I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together

It is so oddly heartwarming to know that I turned 50 the same year as the beloved The Carol Burnett Show.

Growing up I idolized both Burnett and her fellow comedienne Lucille Ball. To me, they were the ultimate outliers, the kind of woman I yearned to be just like. Their powers lay not in how well they dressed or how clean they kept their homes - the only standards of womanhood that seemed to matter to the people I was surrounded by - but in their ability to make others laugh. The power to be smart and aware while using comedy to express your ideas and beliefs. They taught me that humor could be a way to share your hopes and dreams, as well as fears.

Their brand of humor was always self-deprecating which I greatly admired. It was never cruel, nor condescending. It wasn’t mean or nasty or at someone else’s expense, but rather they always made themselves, ultimately, the butt of the joke. Their comedic timing and their physical humor were unparalleled. To see such beautiful women trip and fall or purposefully make themselves look foolish in any number of ways was a revelation.

Burnett, in particular, had the incredible ability to take on multiple personas - rich, hilarious characters that were always uniquely her own. She was gorgeous, yet seemed to be completely oblivious to that fact. I loved that.

When I was very young, 5 or 6 years old, and my parents were out for the night, I would sneak out of my room and sit on the stairs, out of view of my grandmother, who would be watching the Carol Burnett Show downstairs. There was no sleeping if I knew her show was on. I just couldn’t get enough of it. I enjoyed her ensemble cast and how they worked so beautifully together as a team. I admired how she would come out and talk with the audience, taking their questions. Even her sign-off song thanked them for spending a bit of their time with her.

She truly loved and respected her fans and the feeling was mutual. It still is after all these years.

#carolburnett #television #cbs