Allee Willis Blog

18Sep 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Outdoor Transistor Radio-Mania

18Sep 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Outdoor Transistor Radio-Mania

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I love actual owls and ladybugs but none so much as these transistorized versions. I have entire zoos and forests of these things but these are two of my favorites – a ladybug who, when you twist her left eyeball, opens her wing to expose a still working speaker and an owl who, when you twist her right pink rhinestone eyeball, chirps the sound of AM radio as clear as the day she was hatched. I bought the owl in the early ’80s and she still works perfectly despite the fact that I’ve never changed her batteries.

The ladybug, all plastic and made in Hong Kong by Sonnet, British Design, is 5 inches long and an inch and a half tall and counting. She comes with a convenient wrist strap and two rubber antennae.

The owl, made in Japan, is 8 inches tall and fat with a plastic body and gold medal wings, eyes, legs and speaker holes in the crotch.

I love actual owls and ladybugs but none so much as these transistorized versions. I have entire zoos and forests of these things but these are two of my favorites – a ladybug who, when you twist her left eyeball, opens her wing to expose a still working speaker and an owl who, when you twist her right pink rhinestone eyeball, chirps the sound of AM radio as clear as the day she was hatched. I bought the owl in the early ’80s and she still works perfectly despite the fact that I’ve never changed her batteries.

The ladybug’s all plastic and made in Hong Kong by Sonnet, British Design. Five inches long by an inch and a half tall, she comes with a convenient wrist strap and two rubber antennae which serve no apparent purpose.

The owl, made in Japan, is 8 inches tall and fat with a plastic body and gold medal wings, eyes, legs and speaker holes in the crotch.

Close ups of the species:

10Sep 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Vintage Concrete Pink Flamingos

10Sep 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Vintage Concrete Pink Flamingos

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These three beauties are the real deal, the kind that used to bake in the sun in Florida in the 1950’s glory days of pink flamingos, not the hideous shocking pink plastic repros that proliferate in catalogs today. These gals are made of solid concrete and weigh a ton; even the baby is a 10 pounder.

The super baby pink is faded to perfection and the thin metal legs are rusted as if they’ve been wading in an Okeefenokee swamp for decades. These three flamingos stand as proud today as when they were hatched back in 1950.

09Aug 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – 1950’s Fishing Motif Shirt

09Aug 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – 1950’s Fishing Motif Shirt

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Classic and prototypical 50’s sports shirt, a prized possession of mine, worn only for the finest relaxing weekend occasions. Not a rip, stain, snag or anything on this honey. I’m not a fisherwoman but this vintage Catalina, the King of Atomic Age casual shirts, is the Katch O’ The Day for sure.

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19Jun 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Green Thumb Watering Can

19Jun 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Green Thumb Watering Can

I see lots of green thumb inspired objects but this articulated fat fleshy hand is one of the best. This kind of molded hard plastic stuff kills me. And the green paint hugs the thumb perfectly like one of those stretchy self-adhesive rubber bandages. Holds just enough water to take care of my matching plastic plants.

06May 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – String Art Owl

06May 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – String Art Owl

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In the 1970’s, more owls lived on wood paneled walls than in trees. The owl is clearly the National Bird in the state of Kitsch as flocks of them thrive in burnt metal, ceramic and the all important Hi Art of Kitsch, String Paintings. This one is especially fancy, incorporating mohair yarn as feathers and a driftwood perch.

String art kits are still available.

Here’s an especially slap happy string art guy.

03May 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Geraldine & Ricky “Trees Talk Too!” LP

03May 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Geraldine & Ricky “Trees Talk Too!” LP

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Long before I co-wrote the musical The Color Purple, in which trees are a powerful symbol, I believed these lumber providers were among nature’s most powerful species. But I never knew they could talk. Geraldine Murray, who claims God delivered her the gift of ventriloquism while she was asleep at age 14, apparently felt differently. Her wooden friend, Ricky’s, voice could make your ears bleed, perhaps causing the tree, well actually shrubs, they’re sitting in front of to creak loud enough for Geraldine to interpret it as speaking.

Geraldine & Ricky cut a few albums on the World Records Of Nashville label in the 1960’s. Though all that survives in my collection are the covers – vinyl cracks a lot easier than wood – they are among the Kentucky Derby champions in the Christian Kitsch LP race.

Geraldine and more wood: