Weebles is a trademark for several lines of children’s roly-poly toys originating in Hasbro’s Playskool division on July 23, 1971. Shaped like eggs with a weight at the fat, or bottom end, they wobble when pushed, but never fall completely over, hence the name and the slogan “weebles wobble, but they don’t fall down.” Some Weebles were designed to look like humans. The popular catchphrase, “Weebles wobble but they don’t fall down,” was used in advertising during their rise in popularity in the 1970’s and during the relaunch in the 2000’s.
With this being said, it is now my duty to inform you on my personal history/experience with the weeble wobble and its significance in my life.
It was just your average Texas night in the Church Canyon house. With Tara's cough worsening and days away from a hospital visit, sleep was hard for her to come by, resulting in her embarking on another ambien trip. Now, for those of you who don't know, my roommate on ambien has got to be one of God's greatest gifts to humor and entertainment. Stories had long started to develop of her on ambien and word was spreading quickly of just how hilarious moments like these were. With most of the people I wanted to share these moments with in California, we decided to start recording her using her new Macbook. Our video blogging had already taken way, but ambien nights started a whole other chapter.
Earlier that day, Tara had been arguing with me about how she was "totally fine" the night before when she had taken an ambien and that she was totally normal. She would head to bed about 9:00 and then I would always, without a doubt, hear her in the kitchen about 11:00 either pouring some sort of chocolate cereal for the 3rd time that day (due to lack of other necessities) or mixing jelly and cottage cheese. When I asked her where she got the bruise on her arm from she replies, "I don't know." She may not know, but I do. It was because she ran into the wall while trying to get to the kitchen. The thud I heard was evidence enough. To prove my point and stop her from giving me lip, I told her that when she took ambien next that we were going to record her throughout the evening. Little did she know, history was to be made. In all fairness, I did warn her.
Night of the incident.
Tara takes her ambien and gives me fair warning. When I notice it start to kick in, I immediately grab her computer. With her green Colorado sweatshirt on and black framed glasses, we start recording. After the first video made, we engage in some Sex and the City and pretend to do our homework together. An hour or so goes by and I notice Tara walking as if she had just stepped off of a boat, rocking back and forth. I took her sea legs as a sure sign it was time for the final round. Once again, I grab her computer and get ready to record. At this point, I finally get her in her room in her bed (which was NOT an easy task, mind you) and we are recording from there. I felt like a nervous mother, watching her take each step, knowing that a faceplant was surely in the near future. I ask her to get her charger and plug it into the computer because the battery was low which could have been a disaster. She leans over to grab it, and almost knocks everything over in sight. My heart drops and I tell her to get the hell in bed before she kills herself. I press the record button and it beings.
V: "So... Tara. How are you feeling?"
T: "I'm feeling pretty good."
V: "Did you see how you almost killed yourself when you leaned over just now."
T: "I did not!!!" (Mind you this was said with the biggest attitude EVER!)
V: "Bullshit, Tara!"
T: "Okay, well, maybe you're right. But I'm like a weeble wobble, Veronica. Weeble wobbles weeble but they don't fall down. I can't fall over."
*I shove her over on her bed, just out of spite.*
T: "See. I told you. I'm a weeble wobble!"
With this night begins a long history of parallels, comparissons, metaphores, and similies of life and webble wobbles in and of themselves.
One night in a not-so-sober state of mind, Tara and I have a long, heartfelt talk in the backyard about life and how similar it is to a weeble wobble. Life will test you to see what you're made of, and when that wind blows you either learn to bend or you break. But if you're a weeble wobble, breaking is never an option, just bending over and rolling around only to pop right back up again without ever falling down. The weeble wobble is a symbol of strength in mine and Tara's eyes. With aspirations of having a firm, steady base to hold us down, nothing with knock us over or bring us down.
I often wonder if the creators of the weeble wobble had deeper intentions rather than making a toy that can never be knocked down by a toddler. Did they know what a metaphore they were creating? Were they molding the minds of youth before society could get ahold of them?
I hope you've taken as much from the weeble wobble as Tara and I have. My life changed the drunken night Tara and I discovered the meaning of life via weeble wobble. Long live the weeble wobble!
Take that, Mattel!
(Weeble Wobble history courtesy of Wikipedia.)
