It occurred to me that I have never addressed why i find manners to be so important. I grew up in a household with a very relaxed set of manners, we had to ask to be excused from the dinner table and no elbows on the table, of course. Every family has their own set of rules, my family was no different and it was not until i was an adult that i found social etiquette and dining etiquette to be so important. I know some find it boring, but some have been able to make light of etiquette rules and believe it or not, Pee Wee Herman was able to do just that.
The first time I saw a Coronet Instructional Film was coincidentally the first time i watched the Pee Wee Herman Show. The very first televised episode of the Pee Wee Herman show was aired in the early 80's on HBO. It was a hilarious spoof on children's variety t.v. programs from the 1950's. In the 40's and 50's there was a company, Coronet, who produced educational films that aired in schools across the United States. Perhaps in the 40's, 50's and 60's these films were more relevant, but today they are quite comical. In Pee Wee's variety show he showed a Coronet Instructional Film, called "Lunchroom Manners.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XGG1NouAzg
Even though over twenty years have passed since this episode of the Pee Wee Herman show has aired, whenever I see an example of bad manners I think of "Mr. Bungle." Perhaps if this blog takes off and becomes viral I will have t-shirts printed with "what would Mr. bungle do?" I hope you will find this video as comical as I do and perhaps you will catch yourself reciting, "what would Mr. bungle do?"
