A Gay/campy chronicling of daily life in NYC,with individual kernels of human truth. copyright 2011 by The Raving Queen
Friday, June 6, 2014
"Oh, Do It To Me, Big Boy! Oh, Shove It In Me, Big Boy! Big Boy! BIG BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
This is something I shout every morning, when I leave for work, with Monsieur, or return whenever I am with him. The quote is from Philip Roth's "Portnoy's Complaint," but the act is with regard to our crazy, alcoholic upstairs neighbor who lives on cigarettes and liquor, is an alcoholic, and--oh, my God--wears a mullet! I am sure there is a rap sheet in his past, but with my constant "Big Boy" outcries, Monsieur has the idea that I terrify him, Like Charles Boyer to Ingrid Bergman, in "Gaslight."
This got me thinking about the real Big Boy, the hamburger place. Do you know, I don't think I have ever been to one? Nor do I think there are any in this part of the country. I don't know why, since lots of gay men like their Big Boys, and like their meat!
The franchise was begun in 1936 in Glendale, California, the same town where Mildred Pierce and Veda lived. The movie never told us Mildred had some competition. Wonder if some of those early Big Boys were destroyed by arson. You know that Veda must have been involved!!!!!!!!!!!
The place was first called "Bob;s Pantry," owned by Bob Wian. It was here that Wian invented the Double Decker hamburger. As for Big Boy, there really was one--six year old Richard Woodruff (1932-1986), who used to come into the shop so regularly, dressed in the now familiar outfit, and Wian would call out to him, "Hello, Big Boy!" Just like me, darlings!!!!!!!!!!! How could that be anything but harmless?????????????????? This was noticed one day by a customer, Warner Bros, animator Ben Washam, who sketched a caricature of Woodruff, and the rest is history
The question remains--I have never had a Big Boy! Hamburger, I mean,
could my metabolism handle the classic Big Boy meal--a classic Big Boy Burger, fries and a chocolate shake??????????? Thirty years ago, sure! Today, I don't know! But, what is a gay man without his Big Boy???????? It is a wonder they don't expand East.
If I have one, I will report the experience. Even if it is from a hospital!
Oh, feed me good, Big Boy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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