that face

Back in the 1960s, about a decade before "Saturday Night Live," NBC had another skit-comedy series that was also political - namely, "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In." This is the show that has the dubious distinction of trivializing the presidency, courtesy of an appearance by Richard Nixon, no less, who was all too happy to exclaim, "Sock it to me! Sock it to me!"

And "Saturday Night Live" has gleefully followed in its footsteps.

"Laugh-In" had a terrific cast of newcomers on the edge of stardom - Goldie Hawn, Lily Tomlin, Henry Gibson, Eileen Brennan, Jo Anne Worley, Arte Johnson, Ruth Buzzi,Judy Carne,  Dave Madden, Chelsea Brown and Alan Sues, in addition to hosts Dick Martin and Dan Rowan - the New Martin & Lewis.

I bring up "Laugh-In" at this late juncture because it's been rattling in the mind ever since the new look-alike First Family took over the White House.  Specifically, I've been having memories of one of the show's recurring skits called The Farkle Family - about a clan whose kids all have the same damn face.

Frank and Fannie Farkle were the parents and their eight kids were ... Sparkle Farkle and her black twin Charcoal, another set of twins named Simon & Gar Farkle, Mark Farkle, Fritz Farkle, Flicker Farkle, and Fred Farkle. They all had red hair and the same freckled face, even Charcoal.

But unlike The First Kids, the Farkle kids didn't have their father's face.  No, they were dead-ringers for Ferd Berfel, the man who lived next door.

It's time NBC brought The Farkle Family out of the mothballs, perhaps making it a part of "Saturday Night Live." It's too relevant to ignore.
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~top: The First Family

~center: The Farkle Family