Night Comfort With Tom LaBrie
Tom LaBrie is a man’s man and a ladies man. He’s a man with a form fitting, wide collared shirt and slim, flared pants. He’s a man with a moustache and an unfortunate haircut. Tom LaBrie is also a man on a mission, and that mission is to get you into the squishy embrace of a fabulous new waterbed. Tom LaBrie made his pitch as the host of “Night Comfort Theater” on Sacramento-based UHF station KTXL in the 1970s and ’80s. In soft, sultry tones he hypnotizes the viewer, his words washing over them like warm, honeyed laudanum, enveloping them in their easy chairs, beckoning them to taste the aqueous pleasures his waterbed warehouse has to offer. Like a polyester siren, his song is nigh irresistible to all but the most steadfast insomniac Odysseus.
November 13th, 2009 at 12:32 am
Don’t know what it is about local Sacramento advertising, but this reminds me of another ad which dominated my childhood: Cal Worthington Ford ads, with the jingle “go see Cal go see Cal go see Cal” repeated over footage of Cal wearing a cowboy hat and doing kitschy things to sell cars, such as this one inexplicably featuring a circus seal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGEYCsvPJzw
November 13th, 2009 at 11:02 am
Holy crap Tom La Brie, late night waterbed diva! I totally met that guy when I was selling action figures at the toy fair next to his store. He was selling his 10,00+ hot wheels collection and I asked if I could take a picture with him. His late night spots were unintentionally hilarious and I used to stay up super late when I was a kid just to see them.
November 13th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
OMG! Heather! “It’s Cal Worthington and his dog Spot!” That dude is a tacky, exotic animal-exploiting LEGEND.
My entire elementary school misinterpreted “go see Cal” and we’d run around during recess singing “PUSSYCOW, PUSSYCOW, PUSSYCOW” at the top of our lungs.
Turns out we weren’t the only ones who misheard him. ;)
November 13th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Thanks for posting this “tribute” to the Central Valley waterbed king. Where is he today? I totally remember his ads – polyester, open shirts and gold chains. He and Cal Worthington are legends. OK maybe that’s not the right word… Thanks for the memories.
November 14th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
I too am a child of the Central Valley. Unfortunately I’m too young to have experienced the sultry voice of Tom LaBrie, but I’m very familiar with the beloved misinterpretation of Cal Worthington’s jingle.
I’ll admit that I didn’t even realize they weren’t saying “pussycow” until a couple years ago.
Not exclusive to the Sacramento area, but a jewel nonetheless, was Paul from the Diamond Center. I’m sure we all remember the “Credit Man” commercials featuring Paul in a tux being carried by four women.
CBS-5 did a nice 5 minute “where is he now” type spot on him.
http://cbs5.com/video/[email protected]
November 17th, 2009 at 9:16 am
See, when you said “waterbed warehouse” I thought you were talking about his no-doubt thrilling den of seduction. But no, you actually mean waterbed warehouse. Where does one go to even shop for a waterbed these days?