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Old 10-23-2006, 11:55 AM   #1
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RIP: Pink Flamingo, 1957-2006
--------------------

By Charlyne Varkonyi Schaub
Home & Garden Editor

October 20, 2006, 12:37 PM EDT

The pink plastic flamingo, a Florida-inspired icon that has been reviled as kitschy bad taste and revered as retro cool, is dead at age 49.

The pop culture symbol met its demise after its manufacturer, Union Products, of Leominster, Mass., was socked with a triple economic threat -- increases in costs of electricity and plastic resin combined with loss of financing. Production ended in June, and the plant is scheduled to close Nov. 1, according to president and CEO Dennis Plante. Union Products made 250,000 of its patented plastic pink flamingos a year in addition to other garden products.

Robert Thompson, professor of popular culture at Syracuse University, paid tribute to the infamous bird that has been immortalized everywhere -- from the John Waters' movie Pink Flamingos, to bachelor parties and lawns across America.

"Let's face it," he said. "As iconic emblems of kitsch, there are two pillars of cheesy, campiness in the American pantheon. One is the velvet Elvis. The other is the pink flamingo."

The birth of the plastic pink flamingo in 1957 coincided with the booming interest in Florida, Thompson said, making it possible for those in other parts of the country to have a little piece of the Sunshine State's mystique in their yard.

By the late '70s, according to Thompson, the pink flamingo became a symbol of bad taste. It was considered trash culture and embraced by folks with a wise-guy attitude. They knew better (wink, wink) but embraced the iconic symbol anyway.

By the late '80s and early '90s, he said we learned to make fun of pop culture items such as the pink flamingo as well as appreciate them.

"The pink flamingo has gone from a piece of the Florida boom and Florida exotica to being a symbol of trash culture to now becoming a combination of all we know -- kitsch, history, simplicity and elegance," Thompson said.

Until recently, Mike Smollon was one of the folks who put the pink flamingo in the kitsch category.

But during a recent trip to Massachusetts, the Boynton Beach firefighter and battalion chief had an epiphany.

After reading a story in the Sentinel & Enterprise (Fitchburg, Mass.) about the closing of the factory, he bought 12 pairs of flamingos.

"I never owned a pink flamingo before," Smollon said. "To be honest, I used to think this was the kind of a thing only a girl would put in her yard. But when I found out the factory was closing, I thought this is something historical happening."

Smollon went to the factory and bought 11 sets of pink flamingos and one set of the commemorative gold flamingos that were made for 2007, which would have been the bird's 50th birthday. He plans to keep a few and give the rest to flamingo-loving friends.


Flamingo fever hit and he searched the Internet for Don Featherstone, the kitchy bird's creator. When he learned that Featherstone lived only about five minutes from his hotel, he called him and asked if he could come over and get his photograph taken with him.

Not only did Featherstone and his wife, Nancy, come out of the house wearing matching pink shirts adored with green flamingos, the artist autographed two sets of flamingos. Smollon also bought a copy of Featherstone's book, The Original Pink Flamingos: Splendor on the Grass (Schiffer Publishing, 1999), which he autographed for an extra $5.

After Smollon returned home, he bought a set of pink flamingos from the 1950s for $39 on eBay.

"Now I have one of the first sets made and one of the last sets made," he said. "I have my own private collection."

A revival?

Featherstone retired as president of Union Products about six years ago, but he still promotes his creation and will continue to do so post-mortem.

On Oct. 5, he spoke on what would have been the upcoming 50th anniversary of Featherstone's plastic pink flamingo at the Ig Nobel prizes at Harvard University. The Ig Nobels, a parody of the Nobel prizes, are given for achievements that "first make people laugh and then make them think," according to Improbable Research, creator of the awards. Featherstone was honored in 1996 for his creation, which he originally sculptured from clay using a National Geographic photograph.

Several folks besides Smollon have stopped by to see Featherstone and get their pictures taken with him.

"They think the pink flamingos could be extinct, and they think I will be extinct soon, too," he said. "It is sad that it is happening, but it may not be dead yet."

Featherstone and Plante are hoping for a resurrection. Plante has been seeking another company to buy the molds. So far, two companies in the U.S. and one in Canada have expressed interest.

"I am hoping that someone will come forward and save the plastic pink flamingo from extinction," Plante said.

