This is a silly anecdote about plastic toy eggs – not much craic here, I assure you.
Some years ago, in Dublin, I was reminiscing about Weebles, that society of egg-shaped characters with the slogan, “Weebles wobble but they don’t fall down”. I never actually owned any Weebles but my cousins did, and these toys provided moments of fun whenever we visited.
However, my reminiscence on the subject didn’t go far, due to the ignorance of those I was talking to: a couple, both of them older than I am, who had never seen nor heard of Weebles.
I found this astounding. How could anyone born in the 1960s, even those from Dublin, with its access to UK television, have failed to notice Weebles – in toy shops, at school friends’ houses, or, most likely, via the adverts and their unforgettable jingle, which were a mainstay of any 1970s Christmas rush. Not only was this couple ignorant of Weebles’ existence, they actually mocked me and accused me of “making them up”. Appalled by this, I went into work the following day and blurted out my exasperation to a group of younger colleagues – before realising that they may also have shared my friends’ ignorance of these 1970s’ relics. There was, however, a flicker of recognition on one girl’s face so, I asked her directly if she remembered Weebles. She replied: “Oh yeah – dem egg yokes?”
End of anecdote.
I couldn’t find a vintage UK Weeble ad, so this vaguely fundamentalist US one will have to suffice.
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