Kiss mahhh grits, Mel!

January 6, 2005 3:09 PM

As I'm sure you all know, today would've been the 74th birthday of actor Vic Tayback, best known as everybody's favorite hairy, sweaty, ill-tempered (yet almost cuddly) diner chef on that wacky piece of 70's tv Americana Alice (Remember when Mel called Vera "dingy"? Sitcom gold!). Kept busy for years as a character actor with constant tv guest spots on everything from "I Dream of Jeannie" to "Gunsmoke," Vic embraced job security when given an opportunity to expand one character in particular, Mel Sharples from Martin Scorcese's drama "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" (starring Ellen Burstyn [she won an Oscar], Kris Kristofferson, Diane Ladd, Harvey Keitel and Jodie Foster). Thanks to Vic, the character of Mel smoothly adapted from his dramatic origins into his new home of sit-com hi-larity... one of the rare attempts of that kind to succeed.

RIP Vic. Oh, and kiss my grits.
posted by miss lynnster (22 comments total)

Fairly certain this isn't a double post. ;)
posted by miss lynnster at 3:10 PM on January 6, 2005

miss lynnster- don't ever change. By the way, is there such thing as a "diner chef"? Would the French restaurant chefs want to be associated with a guy like Mel?
posted by Doohickie at 3:36 PM on January 6, 2005

OMG I share a birthday with Mel. Uh, thanks!
posted by scarabic at 3:44 PM on January 6, 2005

Happy Birthday scarabic! You're lucky... I share my birthday with Roseanne and Chairman Mao...
posted by miss lynnster at 4:01 PM on January 6, 2005

It is refreshing to think back on a series featuring a bunch of waitresses at a crappy diner, none of which were hot. Especially since on every sitcom today, some fat ugly slob gets an ultra-hot wife. Wait a minute...
posted by AspectRatio at 4:02 PM on January 6, 2005

How true, AspectRatio ..... on a 2005 version of "Alice" the waitresses would all be played by versions of the actresses on "Desperate Housewives."
posted by blucevalo at 4:06 PM on January 6, 2005

But Mel would still be hairy & sweaty...
posted by miss lynnster at 4:14 PM on January 6, 2005

BTW, anyone here seen the Scorcese movie?
posted by miss lynnster at 4:15 PM on January 6, 2005

It is a cruel, cruel God that takes Vic Tayback but leaves Wilford Brimley free to roam the Earth.
posted by trharlan at 4:15 PM on January 6, 2005

"Da name's Krako, JoJo Krako! I'm da boss uh da Southside Territories!"

"Let me guess... you want, uh,... 'heaters,' and troops to show you how to use them..."

"You watch it Kirk! Aroun' here, we do things by The Book!

Oh yeah. Vic was teh bomb, on this planet or Sigma Iotia II.
posted by zoogleplex at 4:18 PM on January 6, 2005

I remember when he tried to market his "Chili con Sharples".

(Actually I think in that episode he was originally trying to get Art Carney to sign on and make it "Chili con Carney"...)
posted by First Post at 4:34 PM on January 6, 2005

BTW, anyone here seen the Scorcese movie?

Sure, and it always baffled me how it morphed from "widow leaves town seeking better life" to "kiss my grits."
posted by fixedgear at 4:46 PM on January 6, 2005

BTW, anyone here seen the Scorcese movie?

Many times, but not in many years. It's an excellent film.
posted by wsg at 5:18 PM on January 6, 2005

I've seen "Tayback's A Bitch" t-shirts with his face on them, but can't seem to find an online reference to such an item.
posted by liam at 5:34 PM on January 6, 2005

I've been waiting for someone to morph James Brown's "Big Payback" into "Vic Tayback." If only there were a celebrity/common phrase such as "Dick Sayback" it could be a triumvirate.
posted by argybarg at 7:45 PM on January 6, 2005

scarabic, you also share a birthday with my Dad. Hope it was a happy one!

I can't believe there've been this many comments and no one's brought up the Star Trek episode Vic was on, "A Piece of the Action," right? Do I remember that because my brother had a photo-novel for that episode?

Finally, I initially thought this was a "Vic Tayback died today" posting, and a part of me was shocked and saddened until I went to that RIP link. Is there a name for that feeling when you feel bad because you just learned that someone's dead, but they've been dead for 15 years? "Der PicturesOfLilyGefühl," maybe?
posted by kimota at 8:24 PM on January 6, 2005

I can't believe there've been this many comments and no one's brought up the Star Trek episode Vic was on

You mean like zoogleplex did?
posted by kindall at 8:25 PM on January 6, 2005

argybarg - I've been singing it for years. Never wrote lyrics - just added the Vic Tayback when appropriate.

trharlan - I knew I forgot someone on this year's deadpool list.

miss lynnster - a fine post. I'll be peppering my coversations with "stow it, dingy" for days.
posted by DonnieSticks at 9:40 PM on January 6, 2005

By the way, is there such thing as a "diner chef"?

What, you don't remember the episode when Mel sold the diner to a snobby French guy who made Alice and the girls wear hairnets and tried to serve fine cuisine to Marvin the telephone repairman and Dave the trucker?

I am officially the oldest woman on MetaFilter.
posted by Dreama at 10:30 PM on January 6, 2005

There was also a band called "The Vic Tayback Machine."

(The Wayback Machine)
posted by sourwookie at 8:28 AM on January 7, 2005

Sure, and it always baffled me how it morphed from "widow leaves town seeking better life" to "kiss my grits."

I'm almost certain that the line kiss my grits does not appear in the movie at any point.
posted by FeetOfClay at 9:40 AM on January 7, 2005

I always thought of him as a poor man's Telly Savalas.

And wouldn't it be cool to be "The Poor Man's Telly Savalas"?

Also, I always thought Vera was pretty hot.

And Happy Birthday, scarabic!
posted by chicobangs at 9:58 AM on January 7, 2005