Coochie Coochie!

I absolutely adore Charo!

I have no idea why really, I just do. She's fun-- spicy even! I love the castillian lispy accent thing coupled with her smoky voice. Of course she's also all about exaggerated sexuality, with boobs for days (not that I'm a boob man, mind you, I'm more about the ass). And the spanglish- my GOD the spanglish! Its such a rapid-fire mix of broken, heavy accent english and burred 'R' spanish that one can't help but admire the facility in which she moves between the two.

And you must give her props for mastering her schtick. She is comedic and a good performer and doesn't take herself too seriously. Anyone who shakes their maracas and has the catchphrase "coochie coochie" simply can NOT take themselves too seriously.

Of course you know she is also smart as a whip. She'd have to be to play that sexual comedic blonde performer role in two languages simulaneously. I'd love to explore the Charo behind the Charo.

I first fell in love with her during the Love Boat (and Fantasy Island) era. When she would be a guest star on shows-- like the stowaway on board the Love Boat! Priceless. I think she stowed aboard in a steamer trunk. Or when she would be on variety shows with the likes of Lonnie Anderson, The Captain and Tenille, Jerry Lewis, Susan Anton, Ali McGraw, Waylan and Madam, and the like.

God those were the days!

I recently rediscovered Charo when she started doing commercials again. First was a Sprint cellphone ad, with the guy in the trenchcoat talking to her about phone service. She threw in a "ai coochie" at the end of the ad. I think I popped a boner...

And now there is a Geico ad where they use her as a 'celebrity spokesperson' to help the real Geico customer relay how Geico really helped him out. "CCCCWhat am I gonna do? CCCCwhere am I going? Ccccchalp!"

I'm in love. Ai Coochie!