Monday, July 28, 2014

"Who Loves Ya Baby?"

If you're talking vintage tea towels, in particular this one:


Kojak - The Lollypop Cop, MCA 1975, Irish linen by Ulster

I do!

Actually "love is too weak a word for what I feel" I "luff" it, "two F's"! 

Alvy singer to Annie, Annie Hall, 1977. I'm paraphrasing.

(I've used this quote before, I know, but I'm not sorry because I luff it)

Do you luff it (the tea towel and the quote) too?

As most of you know, I've got a lot of vintage tea towels, but I think it's safe to say, none of them are as cool as this one.
Anthony found it in an op-shop this morning. It cost ten dollars - a fortune as far as my expenditure on vintage tea towels is concerned - but worth every cent IMO. Yours?

My parents wouldn't let me watch Kojak when it was on telly (October 1973 - March 1978)
they thought it was too violent, the stuff of childhood nightmares etc (they had five kids - they needed their sleep!) 
so I was at a complete loss when I started High School and saw all (well it seemed like that to me) the girls in my year sucking on Chupa Chups at recess. The rich ones, on two or three at once!
Sheltered and deprived, and jealous. That was me at twelve, watching the cool kids, munching on an...apple.
Feeling sorry for me? Well don't, because now I've got a Kojak tea towel, na-na na-na naaaaa! So suck on that...baby!

I'm sure the "who loves ya baby?" line was trotted out too. It all sounds a bit lame and cringe-worthy when I look back on it, but that's the way things were in 1978, until the Great Coca-Cola Yo-Yo Craze of '79. 
(me walking the dog? yeah, right!)

Would you dry your dishes on a face like this?

Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak (Telly Savalas)


Thanks for reading, love ya baby(ies) x

p.s. did you know the Chupa Chups logo was designed by Salvador Dali? In 1969? Well you do now! 






20 comments:

  1. Kylie...I didn't even know vintage tea towels were a 'thing' until I started reading your blog and Zara's blog. Now I find myself looking for them in op-shops but rarely see them. I remember buying cappuccino Chupa Chups in high school thinking it was oh so cool. This tea towel is very cool too x

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  2. That's hilarious and deffo deserves pride of place. It's looking great in the pic - what is the finish on that wall - looks like concrete (be still my beating heart)?

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  3. I'd did NOT know that. But I do now, thank you! And yes, I do luff the tea towel and the quote. I remember Kojak being on the telly, and all the dreadful "who loves ya?" impressions, but I'm not sure I ever watched it - since we're the same age, I was probably not allowed for the same reasons as you! I was more a Starsky and Hutch girl, so if you ever find a tea towel with those two on, I'll be soooo jealous! Xxxx

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  4. I had a Fanta yo-yo - did a yo-yo demonstrator come to your school to flog them to kids? Ah, the innocent pleasures. And broken windows.
    That tea towel wins all tea towel competitions hands down. *Amazing*

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  5. I definitely luffs it. And I hate to make you jealous, but I did get to watch it - but then I'm older than you. Like Curtise, though, Starsky and Hutch (mainly Starsky) was my favourite. I love/luff the Salvador Dali fact. xx

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  6. Goodness now this character is a blast from the past :-) I never knew they put him on tea towels I agree to special to put away :-) Makes you smile . dee x

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  7. I was in my mid-20s when Kojak first aired, and the series ended the year I had my daughter...just to put things into perspective! :)

    I think most Americans think Kojak was eating Tootsie Pops. Do you have those in Australia? If not, they're lollipops with a chewy chocolate center. We also have Chupa Chups, but the only ones I've ever seen were a lot smaller than Tootsie Pops. Your post fascinated me so much that I did some reading on the topic and found out that in the UK a Kojak lollipop was cola flavored with a center of cola bubblegum. A company called Four Star Candy actually came out with assorted flavored Kojak Pops in 1975. How's that for obsessive researching? LOL

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  8. Gold! Post full of pop culture, art, reminiscences and history. I think the $10 is a good investment and I predict the price will go higher. You know what I DO luff? The hanging idea! How great is that, you can simply change and feature your textile art as desired in all it's pure glory. No damage from pins, no frames just pure changing art! I loves you baby

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  9. I luff anything from Annie Hall and I did sneak a few episodes of Kojak because my parents had nine so they were always asleep on the couch. If we were really quiet we could crawl in and catch a bit of Number 96 from under the dining room table.
    Telly is the bomb. So is Anth for finding it. You should hang it above your conjugal sleeping spot!

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  10. PS See that yellow on the cupboard that photobombed Telly? Do you recall the paint colour as I have a cabinet screaming for some yellow but soft- just like that?

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  11. Worth every cent! Very fancy indeed! You know you've made it when they put your mug on a teatowel.. And, I've missed you. I'm very happy to see your post. Leax

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  12. I don't want to rub salt in the wound, but I DID watch it. My parents obviously didn't care! We watched them all, Starsky and Hutch, the Rockford files, the Sweeney...I still like a cop show. But hey, let's get back to the tea towel. Excellent! I luff it toooo. Fascinating fact of the day, that. Salvador Dali? Crazy. Luff it! Xxxx

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  13. Thanks Anthony to find this towel. Mr. Lollipop is worth every cent. Watched the series as a student in the 90ies, because I was to young in the early 70ies. My kiddies love the ChubbaChubs who are coloring their tongue in black or deep blue. XO, Ria

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  14. I don't even know who that guy is but my dad used to say that "who loves ya baby?" line all the time! I have horrid luck finding tea towels and I'm jealous!

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  15. Great score by Anthony! $10 - well, sometimes you've gotta throw some money at the situation and get it done. I reckon it's def worth it. Uber cool.xx

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  16. Not too much my friend. I think it is an odd tea towel to find in Australia but lucky you! Great pop art quality. And, our friend Dana is easily distracted. But we resemble that remark!

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  17. I did watch Kojak although I probably wasn't old enough, that's a great tea towel and I never knew the Salvador Dali connection .

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  18. You know, I sort of can't believe my eyes. Who would have thought of putting Kojak...on a tea towel? Surely the most surreal juxtaposition of image and function? I am so glad it exists. And so glad it is yours. What a strange a beautiful world it is!

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  19. I've never watched Kojak. I was never allowed to watch Happy Days, but was forced to watch years worth of MASH. God I hate MASH. If there was a MASH tea-towel I'd wipe the floors with it! Love ya blog!

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  20. Oh my god oh my god ! (yep I know thats taking the lords name in vain apologies to anyone offended by it cos I'm gonna say it again )
    OMG that is adorable...
    Daizeee jay xx

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