"Aye, yai yai yai, I am the Frito Bandito!"
For many of us, when we hear the familiar verse to Cielito Lindo, those words pop into our heads. From 1967 until 1971, when he was done away with under pressure from a Mexican-American anti-defamation group, the Frito Bandito ruled the airwaves. He also sold a very large bunch of snack food.
I remember constantly hearing that song, and memorizing the lyrics.
His voice was that of the master of making cartoons talk, Mel Blanc. Mel, the man who provided voices for dozens of characters for Warner Bros.and Hanna-Barbera, was a natural for this gig.
Unfortunately, people took offense. The next thing you know, there were protests. And eventually, he was laid to rest.
While this piece could easily digress into social commentary, I won't let that happen. However, I WILL replay those familiar lyrics in my mind whenever I hear that classic Spanish tune.
Comments (6)
I had a Frito Bandito eraser that Fritos had as a giveaway before the Bandito had to go.
:(
Posted by Rhonda | April 12, 2007 7:51 PM
Posted on April 12, 2007 19:51
Per the last comment of erasers, I believe we at the end of the baby boom were the first to get bombarded with corporate "Junk Food"
products and sponsorships in Schools.
My junior high still had the classic lunch food like mac and cheese, hot dogs, and
spaghetti's, but Mcdonalds and Pepsi were licking their chops
looking to "turn on" the kids to the latest crap products for life.
We did get lots of bombardment of kids cereals, which seemed to consist of hundreds of characters too humorless to warrant their own cartoon, but
cool enough to hawk cereal(Leprechans, Toucans, Bears, Tigers,
Vampires, Rabbits, and the like). Now even lame concepts like Geico's Cavement warrant their own prime-time series...personally, I'd rather see the lucky charms leprechan have his own series than the cavemen, even Pillsbury the doughboy(his time in the trenches of WW1 would be interesting)....
Posted by scott | July 20, 2007 5:16 AM
Posted on July 20, 2007 05:16
Howzit you guys
I was thinking maybe you could help me with a song I am trying to find ,I have been a collector of music for many years and I have a vast collection, so for many years I have had people coming to ask me for names of different songs and lyrics, so far I have not really had a problem helping them .About three months ago an elderly lady approached me for the name of a song that she sings to her granddaughter ,I first thought it was done by Dean Martin or Perry Como I have exhausted all possible avenues including East Coast radio and Johan Stemmet and dozens of other music related people . Every person with no exception including myself knows the song but no one knows or remembers the name or who sang it .So don't feel bad if you don't know it you are in good company and the song was most probably done before you were born .If you can help I would be truly grateful .
Richie
The words that she gave are as such.
Aye ,yai ,yai ,yai
Si, Si Senora
I love you
I love you
I love you I do
So give me your heart Senora
Posted by Richie | December 16, 2007 8:00 AM
Posted on December 16, 2007 08:00
According to Wikipedia, a song called "You, Me, and Us" was written in 1956. It followed the tune to Cielito Lindo. Here are the lyrics:
YOU ME AND US
(John Jerome)
Sung by Alma Cogan - 1957
You, me and us
We are my favourite people
We all go together like peaches and cream
Or bells with a church and a steeple
Some people I know, I'm fond of and so
All day I keep singing about them
For one of them's you and, Darling, it's true
I find that I can't live without them
You, me and us
We are my favourite people
We all go together like peaches and cream
Or bells with a church and a steeple
The stars were as bright as diamonds the night
We met and we danced and we flirted
With one look at you, my dream had come true
And nothing will ever divert it
You, me and us
We are my favourite people
We all go together like peaches and cream
Or bells with a church and a steeple
Now, outside of town we all settled down
Our place isn't big, but it's cosy
I know that you're mine and ev'rything's fine
Our future forever is rosy
You, me and us
We are my favourite people
We all go together like peaches and cream
Or bells with a church and a steeple
Yes, we all go together like peaches and cream
You, me and us!
Posted by Ron Enderland | December 16, 2007 10:17 AM
Posted on December 16, 2007 10:17
I always remember watching I Love Lucy..The episode when Ricky would sing the Aye yai yai yia song! Of course his was the real words..But the Frito Bandito words would kick in to my mind! I had forgotten about the erasers? This tune still enters my mind occassionally! Funny how something from so long ago still enters our memories! The Frito Bandito you do not affend!! Aye Yia Yia Ya! And the Freetos aren't bad either!
Posted by Rivers End | May 27, 2009 5:35 PM
Posted on May 27, 2009 17:35
You know, it is this political correctness thing and the thin skins that I detest so much. There is no tolerance or reasonableness. I seriously doubt the Frito Bandito gave us a bad impression of Mexicans. If there is such an impression toward Mexicans, perhaps they should look elsewhere for a scapegoat. Same for any other group.
We all love to blame anyone or anything for what we don’t like, instead of finding the real problem. Diversions, scapegoats, denials, avoiding responsibility. This is why I love the 60s so much, when people did not have thin skins and chips on their blocks and did not blame others for what they have more influence over.
That we are like we are today is a sign of mental illness. We do not want to tolerate any ideas but our own. We do not know the meaning of LIVE and let LIVE. If we do not smoke, then no one else should be allowed to, either, anywhere, at anytime. A complete ban. Death to the infidels! Mental illness runs wild now. Insanity everywhere. This is a very big reason why the 60s was so great. We weren’t all basket cases back then.
Now I want Sugar Bear back. I try to keep sugar low in my diet, but Sugar Bear commercials were often funny. And I want the Frido Bandito, who I found endearing, not repulsive. I want fun and humor, not overly sensitive chip on the block reactionists who have no brains or tolerance.
In the mid 70s in High School, I remember how the democrats were sort of the protectors of free speech and that sort of stuff. How ironic their kind are now the most intolerant and most likely to censor and ban and promote PC.
What other casualties have we endured? Cigarette commercials. Poor Joe Camel. We blamed him for making kids smoke. I guess Hollywood had little or nothing to do with it, huh? And then we blame God for wars and intolerance. But I don’t recall God punishing draft dodgers. I was thinking it was the government. And they got some upset with Jehovah’s Witnesses and the like when they refused to fight wars.
Oh, how we love to blame. The Blame game. Oh, what fun it is to play. Self responsibility? Not on your life!!! And now we blame the internet for many ills. Uncontrolled information and access without certification from an “authority.” Oh, the horror! I might end up thinking for myself and deciding for myself. What is the world coming to??? Where will it ever end???
How long before we ban potato chips? Classify garlic as a drug? Ban the Bill of Rights?
I want the Frito Bandito back ASAP. And Sugar Bear and Joe Camel, too. And don’t forget the 60s either!
Posted by Scott Irv | May 28, 2009 9:33 PM
Posted on May 28, 2009 21:33