As Long as I’m ‘Tube-Diving …
… check out this surprisingly serious, sad, sweet little Ernest number from Ernest Goes to Camp. Yeah, you read that right. I saw it as a teenager, and even though over-the-top physical comedy isn’t my thing, I’m quite sure the user comment at IMDB is correct that it’s the funniest of the Ernest movies. Battered, pathetic Jim Varney is credible and lovable here as the fallen hero, and the song itself is so catchy that I spent literally years with a fragment floating in and out of my mind from time to time … “Gee, I’m glad it’s rainin’ … now dammit, how does the rest of that song go?” I thought I’d never find out, because I didn’t really want to know badly enough to rent an Ernest movie. Behold the wonders of YouTube for reviving sad songs from the zany-movie genre.
Jim Varney died of lung cancer in 2000. He was a funny guy who did some very good things:
When given the chance to have a lifelong dream fulfilled by such groups as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, several hundred terminally ill children have asked to meet Ernest. He never let them down.
RIP, Slinky Dog.
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Varney was, IMHO, an underrated comedic talent. I don’t remeber seeing any of the “Ernest” movies (and if I did, I’m sure it was on a cable channel somewhere), but I thought his “Hey Vern” commercials were a riot from the first time I saw them. I also thought he did a pretty decent job as Jed Clampett in the Beverly Hillbillies remake.
Comment by ProphetJoe — February 26, 2007 @ 1:04 pm
I don’t think I saw much of his stuff ever except Ernest Goes to Camp and one other Ernest movie which I remember as pretty bad. But I liked Ernest Goes to Camp at the time that I saw it. Maybe I’ll give it another try sometime.
Comment by Anwyn — February 26, 2007 @ 1:14 pm
I first remember him from an ill-fated / short-lived (ABC?) sitcom called “The Rousters” in the early 80’s. He played a character named “Evan Earp”, brother of “Wyatt Earp III” — and he and his brother ran a carnival as their day job. I don’t remember much about the show, other than that Varney’s character was (obviously?) a total goofball who loved practical jokes, including hiding mousetraps in places you’d least expect. I think my favorite part of that show was its theme song.
Comment by Daddyman — February 26, 2007 @ 3:44 pm