One of my favorite Broadway musicals and movie musicals of all time is Li'l Abner.

I have a soft spot for it 'cuz I played one of the wives (Put 'em back the way they wuz!) in my High School production of Li'l Abner many moons ago.

It has a fantastic score: I love the silliness of it and all the songs are super catchy, at least to my ear. I know it's not often mentioned as a "classic" but I love it.

But in the Friday April 22, 2005 Globe and Mail Review section the imminent release of the 1959 Li'l Abner movie musical on DVD was under the heading "Classics for Kids".

Huh? I mean, I take my kids to all kinds of musicals (my oldest saw Chicago when she was six) but I didn't think that was something the general population did.

The Al Capp comic strip always had very buxom women busting out of their shirts, and one of the characters in the movie is named "Appassionata von Climax". Not exactly Bambi, if you know what I mean. And Julie Newmar as Stupefyin' Jones ain't exactly Mary Poppins!

Li'l Abner a kids classic? Well don't that take the "Rag Off'n The Bush"!

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