Until then, you can buy them on eBay, where they were selling for $12.95 and $17.56 last week. In comparison, Smollon paid $15 for a set of two pink flamingos and $25 for a set of gold flamingos.

"I can't imagine that there won't be any way to get a pink flamingo anywhere but on eBay," said pop culture professor Thomspon. "We are so much into a big retro craze. All the Baby Boomers are looking mortality in the eye, and there is so much nostalgia for the things of their childhood such as old toys and candy.

"When the news gets out that you can't get them anymore, I think there will be a demand. It may not be the demand there was before, but there will be demand as a specialty item."

Revived or not, the pink plastic flamingo is sure to live on in the pop culture hall of fame.


--------------------
Go online

If you're into pink flamingos, check out the campy video "The Pink Plastic Flamingo, The Ambassador of the American Lawn" on Your Media Coverage Theatre at www.yourmediacoverage.com/theatre/?reel=PinkPlasticFlamingo.
Copyright (c) 2006, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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Old 10-23-2006, 11:55 AM   #2
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RIP: Pink Flamingo, 1957-2006
--------------------

By Charlyne Varkonyi Schaub
Home & Garden Editor

October 20, 2006, 12:37 PM EDT

The pink plastic flamingo, a Florida-inspired icon that has been reviled as kitschy bad taste and revered as retro cool, is dead at age 49.

The pop culture symbol met its demise after its manufacturer, Union Products, of Leominster, Mass., was socked with a triple economic threat -- increases in costs of electricity and plastic resin combined with loss of financing. Production ended in June, and the plant is scheduled to close Nov. 1, according to president and CEO Dennis Plante. Union Products made 250,000 of its patented plastic pink flamingos a year in addition to other garden products.

Robert Thompson, professor of popular culture at Syracuse University, paid tribute to the infamous bird that has been immortalized everywhere -- from the John Waters' movie Pink Flamingos, to bachelor parties and lawns across America.

"Let's face it," he said. "As iconic emblems of kitsch, there are two pillars of cheesy, campiness in the American pantheon. One is the velvet Elvis. The other is the pink flamingo."

The birth of the plastic pink flamingo in 1957 coincided with the booming interest in Florida, Thompson said, making it possible for those in other parts of the country to have a little piece of the Sunshine State's mystique in their yard.

By the late '70s, according to Thompson, the pink flamingo became a symbol of bad taste. It was considered trash culture and embraced by folks with a wise-guy attitude. They knew better (wink, wink) but embraced the iconic symbol anyway.

By the late '80s and early '90s, he said we learned to make fun of pop culture items such as the pink flamingo as well as appreciate them.

"The pink flamingo has gone from a piece of the Florida boom and Florida exotica to being a symbol of trash culture to now becoming a combination of all we know -- kitsch, history, simplicity and elegance," Thompson said.

Until recently, Mike Smollon was one of the folks who put the pink flamingo in the kitsch category.

But during a recent trip to Massachusetts, the Boynton Beach firefighter and battalion chief had an epiphany.

After reading a story in the Sentinel & Enterprise (Fitchburg, Mass.) about the closing of the factory, he bought 12 pairs of flamingos.

"I never owned a pink flamingo before," Smollon said. "To be honest, I used to think this was the kind of a thing only a girl would put in her yard. But when I found out the factory was closing, I thought this is something historical happening."

Smollon went to the factory and bought 11 sets of pink flamingos and one set of the commemorative gold flamingos that were made for 2007, which would have been the bird's 50th birthday. He plans to keep a few and give the rest to flamingo-loving friends.


Flamingo fever hit and he searched the Internet for Don Featherstone, the kitchy bird's creator. When he learned that Featherstone lived only about five minutes from his hotel, he called him and asked if he could come over and get his photograph taken with him.

Not only did Featherstone and his wife, Nancy, come out of the house wearing matching pink shirts adored with green flamingos, the artist autographed two sets of flamingos. Smollon also bought a copy of Featherstone's book, The Original Pink Flamingos: Splendor on the Grass (Schiffer Publishing, 1999), which he autographed for an extra $5.

After Smollon returned home, he bought a set of pink flamingos from the 1950s for $39 on eBay.

"Now I have one of the first sets made and one of the last sets made," he said. "I have my own private collection."

A revival?

Featherstone retired as president of Union Products about six years ago, but he still promotes his creation and will continue to do so post-mortem.

