Recognize the guy in the flesh-colored, internal-organ-decorated unitard?
Yup, that’s Slim Goodbody, all right.
Confession:
He totally creeped me out. I think it was all about the visible
intestines, to tell you the truth. He reminded me of my brother’s
Pulsar, which ALSO creeped me out. Organs, blood flow,
view-beneath-the-skin? Totally grody.
A little background info about Slim: The “Superhero of Health” was created
by John Burstein in 1975. Burstein wrote songs and skits to entertain
kids and teach them about human anatomy. While, you know, wearing a suit
painted with disturbingly lifelike organs and tissues and such.
BUT, given that I always sprinted to change the channel
when Slim Goodbody appeared on the tube, I don’t remember much about him
other than, you know, the bones and muscles and all. So let’s give Slim
another chance, shall we?
Here’s Slim going country and singing about the human brain:
And Slim singing an eco-friendly song about the air we share:
Errrrrh, yeah, still pretty visually unappealing, I gotta admit.
Slim went on to appear in guest spots on shows such as Good Morning
America and The Today Show. In 1980, Slim got his own T.V.
show on PBS called Inside Story. Inside Story became PBS’s
second-highest rated program; our man Slim went on to appear in other
series, including Goodbodies.
In the NutriCity series, Slim teaches us that no computer can
ever really compete with the human brain:
There are also loads of books and videos available for purchase, both
vintage and new, featuring
Slim Goodbody. Scope out ebay and amazon to shop for Slim.
To be fair, Slim Goodbody did (and does) teach about important stuff, like
health and nutrition and whatnot, in about as entertaining a way as
possible. And maybe my gross-out level is extraordinarily high. Budding
doctors and nurses probably got all into Slim, see-through-skin and all.
(Between you and me, I kind of suspect that the high show ratings were
due, at least in part, to health classes wheeling in TVs from the
audio-visual room and letting kids watch Slim Goodbody programs as a
special treat. Yay, class! Time for Slim Goodbody! Remember: your
digestive system is FUN!)
Today, Burstein continues to educate in the U.S. and Canada on his
National
Bodyology Tour. Still dressing in the flesh-colored-organ suit. And
still educating kids about health, fitness, and human anatomy.
You can love and appreciate Slim Goodbody, even if he looks a little ooky.
Creepy dress-up can be fun! Which reminds me of that special day every
year when we love to party and dress up and maybe even gross people out
with our costumes. What’s that day again...?
Recognize the guy in the flesh-colored, internal-organ-decorated unitard?
Yup, that’s Slim Goodbody, all right.
