Monday, January 29, 2018

Let's Hear it for the Sidekick

Ah, the noble sidekick. Don’t you just love them? A few  have been dancing around in my head lately and I thought I’d share.

The first time I even became aware that there was such a thing was way back when the old movie channel would show Laurel and Hardy. As a kid Stan and Ollie could really get me going. Mom didn’t think it was so funny when I’d try some of the head thumping moves I’d learned on my very own sidekicks (aka my sisters), but I had to try. I got just as annoyed at their antics as Ollie did with Stan’s. In my estimation he dealt justly. Heh. 

Next down the line was Vivian Vance who was the comic foil for Lucille Ball in I Love Lucy. Who wouldn’t love to have some wide-eyed alter ego ready to come to our aid no matter what kind of lunacy or hot mess we found ourselves in? Take a look at this.  You can tell they really “needed” each other.


Then there’s good old Eddie Haskell my favorite character in Leave It To Beaver. I often tried to channel him, too, with the same mysteriously hostile results from my sisters. What was the matter with them. Had they no appreciation for sarcasm and creative deception? Every time Eddie came into a scene I was right there laughing myself silly. I had a big crush on Wally, but Eddie had a little piece of my mischievous  heart, too. I’m still not sure I believe that he, Ken Osmond, outgrew the Beaver and went on to become a police office. Watch this. Eddie comes on at 5:14 if you don’t want to watch the whole episode. But it’s typical Eddie. Love that guy.


Now let’s haul this forward a few decades and talk about Kramer that lovable goofball of Seinfeld fame. He captured a whole nation’s attention whenever he burst through his friend Jerry’s apartment door.  When I went to You Tube to search for clips, I found some moments. It’s taken me a little longer to write my blog this morning because I was laughing so hard. But three tissues later, I’m good.


I often put sidekicks in my fiction and I think they can enrich a story and echo what goes on in the lives of ordinary folks. I’ve had the occasional sidekick and have been one, too. 

How about you?


Image: Free Digital Photos 

2 comments:

  1. I agree, I think sidekicks offer a lot in a story. I think Ethel is my favorite one to date. :)

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