August 9, 1944

On THIS DAY IN TWISTED-HISTORY! in 1944, Smokey T. Bear was awarded the job as National Spokesman for Fire Prevention. Yogi T. Bear and Felonious “Booboo” Bear stormed out of the naming ceremony in Washington, D.C., when Secretary of State Harold LeClair Ickes opened the envelope and announced “The Spokes-animal for National Fire Prevention is Smokey Theodorous Bear!”. Outside the Willard Hotel, where the event was held, Bugs Bunny and Donald Duck were sharing a Lucky Strike when they heard Booboo cry and tell Yogi that he “did” things to help him win the award. Yogi was heard to reply that they both “did” things and he just needed to shut his little bitch mouth up.

Yogi and Booboo were later found working as “hosts” at a ‘gentleman’s’ after-hours friendship club in Hollywood, along with their friends, Carl “Papa” Bear and Cindy Bear, while they auditioned to get work as animal extras at both the Disney and Warner Brother’s cartoon studios. It wasn’t until 1958 when the newest of the cartoon studios, Hanna Barbera, opened and was willing to give Yogi and Booboo a chance on the Huckleberry Hound Show. This proved to be the big break Yogi and Booboo needed, as the American public loved them. Yogi got his own show in 1961 and his trademarked, “Hello, Mr. Ranger, Sir!” and “Let’s go steal a pic-a-nic basket, BooBoo,” became American Iconic sayings and put Hanna Barbera on the cartoon map and made millions for all concerned.

From the unauthorized autobiography, “Yogi and Booboo, The Ursine Godfather”, it was learned that Carl Bear was very unhappy and disgruntled, as Yogi and Booboo had promised to get all their bear buddies work when they hit it big. Carl became angrier and desperate when Yogi hired Cindy Bear, but refused to even return his telephone calls. Carl “Papa” Bear disappeared in 1962 after he’d tried to sell some incriminating photos of Booboo and Yogi at the ‘gentlemen’s friendship club’ and it was suspected that the Rugg family from Arkansas (Paw, Maw, Floral, and Shag) had taken him to the woods. Winnie the Pooh said years later (after the Rugg’s were all in prison) that the Rugg family was the scariest bunch of bears he’d ever met and that when they’d look at you, you knew they weren’t thinking about honey or hibernating.

About Joel Byers

Born in North Georgia and educated at some very fine public institutions. Real education started after graduating from college and then getting married and raising two boys. Has the ability to see the funny and absurd in most things and will always remark on it, even if it means getting the stink-eye from his victims.
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