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July 8, 2005
"Eto ya, Cheburashka!"
Oj! I'd bought a Cheburashka DVD at Brighton Beach a couple of weeks ago but only just got around to watching it last night. My posture slumped, my face took on a soft expression of utter idiocy, I squeaked several times...cuteness explosion!
For the uninitiated: Cheburashka is found in a crate of oranges, rejected from the zoo for being of an unidentifiable species, and put to work standing in a bargain-store window display. He's given a telephone booth to live in, where he stares sadly at a spinning top for "entertainment". (Check out his grim living situation here.) When, at the end of the first episode, his friends offer him a new home, he suggests the Little House for Friends be used as a kindergarten instead, where he volunteers to work as a toy! Collective "Aww", everyone!
(Wikipedia entry on our furry friend. Vasya has a Russian-language fansite with absurdist jokes, children's competitions and adorable audio clips.)
The Cheburashka ensemble also features a lion named Chandr, who, for reasons I can't fully explain, seems quite clearly Jewish to me.
A special treat! (And cliplets from some other classics here.)
Posted by michele at July 8, 2005 12:27 PM