In Search of T-shirt Worthy Stars
— -- Monday, Tuesday, Happy Days …Thursday, Friday, Happy Days …
When I was a kid, all it took was the start of the Happy Days theme song to drive me into a frenzy. The show would begin and I'd have just seconds to adjust the TV antenna, shake up a Yoo-hoo, and pull on my beloved Henry Winkler T-shirt.
Pardon me for the nostalgia trip back to my house back in the mid-1970s, but I have reason for getting a little nostalgic. The Fonz actually paid us a visit the other day at ABC Radio.
These days, Winkler is on the Emmy-winning series Arrested Development, and he's a spokesman for "Heart to Heart," the American Heart Association's cholesterol-screening campaign. So he's got plenty to talk about.
Although he was sporting a blazer instead of a brown leather jacket, just one look at him took me back to my all-time favorite show, to my frosty chocolate drink and my prized possession — the T-shirt.
Mind you, it wasn't just the coolness of the Fonz. It was Winkler with his feathered hair, leaning against a tree. Back then, he was the ultimate hottie, although he would be trumped a few years later by Leif Garrett on Family and, of course, Rick Springfield on General Hospital.
Seeing Winkler made me realize that his was the last face I actually wore on a T-shirt. Unfortunately, my grandmother ironed over the appliqué and turned his perfect hair into a scorched, pointy bald spot.
The thing is, even if I were even considering another run at wearing clothes featuring a TV character, there's not one I can think of that warrants a prized spot on my chest, or elsewhere for that matter.
Am I going to wear Bachelor paraphernalia? The guys change more frequently than fashion warrants, and they never stay with the girl. Not admirable!
Shall I don duds with a picture of Tony Soprano? He's hardly one to look up to, and quite frankly, James Gandolfini only fits on a shirt if the person wearing it matches his girth. But don't tell him I said that.