Would THE VILLAGE PEOPLE Please Come Forward?

I have always wanted to be either Minnie Mouse or Cher when I grow up.

 Minnie had it made with Mickey as her "steady".  Have you seen her cute little cottage in Disney World?  I want to live there.  I must have had Minnie in mind when I jumped at Larry's suggestion that DARLA DARLING, THE DOMESTIC DIVA wear Polka Dots! (Darla is a cross between I Love Lucy and Marth Stewart...a TV character we created a few years ago).  What Minnie had going on was that gorgeous pair of yellow pumps!  I love watching her do "The Hot Dog" with Mickey and the crew on the Mickey Mouse Club!  When no one is looking, I practice "The Hot Dog".

I love Cher.  She can sing and looks great in CLOTHES, CLOTHES and skimpy clothes!!!!!  She, in contrast to Minnie, has a lavish home.  True, I have not been invited, however, if I were, I would be rendered speechless (no great task for me).  I adored Cher belting out  "I've Got You Babe" with Sonny.  A few years ago, Larry and I were asked to do a skit as Mr. and Mrs. Hippie Claus on a local cable TV show in Dayton, Ohio.  We, in true Sonny and Cher fashion did, you guessed it...I GOT YOU BABE!  My dreams were realized in a red velvet gown with tie-dyed apron and cap, white side pony tail and wire rims!  Not quite a Cher look alike, but the fantasy remains in my mind. 

Time has passed.  On my last birthday, a friend and I were strolling in The Oregon District of Dayton.  It is the closed thing to the West Village of Manhattan that Dayton, Ohio has to offer.  After a fantastic brunch and mind bending Bloody Mary, we passed a vintage/antique shop.  On the sidewalk, "Feathers" displayed old record albums.  I mean the real 33 1/3 deal!  What did we find?  THE VILLAGE PEOPLE - SLEAZY AND LIVE!  A two record set!  I was beside myself!  I always loved David, the Construction worker and Randy, the Cowboy!  Glenn was cool. Filipe, Ray and Alex I enjoyed, but I did have my favorites. (Hey, most girls swooned over Paul of the Beatles, right?)  The point? I knew their names to this day!  The album, by the way was vintage...1979!  Ron ran into the shop, tried to have the owner tell me that he spent $500 for it. When I entered, she laughed and said that she hadn't met anyone who knew the names of THE VILLAGE PEOPLE and told me that she promised not to tell that he spent $200 for the album.  I laughed right back at her and said that I heard that he spent a bank breaking $1.00 for the treasure!

As soon as I got home, I told my son that he was going to have to burn a CD of my find (four hour drive...was going to mail it) so that I could play the disc in my car.  My grandchildren heard YMCA on the radio on the way to church and we managed to "dance" to St. Albert's loudly.  I needed the disc pronto!

After discussing this with Rodney in Iowa, he just couldn't take the insanity to which he was listening!  That week, a CD of "Live and Sleazy" arrived...Song #9 - MACHO MAN; Song # 10 - IN THE NAVY and Song #11 - YMCA!  The children and I unwrapped the precious package that he sent, popped the disc in the player of my Malibu and after we phoned, on speaker, yelling "Thank you Rodney!" began to sing and dance!  By the way, Nick is absolutely thrilled that he was relieved of the project.

I never listened to Songs 1-8...no need.  I offer this thought to PBS and any other educational venue for children... Through THE VILLAGE PEOPLE, one can learn some history worthy of The History Channel.

 The song, MACHO MAN, is really an essay about working out in a gym.  During President Kennedy's administration, an emphasis on Physical Fitness became quite the rage.  Of course, we have had Jack LaLaine, Bonnie Pruden and the like, but the Kennedy administration made physical fitness glamourous.  The children and I had a discussion

 The tradition of the YMCA,( listen closely to the words), has become obsolete.  However, there was a purpose for the YMCA at one time.  The children and I had a discussion.

 This brings me to an interesting educational episode:  After listening closely to the words of  IN THE NAVY, Todd (8) was curious about... you know already... the Navy.  After dancing and singing from Dayton to Kettering (no easy task when one is driving...don't tell Johhny Law), we ventured into the library where Todd stocked up on books about THE NAVY, the history of WWII battle ships,  Naval history, noteable Admirals, maritine law.  His thirst was unquenchable for facts, not fiction.  The children and I had a discussion.

So, VILLAGE PEOPLE, thank you for making us dance and sing with fun and joy.  Thank you for making what would be a Saturday escape from learning, a day to learn a valuable lesson, or many lessons (retro some of them), but interesting, to be sure.  It's been said that anything that is learned is never wasted or lost.  While you  were looking rather sexy and giving us quite a beat, did you ever imagine that you would be an educational tool?