The other night I was watching videos on SNL’s (Saturday Night Live) youtube channel, celebrating the show’s 50th anniversary in 2025.
BTW, can you believe SNL has been on the air 50 years? As God is my witness, I still remember the week that first show aired, in 1975. A girl named Mary P. in my 8th grade homeroom was asking if anyone heard of this new show premiering Saturday night on NBC. Her older brother Frank learned it wouldn’t be airing in Pittsburgh, so he fashioned an indoor tv antenna to pick up the NBC affiliate in Johnstown, Pa.
George Carlin would be hosting, my brother Duke was a huge Carlin fan—so we did the same thing. Made a giant UHF antenna and hung it on his bedroom wall to pick up Channel 6 Johnstown, and that weekend watched the first SNL on his 13” b&w tv in disbelief at the shameless antics.
It would be another 4 years before SNL aired here in Pittsburgh. The hugely popular “Chiller Theater” held onto that 11:30 time slot until 1979.
Anyway, I’m watching this SNL clip from 1992 where Adam Sandler is singing a love song about his red-hooded sweatshirt. (Believe it or not, the song is now considered a classic.) And it got me to thinking, I have something red I love too—my bedroom dresser.
When I was moving to my new apartment in 2017, my sister Shawn said there was a dresser at IKEA she thought I’d like, would I like to go see it. I said “Why? I already have a bedroom set without a single scratch.” She said “Doug you bought that 30 years ago! It’s so big and dark, and you got rid of everything else in your old apartment, why not that too??”
I said okay. So we went to IKEA, saw the red dresser and it was love at first sight. My brother-in-law Jim and niece Sophia assembled it while Shawn helped me move the rest of my stuff in, and I plan on it being the only dresser I own until the day I die.
Speaking of objects of affection… when I first became friends with blogger Rian of “Older but Better”, she would sometimes mention her Aga, in her kitchen. I assumed she was talking about her Spanish maid or cook. I later learned she was referring to her blue enameled stove from the UK! The manufacturer’s name is Aga and it’s a beauty.
I don’t know if Rian loves her stove, but it seems like a member of her family.
So I was wondering… is there something you own, something atypical like an IKEA dresser or English stove or red-hooded sweatshirt you’re especially fond of?
Lastly, that classmate I learned about SNL from in 8th grade, Mary P? Three years later I asked her to be my date at our Junior Prom. She said yes and here we were.
What fun! I like your red dresser, too. The only thing I've got similar is a drawer (that changes when we move) filled with paper mementos I've been unable to part with over the years. Now many of the people who gave them to me are gone. But nothing like your red dresser in my life.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing DJan, that drawer of paper mementos you have, that's certainly a good example. I have the same, a shuffle of old cards and letters from loved ones gone and they mean very much to me. 🙂
DeleteLove your prom picture. I sponsored a whole lot of proms while teaching so have seen a LOT of prom pictures. Yours is very sweet. My high school class (1970) did not have a prom, felt it irrelevant for the era--Viet Nam war. We had already had an older classmate killed there. A few more would be gone by the time of our 10 year reunion.
ReplyDeleteThank you dkzody, and gosh I am sorry about your own prom but I can certainly get why. I'm glad you still got to attend others though. How tragic about those classmates. I remember that time well.
DeleteWhat a cute photo of the two of you! I remember curling my hair the same way as Mary, when I was a teenager.
ReplyDeleteI can't say I have any piece of furniture that I love, but I do have a desk of my paternal grandmother and my mother's China cabinet that I feel sentimental about.
Thank you Maebeme, I do miss those styles you girls wore back in the 70s--as for your grandmother's desk and mother's cabinet, they sound just right. :^)
DeleteThat's a beautiful red dresser! Love the photo too--you look about 12. :) I value my artwork, much of which my older daughter painted.
ReplyDeleteThanks very much Margaret, I wouldn't mind being that young again. :^) And that is so nice, your od's artwork. She really is talented, isn't she...
DeleteA fab dresser, for sure Doug! Shawn has excellent taste! Wow, is SNL really 50 years old?! Many of their current jokes go over my head because I'm no longer 'up to the times'. The only items I have much attachment to is my Mom's piano as well as her wood burning cook-stove. I love the junior prom snap. Almost a Beatle's style hair cut!
ReplyDeleteFlorence, I was thinking of you when writing this (with your farm and treasure trove of family heirlooms), so thanks very much! I 100% agree about SNL, the last few years I've only caught bits here n' there. I'm very glad you like that dresser, and haha about the haircut--I never wore it like that, I just put stuff in it for that big night :^)
DeleteYou have such a good memory! Cute couple and I see why you love your red dresser. I have a big honking china cabinet we got “ brand new” in 1986. Has lots of storage space in the bottom cabinets. Totally out of style, but where would I store all of my old photo albums if I got rid of it? 😊. Joyce
ReplyDeleteThanks very much Joyce! Well, Mary & I only had that one date but thanks to FB I got to see what a terrific person she grew up to be. Your china cabinet with all the storage sounds great and that never goes out of style :^)
DeleteI didn’t go to any of my proms. I was very shy and didn’t date. Had my first boyfriend the summer after graduation and we dated for 4 years. I am sad now that I don’t have nice pictures from them. Joyce
DeleteJoyce, I'm sorry to hear that. I did go to the formal dances, but I didn't really date in high school either. I remember when Facebook came along, I was surprised how many kids I considered popular in school claimed they never dated either.
