretty educational when you think about it.
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Loved American Bandstand. I think I was a bit older when I watched that – maybe 13-15.
I remember learning the Bristol Stomp from American Bandstand. I think I could still do it. It was all the rage in 8th grade.
Banana Flips?! I had Twinkies and Cupcakes- never heard of anything banana centric from Hostess!
Sadly, banana flips are no longer made. https://www.littleupsidedowncake.com/the-end-of-an-era-hostess-brands-inc-discontinues-banana-flip-snack-cakes/
Maybe it was a regional thing- I don’t remember ever seeing anything like that up here. I am sorry though that you can’t relive your banana flip days anymore 😉
I remember this show, and the 4 o’clock movie, and Rita bell and bill Kennedy
WXYZ!
Yes!
We didn’t get his show. I vaguely remember his name but don’t think I ever saw his show…Captain Kangaroo for me!!
I think Soupy Sales was very much a Detroit thing – maybe Ohio cities as well, not sure. Such a character.
I remember when he was famous. Just never saw his show. I think I saw him on other shows as a guest. I think I was in high school. We only had one TV station and I was too busy to watch much TV. We didn’t even get American Bandstand or the Micky Mouse Club! Our movies were usually 10 years old or older. I did not live in the hub of culture out on the prairies of South Dakota.