‘The Paul Lynde Halloween Special,’ A Celebration
‘The Paul Lynde Halloween Special,’ A Celebration
“Boy George Without Makeup” will not be shown this evening to bring you something even more frightening…”
“Hiya darlings and galpals! It’s Sparkle Sid… Well, someone had to be.
As we approach Halloween in a year where events are uncertain as they started, one thing can be for certain: the media we get inspiration from as adolescents.
One piece of important media to me growing up were those comedy specials in the 1970s. Think the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, the Brady Bunch Hour and the multitude of programs produced by Sid and Marty Kroft. If you have never seen these, I have provided links in the show notes to indulge while overcoming your seasonal depression as the snow begins to fall...
I have one more suggestion for you today on the 44th anniversary of one particular special that comes to mind this season… ‘The Paul Lynde Halloween Special’!
The Paul Lynde Halloween Special arose after a few failed attempts by ABC to highlight Paul Lynde’s grating sense of humour for a network television audience that were watching these types of shows at the time. Because he was always considered a secondary character rather than a leading man, you can tell in this special that he was recovering from the fragments of a fractured soul that he developed as a larger child growing up. He even emphasizes this fact in the opening monologue of the special about being “FAAAAAAAT.”
Growing up as a queer kid in the 90s I felt I stood out a different way; attracted to the plastic set pieces and the flashing lightbulbs of game show sets, rather than the dramatic reality shows that played on channels like MTV that my peers were watching. I empathized with Paul’s woes as he navigated mainstream show business as a personality that was ‘just a little bit SPESHULLLL’. The audience knew he was gay. The people who worked with knew he was gay, but there was something kept hush hush about it in those times…
Back to the special. It’s not the best, I have to admit. The special touts a very random all-star cast featuring actresses Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West, and Billie Hayes as Witchiepoo from H.R. Pufnstuf. Cameos include Donny and Marie Osmond, Florence Henderson, Betty White, and the television debut of KISS?
The special is a confusing mix of writing (led by comedy newcomer Bruce Villanche) that attempted to relaunch the career of someone who was a minority to society at the time, and the special fails to gain momentum for this endeavor. In one of the special’s most confusing moments, he tries to be a truck driver AND a disco party host at the same time. Regardless of this, he is still obligated by the network to perform the song that highlighted his career: the cynical “Kids” from the musical Bye Bye Birdie set to a backdrop of flashing pumpkins and a plethora of gyrating dancers. The entire special was an irreverent feature of Paul Lynde’s capabilities as a leading man, and thus did not do as well as it should. That and, do you know anyone else who received the tail end of holidays to celebrate for a variety special?
The special culminates into a stiff rendition of the song “Disco Baby” before Lynde closes the show with one of the most genuine words I have ever heard in a TV special…
As times change and queer people are more visible in TV, we must not forget those who attempted to break down barriers in show business before us. We must appreciate and celebrate the failed attempts of our predecessors. The smaller players that helped build our communities up need a light shined on their achievements. Consider the Paul Lynde Halloween Special as a lesson about living with a vengeance; meaning, learning from the mistakes of those before us to propel ourselves in order to maximize the Star Power that we all have inside of us to succeed! And sometimes, we just need the encouragement from those around us to motivate us and carry on…
With that being said, after our episode about musicals next week with the fabulous R Marshall, the podcast will be changing a bit. As someone who has been interviewing people he admires in his life, Sparkle Sid wants to turn the tables.
That’s right… I am be inviting YOU, dear listeners, to be a part of the show!
Do you admire someone you know and want the world to know who they are? Or do you just want to gush about a celebrity crush on our show? Sparkle Sid is here to help! Think of our show as a mix between the shows This is Your Life, Queen for a Day, and the $1.98 Beauty Show where your “quiet heroes” will finally get the credit they deserve!
Who are the people in media that have inspired YOU? I want to know! Send me an email at sparklesid@vicuriousmedia.com to have your hero and yourself as a guest on the show!
With that being said, dear listeners, I wish you a happy and safe Halloween, and want you at your very best self. As for the show, I hope we have been a ‘howling’ success so far!
See you next week, darlings and galpals, bye!
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