DeleteAh! SNL, George Carlin, and chilly billy cardilly! I remember it all. Lived north of Pittsburgh by an hour. We relied on an antenna too. Brother who lives in my past family home still has no cable, too rural is the reason given. Very underserved in many areas...to this day. Beautiful bureau. Kim in PA
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing Kim--glad to know someone else remembers Chilly Billy! We lived an hour's south of the city, and even with antenna, things were spotty at best. At least satellite came along. :^)
DeleteOh boy, aren’t you cute at that age?
ReplyDeleteThe only things I can think of is several old plates (three big and two small) I’ve had for way more than 50 years. The A.M. doesn’t like them at all, and I don’t use them for meals, but they’re handy for preparing food and the like (but don’t tell her, when I’m here alone I often do use them for my meals).
As I’ve mentioned in previous columns, I’ve never watched “Saturday Night Live”. It wasn’t shown in Oz, and I had better things to do with my Saturday nights whenever I was in your country.
I can’t believe that that song is a classic, after all, nothing Adam Sandler has done is anywhere in the vicinity of being called a classic. Usually, far, far away.
Hey Music Man, thanks for the compliment - - and the chuckle! I think the plates sound cool. As for SNL, I know you never saw the show and it's not like like it was that great but was certainly different than anything else we were watching back in the 1970s. As for that Adam Sandler song being a classic, I meant only in the SNL context haha. I hope everything is well with you and the assistant musicologist. 🙂👍
DeletePersonally I have an unhealthy attachment to all the furniture from my grandparents and parents houses so it is a complex question, lol. I do, however, LOVE the red dresser. I recently read that every room should have something red to draw attention. I can't remember why.
ReplyDeleteThe first time I saw SNL was in a bar on a Saturday night. My very pregnant self had a craving for the best cheeseburger in town and my husband took me out at 11 pm to get one. We were shocked!! (and now it seems so tame). I also went to work the next Monday and could not stop talking about the episode.
Love your photo! I never attended a high school dance.
Miss Merry, thanks so much--I hope you know how much I enjoy your feedback :^) And I love the idea of something red in every room, I am definitely doing that. Loved your SNL memory too--but surprised you never attended a high school dance.
DeleteOur house was very strict. No school dances allowed.
DeleteGosh I can't imagine...
DeleteFor me it would be my record deck and albums - the soundtrack of my life , and also of Tonys . I love your red dresser …… Siobhan x
ReplyDeleteThank you Siobhan, I'm surprised I didn't hear music sooner. And I'm glad you like my dresser. I hope you're well. 🙂
DeleteHi Doug, your red dresser is gorgeous! I love your prom photo too, you both are adorable!I didn’t attend my prom because the guy I was dating at that time had to work, he was a few years older. Before that girlfriends and I would go to the monthly Friday night dances. I have a couple things I absolutely love, both family items. A slag lamp from the 1920’s and a secretary from the 1920’s too. Never been a SNL watcher, too late for me!😴 Have a lovely Easter Doug.❤️❤️
ReplyDeleteRobin
Hi Robin, thanks so much--I know you have good taste when it comes to furniture & home decor. I'm sorry about your own prom (hmm, very interesting) but like I commented earlier, I'm surprised how many people didn't go to theirs either. That's nice about the Friday dances though. Your slag lamp and secretary from the 20's sound really nice too. I sure hope you & Chuck have a nice Easter too. :^)
DeleteHi Dug, this is another 'late' comment but just got back and read this post. Thanks for the mention of our AGA cooker... and yes, we love it! It cost almost as much as a car back then, but since we didn't travel much, decided it was something we both loved... and have never regretted it. (Cats, and kids, and grandkids still gather round it to stay warm). So you loving your red dresser isn't unusual. (I mean, I love a kitchen appliance - how weird is that? - and rocks too!)
ReplyDeleteAs very cute prom pic! I didn't date much until college. Went to an all girl school, but did go to a few dances... remember my junior/senior prom, but that's about it.
Rian--so glad to hear from you! Thanks very much for your kind words here, and I appreciate you letting me share your AGA cooker on here (especially as I didn't ask first). We need to see more of it on your own blog. :^)
DeleteI love the prom picture! I didn’t go to the prom. My boyfriend at the time didn’t want to go and he was the only one I wanted to go with so I didn’t go. But it would have been nice to have a prom picture with him sitting on my mantle!
ReplyDeleteAnd I love SNL!
Beth
Thanks for sharing Beth, I'm sorry you didn't get to go. It's surprising how many women have told me over the years they didn't attend their school proms for various reasons. Well, I didn't date in high school so these formals were pretty much it for me. :^)
DeleteFormals are fun…He was the love of my life…it would have been nice to go.
ReplyDelete