HO HO HO, Green Giant Dies - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Cynthetiq · 10-27-2005, 04:00 AM

Quote:

The Voice of the Jolly Green Giant Dies at Age 80

Elmer "Len" Dresslar Jr. periodically re-recorded the "Ho, Ho, Ho" for Jolly Green Giant commercials.

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (Oct. 26) - Elmer "Len" Dresslar Jr., who extolled generations of TV watchers to eat their vegetables as the booming voice of the Jolly Green Giant, has died. He was 80.

Dresslar died Oct. 16 of cancer, according to daughter Teri Bennett.

Dresslar was an entertainer and singer for nearly six decades. But his voice rang through millions of households when he sang the simple refrain, "Ho, Ho, Ho," in an ad jingle for Green Giant foods.

"His was the most consistent and most frequent voice of the Jolly Green Giant over the years, the one consumers are going to recognize," said Tara Johnson, a spokeswoman for General Mills, which owns Green Giant Co.

Dresslar, a Kansas native, moved to Chicago with his wife in the early 1950s to study voice after touring with a production of "South Pacific." By the 1960s, the Navy veteran had carved out a career singing in clubs, on television and in advertising jingles.

He recorded 15 albums with The Singers Unlimited jazz group and appeared on the CBS television show "In Town Tonight" from 1955 to 1960. He and his wife, Dorothy, retired to Palm Springs in 1991.

Ad jingles were the most consistent part of his career, and he landed roles for Rice Krispies cereal, Marlboro cigarettes, Amoco oil and Dinty Moore canned beef stew.

He periodically re-recorded the "Ho, Ho, Ho" for Jolly Green Giant commercials, most recently about 10 years ago.

Bennett said her father auditioned for the Green Giant job without any idea his baritone would become so recognizable.

"He never got tired of it," she said. "If nothing else, it put my sister and I through college."

10-26-05 01:57 EDT

well, I grew up with this guy basically reminding me about vegatables....

between him and voice of Tony the Tiger (They're GREAT!!!) being lost... my childhood slowly slips away...

ngdawg · 10-27-2005, 05:02 AM

The time of distinguishable characters as representatives of a product is slowly fading away. Growing up with the Jolly Green Giant, Tony, Charlie the Tuna, Snap, Crackle and Pop and even Speedy Alka-Seltzer(although I don't quite remember all those commercials, they were around when I was a child) has been replaced with growing up with Bob Dylan, Kansas, etc., as background music while some clear, yet plain voice tells you what they're touting.
And when these obits do hit the news, I think 'Gee, I thought he'd be like 100 years old', we were so used to them being a part of life.
Yep, more pieces of childhood lost in time....

Slyboots · 10-27-2005, 03:15 PM

I don't remember seeming him much of his commercial while I was growing up but I do remember seeing some stuff. Few weeks ago I think the there was a show that was showing old commercials. The ones were he is made out of clay. He will be missed.
*salutes*

Rodney · 10-27-2005, 03:53 PM

Well, I'm older, so I remember the GGG really well, thank you, along with his obnoxious little animated elves.

But you're right, ngdawg, advertising characters really aren't there anymore. The ad campaigns change too fast, and a single company might have several campaigns anymore and even reposition its products from year to year. So having a standard character who's the "voice of" your product isn't so common. Oh, Poppin' Fresh is still hanging in there, but I haven't seen a Maytag Repairman commercial in years; probably because Maytag's gone into the toilet. A while ago Cheetos had a cartoon cheetah in a series of ads, but again I haven't seen it lately.

If you're _really_ old, you remember automobile ad campaigns with continuing live characters. Dodge had a couple -- the fat Southern sherrif who kept pulling over young guys in Dodges because they were "racing cars," ('Yo in a heapa trouble, boy', was his catchphrase), and even a skinny young blonde in the '60s who commanded us all to "Join the Dodge Rebellion."

Kid's commercials still feature a few recognizable characters, mainly for cereal. Think I saw the Lucky Charms elf not too long ago, or was I dreaming?

Ustwo · 10-27-2005, 11:30 PM

Thank fucking GOD they are being used less, they are obnoxious.

It’s a good way to target kids, but you aren’t going to sell me toilet paper by having adds with a fluffy teddybear as some sort of reminder of how soft their paper is on my rectum. The same goes to any number of products that have some anthropomorphic abomination as a spokesthing.

lindalove · 10-27-2005, 11:38 PM

How sad. RIP, JGG.

It occurs to me that I cannot even think of a handful of commercial characters that are still on anymore... mostly breakfast cereals, I guess. Tony the Tiger, Toucan Sam, Lucky the Leprecaun...

Who else?

smooth · 10-28-2005, 03:03 AM

that's odd, I couldn't figure out why my friend wanted to be the green giant for halloween. I'm going to make sure he knows, just in case it's a coincidence and might offend some people (who the hell knows these days).

