As a collector of kitsch for decades now with a particular love for popular television shows, there’s nothing better than having the real thing who made the real thing in your presence. Such was the case when Susan Olsen, a.k.a. Cindy Brady, the youngest, cutest, blondest Brady in the Bunch, walked into Willis Wonderland last Friday afternoon. And she came bearing one of her signature Christmas cakes, which is how we came to know each other in the first place as she posted her kulinary kitsch koncoction in The Allee Willis Museum Of Kitsch over Christmas.
Susan spent over a month (extra kitsch point #1) making these rum soaked (extra kitsch point #2) fruit cakes (extra kitsch point #3). And her description of them was hysterical too. It was an even better sign when I saw the way she prepped her photos. In the land of kitsch, detail insets are most impressive:
I got especially excited when I saw all the snowy peach fuzz that surrounded Susan’s elves:
But the elves on the cake she brought me needed no such extra set decoration as they got down to enough business on their own:
I was actually introduced to Susan by my Facebook friend and most dedicated aKitschionado at The Allee Willis Museum Of Kitsch, Denny McClain. We made sure to give him his props before we did anything else:
Our hooking up was also facilitated by another Facebook friend, Steven Wishnoff, who accompanied Susan to Willis Wonderland. I immediately offered them a snack as I had something amazingly fitting for this most kitschous of occasions:
Any of you smart and dedicated enough to subscribe to my blog will recognize that we’re holding a piece of King’s Hawaiian Bakery Rainbow Bread that I bought a loaf of last weekend on my Sunday drive with Charles Phoenix. This is possibly my favorite food discovery of the century so far.
It was perfect as Susan actually came dressed matching the bread:
We were all most anxious to see what happened to the color swirls when the bread was toasted, hoping they would get even brighter with a little bit of heat. We were sorely disappointed:
But that didn’t stop us from slopping on some peanut butter and jelly and enjoying a delicious grill stripped rainbow mini meal.
We spent a lot of time walking around Willis Wonderland as Susan and Steven had an excellent sense of kitsch.
I had much Brady Bunch memorabilia out…
…but I stupidly forgot to ask Susan to autograph anything. Luckily, before we met she mailed me a copy of a book she co-wrote about the making of one of the most exquisitely cheesy television specials ever made, The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.
If you’ve never seen it, RUN to YouTube now!!
Thank God, Susan autographed the book so I didn’t feel tooooo bad about the missed opportunities for my aforementioned Brady treasures.
All in all, we had a most Brady day!
I’m hoping next time we get together Susan will make me one of her signature Flufftinis.
Afterall, there’s SO MUCH we see eye to eye on.
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Karen
It looks like you all had an awesome day! I grew up watching the Bradys and still watch reruns today. The cakes are truly magnificent as well as the Fluffitinis. I’m jealous, Allee you need a big red jealous button on this blog. Always great seeing your latest finds from the many museum lovers as well as now having Susan Olsen on board.
I am in kitch heaven! Oh, am sending a box your way. Been crazy crazy here and am finally getting things taken care of. Hopefully within the next week you should have a package at your stoop!
Allee Willis
I can’t stand that we can’t have a big red jealous but here at AWMOK either but we checked into it and WordPress, what this interface is built on, absolutely doesn’t allow it. The interface drives me nuts in general as there’s so much it can’t do. We’ve defeated so much of it getting it to look like this to begin with. I just wish we could push it even more, but alas…
Douglas Wood
Great post, in every way possible. Susan’s a credit to her breed (former child star) and living proof that embracing one’s own kitschiness is the key to remaining sane, and a healthy alternative to the road traveled by Danny Bonaduce/Todd Bridges/Dana Plato/Gary Coleman/Leif Garrett/The Coreys/Tatum O’Neil Insert your own 70’s fatality here.
Iamfluff
I posted on the other blog! Allee I am so honored! I think we may have to make you an honorary Brady! Douglas thank you for the compliment. That is precisely why I can’t sell a memoir – I had a happy childhood! Sure it was hard and there was a lot that wasn’t pleasant but my sad lack of tales involving rehab or incest make publishers yawn.
Allee Willis
An honorary Brady! But only if i can be in another Brady Variety Special!!
k2dtw
ALLEE, ALLEE, ALLEE….smile..
Just the BEST post… I’m so excited.
Karen
Think about it…it truly must have been hard to stay on task as a child star. I guess you just don’t live a normal childhood life and sometimes get into too much mischief. Thanks for pointing that out Douglas, we always hear about the ones that fail but what about the ones who don’t like Susan? I see the not so perfect ones show up on a celebrity roast and mock themselves (Marsha) or in celebrity rehab rebelling (Leif) and wonder was the past all worth it?
Susan, your lack of tales and Flufftinis make you more interesting than you know!!! The cakes are really neat too!
denny
This was such a fabulous post which instantly brought about smiles and copious amounts of laughter. I needed this!
The shot of the 3 of you making the “swirl toast” just killed me as you all have these looks on your faces like the 3 of you were on some mission. (I suppose you were) Well, if any activity was taking place at “Willis Wonderland” that day I am super-jealous that I could not be there to play too! Steve Wishnoff looks like someone I want to know too as his facial expressions were killing me.
I also love the picture of Susan in “my bathroom”!
Oh, I did rent “The Brady Bunch Variety” hour and Ernie and I sat here watching, with mouths hanging open and wondering why we couldn’t be up on that stage too. I rarely buy dvd’s anymore but I marched my ass over to Amazon and hit “purchase”.
Thank you Allee, thank you Susan, and thank you Steve! This was a really fun post!
BRBill
This is a great post and made me laugh first thing out of bed this morning! Susan, i do like the synchronicity of the bread and Bob Marley shirt, way cool. I can tell too much fun was had on this adventure and that’s a good thing.
Iamfluff
Ever the artist, Allee noticed that right off! She said “Oh your shirt matches the bread!” She had yet to bring the bread out so I didn’t know what she was talking about. My son said “Hey Mom did you wear that shirt because it matched the bread?” I told him I did, I want him to think I’m that clever.
He knows better:-)
windupkitty
Oh man, what great post!!! I can’t wait for the jealous button tomorrow cause I’m pushing the hell out of that thing for one of those christmas cakes!!! Ya know, I think even dreamed about them after your first post!!! Those elves are very naughty…apparently the booze has gotten to them!
The toast pictures are truly hilarious!! YOu guys slay me!!! and the shirt matching thing…wow, that’s just fate….Fluff you truly were always my favorite Brady and obviously that’s only increased a billion fold after your appearance on the AWMOK!!!!!!!!
My dad just got a million times better after reading this post..thanks for that you guys!!!!!!!!! :D
windupkitty
hahha…my DAY….not my dad, but then, who knows?! :D