Dash Riprock was a character on Beverly Hillbillies. Here he is, played by Larry Pennell, in a skit that also features the great comedienne, Nancy Kulp:
The creators of Beverly Hillbillies originally wanted to name the prototype Riprock character Homer Noodleman.
Pennell, who had earlier starred in what may have been one of the ten worst TV series flops of all time - Ripcord (we actually got one of the Ripcord parachute guy toys for my younger brother Gene for his birthday in 1962) - was a spoof on stars like Rock Hudson and Tab Hunter, and probably a riff on characters such as Kookie, from 77 Sunset Strip. The character Kookie's full name in the series was Gerald Lloyd Kookson, III.Hmmmm.... Dash RIPROCK III, Gerald Lloyd Kookson III.... a coincidence? I think so.
But a real weird tie-in between the Dash Riprock character of old and the one who may be stalking Progressive Alaska, is Nancy Kulp's tie-in to the new Riprock's mantra, posted at the top of his web site:
Dedicated to Bitter Small Town Americans Who Cling to Their Guns and Religion
This new Riprock is obviously referring to a statement made by President Obama, while campaigning in California early last year:
"You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them..
"And they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not.
"It's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."
Nancy Kulp, the original Riprock's secret desire, ran for congress in one of the Pennsylvania Congressional Districts referred to by Obama - The 9th, in 1984. That seat is now occupied by Bill Schuster, who inherited it from his dad, Bud, who defeated Nancy.
Cue Twilight Zone theme? Not yet.....
So this internet character, Dash Riprock III, has a web site called The Hooterville Gazette, and a niche at Townhall.Com. He checked into my life early Sunday, in the comment thread to An Open Letter to John Ziegler:
Ah Yes, the venerable Mr. Munger. Why am I not surprised at your thoughts on John Ziegler? Not many understand that you started all that Palin Dinosaur nonsense. I've been watching for you since then. Loved that YouTube video of you delivering those poems. Did you affect a lot of social change with that???
I'm not even going to conduct a vote. You are The Hooterville Gazette's Idiot of 2008.
So, we kept corresponding over he course of yesterday. Checking him out, the guy adores Sarah Palin and John Ziegler - not necessarily in that order. He also appears to despise my young friend, Max Blumenthal.
I was hoping the award was real. Homer Noodleman III may actually award it to me. The real ones I got last year already are tied between the very real and prestigious, and the somewhat real and almost humorous.
This award - Hooterville Gazette Idiot of 2008, will have to go into a new category. He wanted a picture of me, so I sent him a few I found on the web.
image - Larry Pennell and Ken Curtis in Ripcord