'The Happy World of Huell Howser'
Did you know that Huell Howser once hosted a show with Grand Ole Opry star Minnie Pearl? He did back in his Nashville days, and one of the more popular segments from "The Happy World of Huell Howser" featured the birthday party of Porky, the Pet House Pig, from Powderly, Kentucky. That's the focus of the clip below, and that should probably be temptation enough for Huell fans. (Really, how often do you get to see a pig wearing a party hat?) But before you click on the video, know this: The theme music and intro graphics to "The Happy World of Huell Howser" are perfect -- folksy and cheerful but just "off" enough to hint at how strange vintage Huell can get.
Watch the full clip here:
Some highlights (and there are so many):
- 1:38 -- The dystopic, vaguely threatening commercial for Commerce Union Bank.
- 3:53 -- The revelation that Porky the Pet House Pig does, in fact, eat pork, because he doesn't realize he's eating his fallen brethren.
- 4:15 -- Porky drinks a Pepsi from a glass bottle.
- 5:06 -- The revelation that Porky is basically a shut-in who's only been outside for about 20 minutes.
- 6:25 -- Minnie Pearl identifies a story taking place "when trailers first came out."
- 6:52 -- Huell admits, "I made the mistake of getting kissed by a bear one night!" And then the clip does, in fact, cut to a furry bear.
- 9:13 -- Another commercial for Commerce Union Bank that seems to have sprung from the mind of David Lynch.
Read previous "Retro Huell" posts:
- Dolly Parton
- George Burns
- Zelda Rubinstein
- Luciano Pavarotti
- Richard Simmons
- John Ritter
- Tony Danza
- a leopard
- Hulk Hogan & Mr. T
- The Eagles
See more on Huell's official YouTube page. And if you haven't yet, take a moment to sign Huell's memorial page.
