We saw Red Green live, last night in Anchorage. He opened the show as a "Possum Lodge" meeting, after singing us a funny song. Then he explained the Lodge's motto - "Quando Omni Flunkus Moratati"; he said, "It's sort of Latin, meaning "When all else fails, play dead." He explained,"This comes from the way men act naturally. When a man does something stupid, his first response is, "I don't think she saw me."
He mentioned that the last time he was in Fairbanks, they gave him a 21-chainsaw salute. That seemed to tickle him. :)
He spent some time reminiscing about his TV show, which ran from 1991 until 2006 - "I went to the local station and asked them for enough money to do something, but no so much that they'd care" - but most of the night consisted of what we've come to expect: jokes at his own expenses, stories about members of Possum Lodge, and jokes about getting older.
He mentioned that he'd inadvertently become a spokesmen for older men, and told stories about the (ahem) joys of aging. He mentioned he's now 66 years old, and talked about "Old Man Sedgewick" (another member of Possum Lodge) getting a prescription for Viagra - "Isn't that kind of like putting a flagpole on a condemned building?" - and offered some advice. "Men, if you're thinking about Viagra, consider this: you're creating a supply for which there's no demand."
He spoke for about an hour and 40 minutes, with a short intermission. It was a little sad seeing him all alone on stage, as interaction with the other characters on the show was a big part of what made the character so enjoyable.
He also seemed tired by the end of the evening, but he's been on the road with this one-man show since early April, so it's understandable. Nevertheless, he spent time at the souvenir table afterward, signing autographs and talking to the crowd.
3 comments:
"If you can't be handsome, you can be handy!" One of my favorite lines that Red uses. I always enjoyed his show on PBS when we lived in Georgia, but there were times I think I was the only one watching! The rednecks just didn't get it!
Sounds like great stuff!
gfa
Scooney, the "rednecks" in Georgia (or anywhere) probably thought it was reality TV. They didn't need to "get it," they were living it.
Glad you enjoyed the show. Agree about the cast of characters making the TV program that much better. Hard to imagine Red without his entourage.
(If he was tired, you could have called me. If I lose a few more pounds, I could stand in for him. And I'd do it for a set of suspenders.)
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