Do you know who Andy Williams is?
If you’re a grown-up reading this blog (and by grown up, I
mean, someone older than 40) you probably do.But if you’re a “millennial” grown-up, like me, you probably don’t. Well, you might not know him by name, but you WILL know his voice, especially if you listen to the Pandora Christmas station. And if you’re anything like me, you had no idea that this guy singing “So whoop-de-doo and hickory dah” was such a big deal. I certainly didn’t, until my mom visited me and turned on Andy William’s Christmas special on PBS.
This Andy Williams Christmas Special blew my mind. I'm still struggling
trying to figure out anyone or anything to compare him to in our current entertainment scene.
Not even Justin Beiber is this cuddly and innocent. Anyways, let me try to explain
what I mean: Andy Williams was a pop star. And every year, he did a
Christmas Special that was broadcast on national TV. And in this Christmas
special, he and a supporting cast sang Christmas carols on a tacky sound stage wearing tacky costumes. Sometimes there was a coordinated, Broadway-esque dance scene --or!-- choreographed ice skating! to go along with the singing. And then, there were times when he would just be sitting on a couch snuggling with his wife and kids, singing Christmas carols.
And apparently, the American public gobbled up this corny goodness for breakfast, lunch and dinner. My mom said that you simply DID NOT MISS THE ANDY WILLIAMS CHRISTMAS SPECIAL. It was just what everybody watched. And everybody loved. For more than a decade!
"This was the era when there were only three channels on TV, and they went off at midnight," she remembered. "If something like this was on, you watched it! People couldn't believe they had this kind of entertainment in their houses, for free!"
I confess that I started watching this show sarcastically. I had a "get a load of this, it's so LAME" attitude. But when my mom went to change the channel after about 20 minutes, I heard a voice say "Stop! leave it on..." and it was ME! Something about that show had totally enchanted me, and dare I say it, inspired the warm fuzzies. I found myself so happy to just be sitting there with my mom, bundled in a blanket, watching something so PURE and HAPPY and KIND. There just isn't anything like it anymore, and now I get why old people think our country is going to the dogs and young people are all miscreants. I mean, my favorite TV shows are about zombies, drunk guidos, adulterous advertising executives, and psychotic self-centered brides. What IS wrong with America?
So, in the spirit of Christmas, and an ode to my mother's visit, I give you Andy Williams, everyone. Enjoy, and I won't judge you if you accidentally love it.
Just try not to be obsessed:
Peace and Love.
