Forced to raise cane.

You and Alan are clearly the punster kings!
Great - and funny - contribution, Rick!
I remember you saying that your Dad had hosted a kid show. How long did he do it for? How did you and your siblings feel about it?

Thanks, Deborah. The show ran for a couple of years. He hated playing straight man to a chimp and the chimp became increasingly difficult to work with, demanding better scripts and more money. No, he just got stronger and more stubborn. I was in 6th grade at the time. The show went on after school and I got a lot of mostly good-natured teasing, such as, "Better hurry home or you'll be late for your after-school job," and, "Do they pay you in bananas?" Annoying, but it subsided after a few weeks. I'm not sure how my sister was affected by it all.

I couldn't resist searching for more info about Chatter the Chimp. Is it true that there was an unfortunate incident with Chatter and a parakeet? I've read that J. Fred Muggs on the Today Show in the 1950s was difficult to work with, and I'd imagine that animals on shows like that could be downright dangerous.