October 26, 2007
Smokin'!
My brother sent me this a few years ago. Smoking Sambo is his name, breaking down racial stereotypes is obviously not his game.
He is exactly what he appears to be: A stand-up cardboard cutout of a well-dressed minstrelly colored chap, with a hole in his mouth in which to place a cigarette.
"But to what purpose, Mr. Velociman?" you may well ask.
Well, I haven't ciphered that one out yet, Little Intrepid. He seems to serve no other purpose than to hold one's cigarette. Perhaps there were craven juke joints in the Dirty South of Yore with these on the tables, and one could have Sam hold his cigarette whilst one tripped the light funktastic to the strains of the Sons of the Pioneers on the piccolo jukebox. Just a guess. Other than that I'm compleatly nonplussed.
But since it's Friday night, the eve before the Georgia-Florida game here in Freakville, I was feeling lonely with naught but a cup of coffee and a pack of Marlboros while everyone else was downtown partying. So I thought I'd dust off Sambo for company.
He don't say much, but he do have a certain je ne sais quois, n'est-ce pas? (That's like, Creole talk).
I think it's something in the eyes.
Ahh hell, me and sweetthing are here holding Florida down with you...grab the kids and come on down to Homosassa Springs and I'll buy you a cup of jumpstart
Posted by: GUYK at October 26, 2007 10:14 PMDon't make me break out the Darkie Toothpaste. "Give your teeth that Darkie Shine!"
The slogan - in bad taste, of course - is made up...but the toothpaste brand (from Hong Kong) is real. I have an old tube from the early '80's. A few years later, in a fit of political correctness / externally imposed racial sensitivity, they changed the name to Darlie.
They ain't fooling anybody.
Posted by: Elisson at October 26, 2007 10:56 PMOh...and did someone order up some cake?
Posted by: Elisson at October 26, 2007 10:57 PMI remember eating at Sambo's restaurant when I was younger.
Sure as heck don't see those any more now.
I've got a question that's sort of related. What purpose did those lawn jockey things serve? I remember back in the 60's, my grandparents' neighbor had one in their front yard. It was kind of interesting, but I couldn't figure out what function it performed.
Posted by: Peggy U at October 28, 2007 6:10 PMI use mine to hang a bucket of beers, Peggy. Better he stays out back anyway.
Posted by: Velociman at October 28, 2007 6:18 PMEspecially since the Darlie toothpaste label still features the smiling fellow in the black top hat. I buy it at the same Hmong grocery where I buy my bulk sriracha sauce and the Thai Fanto of the wonderful untranslated flavor.
As for Sambo, he shouldn't be that dark. The word used to identify a racial mix; converse of quadroon.
Posted by: triticale at October 28, 2007 8:27 PMHe looks like a fine companion to me. Probably a good listener. But I bet he drops his ashes all over the floor.
Posted by: Libby at October 29, 2007 6:57 PMVman, where would one go about procurin' a said Sambo? He kinda grows on you if you know what I mean. Is it something one stumbles across while searchin' for antique Coke signs on Ebay?
Posted by: RedNeck at October 30, 2007 2:23 PMRedneck, just google his name. Oddly, he seems to be an advertisement -- for nothing. Search as I might, I couldn't find one reference to Smokin Sambo cigarettes or tobacco although I might mention he comes in a version that accepts cigars...
Posted by: Libby at October 31, 2007 2:58 PMYou mean you would put your cigarette back in your own mouth after ... you're sick.