The Gift That Keeps On Giving - A Whale of a Story

Many years ago, one of my girls showed me a video about a whale being blown up on a beach in 1970. 

I laughed so hard at the video that I cried and laughed so much, I could hardly breathe. I don't think I have ever laughed so hard in my entire life. 

A few years later, someone hadn't seen it, so we showed it to them and I laughed again so hard I cried. Each time I think about it, I laugh hard. The anchor man was so hilarious in his commentary that I chuckle when I think about his comments. 

One of my favorites is: "no respectable seagull would attempt to tackle the pieces." as they were so large. 

When I think of huge chunks of blubber raining from the sky and huge pieces falling and landing on cars 1/4 mile away totaling the car, it is just so funny. I also laugh thinking that all these kids are watching in awe and then are covered with blood and rotten smelling blubber as it rains from the sky. It makes me laugh thinking they are ooh and aahing over it, and then it turns to screams of fear and running from raining rotted chunks of meat. 

The commentator is just so funny. There was an actual song written about it, and I guess one guy lost his job over it. Here is a video of the song. The song isn't great, but it was informative and incredible that this piece of video is almost fifty years old next year and yet it is still getting tons of views and there is actually a website called  "the exploding whale.com" website posting anything related to this event. 

Princess Four sent me a video link to it this week and I laughed and laughed and didn't even have to watch it to get tears coming. Just the thought of all those people being covered and the way the newsman covered the situation are so funny. It wouldn't be the same if the commentator wasn't so funny in his comments. 

My girls have watched it and think it is funny, but not as funny as I do. But for a newsman to be so quick on his feet back then, and so witty, was rare for the time. I just thought it was cleaver how he put the reel together using his fun language. 

Maybe it just hits my funny bone right and isn't all that funny, but I have to think that any news that is still being viewed fifty years later has got to have something. I know it gets me every time. I think of huge chunks of whale hitting your car and what must be going through the mans mind that exploded the whale as chunks are raining down on running children screaming and I just can't help laugh even as I type this just imagining what must have gone through his head? It is just so funny. I am sure that video will bring me joy many times more in my life as I just think it is hilarious. 

I visited the website I mentioned above and I laughed to hear the boy who's car was hit by the large chunk of whale share about the experience. In the newsreel about it, they shared that when his father bought the car, they advertised it saying they were giving a "Whale of a deal" on the cars! Here is a link to the news clip on that. 

They eventually got reimbursed for the cost of the car from the city that blew up the whale and in the end I wonder how much it did cost the city as they used 20 CASES of dynamite, big machinery and at least one car totaled, let alone people having to wash blood and guts off their businesses. Either way, to me, it is the gift that keeps on giving! I find joy in watching it each time! 

Have a WHALE of a Blessed Day!