This will not have much to do with math, but a lot to do with mojo.
One of my heros, Soupy Sales, died yesterday.
Soupy was a comedian, who hosted a children’s show in the 50’s and 60’s. He was a master absurdist, with an incredible sense of humor, and a wonderful respect for the minds of his audience. His show was booked as a “children’s show”, but his material was aimed a little higher – over the kid’s shoulders with a nodding wink to their parents.
Soupy is among the other master creators, like Lewis Carroll, L. Frank Baum, James Barrie, and J.R.R. Tolkien, who’s books are sometimes considered “children’s books,” but we get a lot more out of them as we mature. It’s fitting that this week also brought us the movie “Where the Wild Things Are” (from Maurice Sendak’s book), which is another example of this.
He was one of the people who shaped my Idea of how to present my magic show, how to do math-magic presentations for children and adults, and even how to write this blog.
“I’ve never done a pretentious show; it’s always had a live feeling, the kind of thing that comes across when you don’t know what’s going to happen next,” Sales told author Gary Grossman in the 1981 book “Saturday Morning TV.”
I only hope I can live up to that.
His show was aired during an era when live television still was the norm. Other great children’s hosts, like Sandy Becker and Sonny Fox, shaped my Idea of mojo. Mojo isn’t just magic, and it isn’t just about the blues, as a lot of people think. Mojo is just a weirder, more open-minded way to approach anything. And that was Soupy, all over.
I remember watching his show when I was a kid, sitting with my dad and my brother on the couch, the three of us cracking up and mugging for each other when Soupy’d get hit by a pie.
Here are some links where some of you other baby-boomers can reminisce about Soupy, and maybe some younger people can go find some comedy-mojo from a different, less nasty era:
Pachalafaka, Soupy!
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Great post, Brian! You said so much in so little space–maybe I could learn from you!
Was Soupy the guy who winkingly told the kids to sneak into their parents’ bedrooms and empty their wallets?
I never saw the show, I am too young and/or my parents, you may recall, had no TV. I think I REALLY missed something.
Think I’ll try your YouTube links. I could use a laugh.
Hoskeebo!