When Huell Howser Met Richard Simmons

How many Huell Howser interviews can you think of in which Huell wasn't the most enthusiastic person onscreen? Well, this may be the first:

Richard Simmons, who apparently used to lead exercises while dressed in button-down shirts and dress shoes before he opted for short-shorts, is a stand-out presence in American pop culture. He's been around forever, it seems, and the passage of time has done little to diminish his enthusiasm for, well, everything. There's really no one else like him. But Huell is close, in a way, if you think about how both took a genuine interest in the Average Joes and Average Janes.

In this 1981 interview for CNN, Huell talks to Simmons about his burgeoning career as a fitness guru. Best quote from Simmons: "Let's face it, 'Love Boat' does nothing for your thighs, do you know what I mean? When's the last time Archie Bunker showed you how to brush your teeth?" And then he quotes Barbara Stanwyck. And then he challenges Huell to an arm wrestling match, all while sitting at a coffee table covered in fake food. Yes, it's something.

Read previous posts about Huell's long-ago meetings with Dolly Parton, George Burns, Zelda Rubinstein and Luciano Pavarotti,, and see more on Huell's official YouTube page.

If you haven't yet, take a moment to sign Huell's memorial page.