Boys & girls, meet Bluto.

We gave my son a guitar for Chanukah.  No lessons, just a small guitar.  He and his sister fool around with it and have a lot of fun.  A couple of days ago, they asked me to play a song.  I haven't the slightest idea how to play a guitar, so I just started strumming it.

What song do you think popped into my head as I looked at my lovely children, ages four and seven?  Yes, you're exactly right -  a song from Animal House.  (You were expecting, He's Got The Whole World In His Hands?)

I don't know why it just popped into my head - probably the worst song ever.  "I gave my love a cherry..."  If you're not familiar with the song - click here to watch the scene from the movie.   If you're not familiar with the move, I can't help you.  But I'll wait while you go rent it and watch it.

Here's the funny part - my kids loved it.  They actually started singing it themselves, over and over again as kids do.  I finally had to show them the real thing.  We surfed it up at youtube (the clip above).  Benny loved when he smashed the guitar, but Lea was a little confused.  "The girls liked the song," she said.  They both wanted to know why the togas.  I told them it was a costume party. 

So yes, I exposed my kids to a (great) movie they probably shouldn't see for a few more years.  At least we didn't surf up the food fight scene.

Comments

[John Bailey]

Stacey, you have really resonated with this memory. My only claim to fame is I graduated with Chris Miller [Dartmouth College 1963] who wrote "Animal House". His fraternity, Alpha Delta, [aka Delta house] was the basis for the movie. And, yes, the film was not an overly large exaggeration of the reality. I joined Chi Phi fraternity which was side by side with Alpha Delta. We did civic projects for pledge week; Alpha Delta got their pledges drunk and terrorized the townies!

When I think about those college days, I thank my lucky stars that I was not a member of that "storied" fraternity. Otherwise, instead of graduating with a Dartmouth diploma, I would probably be locked up in some New hampshire rehab center! 8)