I don't suspect that anyone besides Tracie (who told me about this) could possibly share my excitement for the fact that the entire 30-second Chow Daddy PSA has at long last been uploaded to YouTube. Lord, have I waited for this day! I don't remember being this excited about the reissuing of a piece of media since Beyond the Valley of the Dolls came out on DVD. For years, Tracie and I have obsessed about 10 seconds of footage of this Boston-area, mid-80's school lunch advocate who was like a cross between the "Thriller" werewolf and Teen Wolf -- who owed much to "Thriller" himself! So basically, this is 3/4 "Thriller," 1/4 guttural recitation of foods that aren't even special (spaghetti? burgers?!?) with a smear of "Billie Jean"'s DNA and shavings of Zoobliee Zoo and Cats. I think it says a lot about the magic of Chow Daddy that I didn't even witness him as a kid and am in love with him, as though I were. If nostalgia is a narcotic, retroactive nostalgia is a straight up hit of crack.
But now, a new world has opened up! It's a world where actual human beings try to ply kids with not just acrylic face fuzz, but the notion that candy and gum are no fun and the suggestion that pretending to dislike spaghetti is a thing ("I relate to that!" -- No one, not even those severely bigoted against Italians). I don't know, I'm just so, so happy about this. I feel like starting a "FUCK YEAH, CHOW DADDY" Tumblr just to express my jubilance, except I couldn't get very far with just 30 seconds of material. I mean, there's a lot, but not enough for something as prestigious as a niche Tumblr.
Anyway, here's what FUCK YEAH, CHOW DADDY would look like, start to finish (or, I guess, finish to start since this would be in reverse Tumblr order, which is reverse order because BLOGS):
This really needs to become the universal hand signal for "burgers." You wouldn't even have to learn "Le Big Mac" or anything!
I guess you gotta love weed
Posted by: ger | February 09, 2011 at 02:56 PM
FINALLLLLY i sent an email to the guy David C Waite in the Chow Daddy costume asking about reels, I hear there is one out there where he is spinning a pizza on his finger
David C. Waite to me
show details 12/13/10
Thanks for the inquiry, yet I regret that I unfortunately don't have any old chow daddy reels or merchandise. Thanks for reaching out. Good luck and have a wonderful holiday!
he's got a great website
http://davidcwaite.com/
--
David C. Waite
Jupiter Film Group, LLC
www.JupiterFilmGroup.com
ph 818-539-0636 cell 312-543-6232 fax 312-453-0680
Posted by: Mercer | February 09, 2011 at 04:20 PM
I love how awkwardly he adds 'deserts!' AFTER the voiceover man!
Oh, and everything else about this, of course.
Posted by: ABC | February 09, 2011 at 04:41 PM
A Jodorowsky still! Am amazed.
Posted by: -vv- | February 09, 2011 at 08:26 PM
Holy shit.
Rich, you aren't going to believe this, but I was in that PSA. In the frame where the video's stopped, right at 0.00, I'm the back-of-the-head at the far left, with the two braids, white barrettes, and blue-and-white dress. (Sadly, I was not one of the featured back-up dancers.)
I'd entirely forgotten that he was called Chow Daddy - I was about 5 when this was filmed - but I remember how freaking weird the whole day was. I also have a vague memory that he signed autographs for us, and I wish to god I had that now.
Thank you for bringing back one of the most bizarre days of my childhood.
Posted by: Elena | February 09, 2011 at 08:26 PM
I did not know this was lodged in my unconscious.Thank you? As a woman who was but a girl in MA in 1987, I thank you.
Posted by: Amy Anomalous | February 10, 2011 at 02:04 AM
Unrelated, I love it that your current hero is a hot guy rubbing is face on a pussy
Posted by: La_chica | February 10, 2011 at 11:17 AM
What is this I don't even
Posted by: RP | February 10, 2011 at 11:18 AM
I was a child in the Boston public schools who witnessed this on the local channels. And for some reason I couldn't put my finger on it always scared the bejeezus out of me. I know the whole idea was to get kids excited about school lunches but I could never make the correlation between a tiger/lion/man and the name "Chow Daddy." Although in my school days the public school food was pretty good. Everyone got excited the most about french toast, eggs and sausage for lunch days.
Posted by: scorzi | February 10, 2011 at 12:12 PM
this whole thing is beautiful XD
Posted by: Andy S. aka 'O' | February 11, 2011 at 09:22 AM
Man, he totally looks like an extra from CATS to me and not a wolf or whatever. Or possibly a character from Zoobley Zoo!
Posted by: Rob | February 11, 2011 at 06:05 PM
YES! Mesmerizing. I'm gonna have to watch it again at least 4 more times.
Posted by: liz | February 12, 2011 at 12:48 PM
i'll take weed anytime over this!
Posted by: kate welsh | April 06, 2011 at 09:57 PM
Yup, you are accurate Google is the most excellent for blogging, Google blog as well appear fast in search engines too. zi xiu tang diet pills
Posted by: zi xiu tang diet pills | August 08, 2013 at 12:46 PM