You Know You're Getting Old...

So, I was at work the other day when a couple of customers pointed at my shirt and wondered who the gentleman on it happened to be. I looked down (as usual unsure what shirt I'd put on that day) and saw the picture you see above. Ah, I thought to myself, it's good ol' Herve Villechaize from The Man With The Golden Gun. But I couldn't say that. The inquisitors were young (very young) and I knew from past experience people younger than myself rarely know his real name, let alone this role he played. So I figured I'd just cut to the chase and use the name all of America know him by (and which never fails to exhibit the usual, "Oh, Yeah."): Tattoo. But this time, unlike all the rest, the stares remained blank.

"You know, from Fantasy Island?" I continued.

But this didn't help either. They were completely lost, even when I tried describing the show. And that's when I started to do the math: these girls were 21 years old. That means they were born two years after Mr. Villechaize left the show in 1983. And were all of eight when he died in 1993.

"Christ," I thought to myself as I slunk away, "I'm old." And then, when this brief moment of self-pity had passed: "The little bugger's disappearing. This titan of seventies culture is slipping from our collective conscience." And so, to combat this in my small way, to keep the hounds of oblivion away from his tiny bones a moment more, I give you Herve "Da Plane!" Villechaize. Enjoy.