For those of you too young to recognize it, there is another element of subtle bathos here. The motto of the original Yogi Bear’s eatery:
“How Sweet It Is”
is stolen, if you will. It is a (no doubt untrademarked) trademark phrase of comedian and actor Jackie Gleason, a hugely popular star of the mostly black-and-white '50’s and '60’s evening prime-time live variety show TV - The Jackie Gleason Show.
This was must-see TV in my parent’s house, and most of the country. The show opened with a monologue by Jackie, where he would be sitting down and sipping his “coffee” which he insinuated (and was likely to be) a big shot of booze. After a big gulp, and a grimace, he would strike this amazing pose and in a raspy voice say “… Smooth!..” or “…How sweet it is!..”.
A often-seen return skit character of the show was Ralph Kramden, the Brooklyn bus driver, was spun into the comedic hit show The Honeymooners.
If you have not partaken of the comic genius (and I don’t use the term lightly) of Jackie Gleason … run, don’t walk, to a Youtube or a DVD collection. His work is a big part of early television Americana.