ShaniFaye · 10-28-2005, 03:25 AM

I remember him

have ya'll seen that commerical (cant remember what its for) where it has a lot of "characters" Mr. Clean, the mortons salt girl, Charlie Tuna and a whole bunch of others I cant remember at the moment

maleficent · 10-28-2005, 03:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ustwo

It’s a good way to target kids, but you aren’t going to sell me toilet paper by having adds with a fluffy teddybear as some sort of reminder of how soft their paper is on my rectum.

And Mr Whipple asking you to please don't squeeze the charmin encouraged buying ofthe product?

10-27-2005, 05:02 AM	#2 (permalink)
ngdawg peekaboo Location: on the back, bitch	The time of distinguishable characters as representatives of a product is slowly fading away. Growing up with the Jolly Green Giant, Tony, Charlie the Tuna, Snap, Crackle and Pop and even Speedy Alka-Seltzer(although I don't quite remember all those commercials, they were around when I was a child) has been replaced with growing up with Bob Dylan, Kansas, etc., as background music while some clear, yet plain voice tells you what they're touting. And when these obits do hit the news, I think 'Gee, I thought he'd be like 100 years old', we were so used to them being a part of life. Yep, more pieces of childhood lost in time.... __________________ Don't blame me. I didn't vote for either of'em.

10-27-2005, 03:15 PM	#3 (permalink)
Slyboots Tilted Location: Newbury Park, California	I don't remember seeming him much of his commercial while I was growing up but I do remember seeing some stuff. Few weeks ago I think the there was a show that was showing old commercials. The ones were he is made out of clay. He will be missed. salutes __________________ "Ah, yes, divorce......., from the Latin word meaning to rip out a man's genitals through his wallet." -- Robin Williams

10-27-2005, 11:30 PM	#5 (permalink)
Ustwo Pissing in the cornflakes	Thank fucking GOD they are being used less, they are obnoxious. It’s a good way to target kids, but you aren’t going to sell me toilet paper by having adds with a fluffy teddybear as some sort of reminder of how soft their paper is on my rectum. The same goes to any number of products that have some anthropomorphic abomination as a spokesthing. __________________ Agents of the enemies who hold office in our own government, who attempt to eliminate our "freedoms" and our "right to know" are posting among us, I fear.....on this very forum. - host Obama - Know a Man by the friends he keeps.

10-28-2005, 03:03 AM	#7 (permalink)
smooth Junkie Location: Right here	that's odd, I couldn't figure out why my friend wanted to be the green giant for halloween. I'm going to make sure he knows, just in case it's a coincidence and might offend some people (who the hell knows these days). __________________ "The theory of a free press is that truth will emerge from free discussion, not that it will be presented perfectly and instantly in any one account." -- Walter Lippmann "You measure democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists." -- Abbie Hoffman

10-28-2005, 03:25 AM	#8 (permalink)
ShaniFaye Submit to me, you know you want to Location: Lilburn, Ga	I remember him have ya'll seen that commerical (cant remember what its for) where it has a lot of "characters" Mr. Clean, the mortons salt girl, Charlie Tuna and a whole bunch of others I cant remember at the moment __________________ *I want the diabetic plan that comes with rollover carbs. I dont like the unused one expiring at midnite!!*

10-27-2005, 03:53 PM	#4 (permalink)
Rodney Observant Ruminant Location: Rich Wannabe Hippie Town	Well, I'm older, so I remember the GGG really well, thank you, along with his obnoxious little animated elves. But you're right, ngdawg, advertising characters really aren't there anymore. The ad campaigns change too fast, and a single company might have several campaigns anymore and even reposition its products from year to year. So having a standard character who's the "voice of" your product isn't so common. Oh, Poppin' Fresh is still hanging in there, but I haven't seen a Maytag Repairman commercial in years; probably because Maytag's gone into the toilet. A while ago Cheetos had a cartoon cheetah in a series of ads, but again I haven't seen it lately. If you're _really_ old, you remember automobile ad campaigns with continuing live characters. Dodge had a couple -- the fat Southern sherrif who kept pulling over young guys in Dodges because they were "racing cars," ('Yo in a heapa trouble, boy', was his catchphrase), and even a skinny young blonde in the '60s who commanded us all to "Join the Dodge Rebellion." Kid's commercials still feature a few recognizable characters, mainly for cereal. Think I saw the Lucky Charms elf not too long ago, or was I dreaming?

10-27-2005, 11:38 PM	#6 (permalink)
lindalove Registered User	How sad. RIP, JGG. It occurs to me that I cannot even think of a handful of commercial characters that are still on anymore... mostly breakfast cereals, I guess. Tony the Tiger, Toucan Sam, Lucky the Leprecaun... Who else?