On Oct. 5, he spoke on what would have been the upcoming 50th anniversary of Featherstone's plastic pink flamingo at the Ig Nobel prizes at Harvard University. The Ig Nobels, a parody of the Nobel prizes, are given for achievements that "first make people laugh and then make them think," according to Improbable Research, creator of the awards. Featherstone was honored in 1996 for his creation, which he originally sculptured from clay using a National Geographic photograph.

Several folks besides Smollon have stopped by to see Featherstone and get their pictures taken with him.

"They think the pink flamingos could be extinct, and they think I will be extinct soon, too," he said. "It is sad that it is happening, but it may not be dead yet."

Featherstone and Plante are hoping for a resurrection. Plante has been seeking another company to buy the molds. So far, two companies in the U.S. and one in Canada have expressed interest.

"I am hoping that someone will come forward and save the plastic pink flamingo from extinction," Plante said.

Until then, you can buy them on eBay, where they were selling for $12.95 and $17.56 last week. In comparison, Smollon paid $15 for a set of two pink flamingos and $25 for a set of gold flamingos.

"I can't imagine that there won't be any way to get a pink flamingo anywhere but on eBay," said pop culture professor Thomspon. "We are so much into a big retro craze. All the Baby Boomers are looking mortality in the eye, and there is so much nostalgia for the things of their childhood such as old toys and candy.

"When the news gets out that you can't get them anymore, I think there will be a demand. It may not be the demand there was before, but there will be demand as a specialty item."

Revived or not, the pink plastic flamingo is sure to live on in the pop culture hall of fame.


--------------------
Go online

If you're into pink flamingos, check out the campy video "The Pink Plastic Flamingo, The Ambassador of the American Lawn" on Your Media Coverage Theatre at www.yourmediacoverage.com/theatre/?reel=PinkPlasticFlamingo.
Copyright (c) 2006, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Visit Sun-Sentinel.com
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Old 10-23-2006, 03:56 PM   #3
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GREAT NEWS !

Now we kin git rid o dem dang pank chickuns and adopt a real Texas icon as our mascot - the 9 banded armadillo.
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Old 10-23-2006, 03:58 PM   #4
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Oh my gosh Sandy. I think I'll take my birds out of the locker and mount them on the living room wall in a hermetically sealed display case. Them suckers is gonna' be worth some $$$$ some day. You may see me on Antique Road Show.

Ken
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Old 10-24-2006, 03:44 AM   #5
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NO NO NO DON!

Them there blessed pink birds have been our mascot since 2001 and that ain't gonna change!

They've been ICONIZED long before that scaley brown thing crawled across the road and decided to crawl up in your.....hmmmm.... RV......and follow you around like a housepet! You can keep your "brown thing" in yer own yard!!!!

AND...haven't you heard it's bad luck and bad taste to speak ILL OF THE DEAD?? Something bad's gonna happen to you buddy...maybe ME boppin YOU over the head

Now Ken's got the right idea - he's gonna IMMORTALIZE our mascot. They might be worth some big bucks one of these days, but they are worth more than money in the hearts of Texas Boomers! You go, Ken!!!!

When you design the "hermetically sealed" display case...you might be able to retire if you'll market the design!!!! With 50 million adored and idolized pink birds (second only to Elvis Presley Paintings on Black Velvet) you can reel in a fortune and ALL the Texas Boomers can retire!!!!

Sandy
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Old 10-24-2006, 05:33 AM   #6
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That's the problem with living so long - one sees too many things like this!!

Rusty
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Old 10-24-2006, 03:26 PM   #7
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Please explain Rusty -

the final death of the 'ugh' flamingo

or this thread
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Old 10-25-2006, 03:43 AM   #8
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Don,

Ummm....the death of the flamingo. Hey, when Mama's sad, we're all sad (or had better be!)

Rusty
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Old 10-26-2006, 09:25 AM   #9
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there are two pillars of cheesy, campiness in the American pantheon. One is the velvet Elvis. The other is the pink flamingo."


How dare they put Elvis in with our beloved Pink Flamingo!!! And besides, they did not even put Pink Flamingo in Cap. Letters!!!

Long live our many and varied Pink Flamingo's

don

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Old 10-30-2006, 01:50 AM   #10
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I agree Don!!!

Sandy
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Old 10-30-2006, 06:40 AM   #11
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Yahoo!News had this to say about the dying flamingos this morning....
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061029/..._s_swan_song_2

~~ LeAnne
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