Odds and Ends not in my book, part 8

This is definitely off-topic, but funny. I figured we could all use some humor in our mid-week.

In his later years, my father had a very close friend, an actress named Sheila Rogers. One of those actresses you wouldn’t know by name, but if you watched sitcoms throughout the 1960s and ’70s, you’d have seen her. She was always a mom/neighbor/secretary/nurse/etc.

She’d also been in a commercial back in the 70s, I think — it was for some air freshener, I forget which one. Those of my age group may remember it: A woman answers her doorbell, and three of her friends walk in. One by one, each one comments about the smells in her house.

Friend #1: Fried fish for dinner again, dear?
Friend #2: George still smoking those cigars?
Friend #3: Oh, did you get a new cat?

Friend #3 was Sheila. Anyway, cut to 2003, when Sheila passed away and John and I were invited to her memorial. Some of you will recall my writing about my father’s memorial, and how it was more of a comic-fest than a sob-fest. Sheila’s wasn’t much different.

When we were all gathered, the room darkened and a video began playing on a large screen up front. In Memoriam: Sheila Rogers. The first thing that came on was that old air-freshener commercial. The first and second women walked in, delivered their lines. Then in walked Sheila. But instead of the scripted line, she made a face and said:

“Wow! Did a cow shit in here?”

I nearly wet myself, I was laughing so hard. To this day, every time John and I pass a fertilized lawn, smell a skunk or anything else that stinks, he says that exact line, and I still laugh.

You gotta hand it to show-biz people: they know how to put on a memorial.

For more laughs, check out Hermione’s Wednesday WIN.


EDIT: I just found out, thanks to Al, that this commercial spoof was featured in the Kentucky Fried Movie from 1977. The vignette is entitled “Household Odors.” How funny — I didn’t know this! 😀

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