Rant #1,086: The Attack of the Bobble Heads

No, that is not the name of a new low-budget horror movie that will make millions at the box office.

But lately, bobble heads have infiltrated my life.

Well, sort of.

For the holidays, I bought two sets of bobble heads to give as presents.

You know what bobble heads are.

They are those dollish-type figures that have a head perched on the top that wobbles.

They have been around forever, but in the last couple of years, with computer technology being what it is, they have really been making a presence, because for the first time, they actually look like the person they are portraying.

Remember bobble heads in the 1960s? That is the first time that I ever saw these things. People would put them in their cars, and the first bobble heads I ever remember seeing were the New York Mets bobble heads that came out around 1965 or so.

I lived in Queens, New York, at the time, and lots of people had these things in their cars to represent what their favorite team was.

They always had cherubic, almost child-like faces on them, as if they were plastic, wobbling angels.

And yes, I remember the Jesus bobble heads that also came out around the same time.

Again, these had cherubic, almost child-like faces, too, but at least they had beards and long hair, too.

But you could get away with a Jesus bobble head that looked like an angel, for obvious reasons.

I cannot find a picture of one of these, but I do remember them.

Now, years later, bobble heads made a comeback in the early 2000s. It seemed that you could make a bobble head out of everybody, and you could even make them of yourselves if you wanted to pay a premium price for one.

They kind of faded, but all of a sudden, they are back, and better than ever.

I bought two sets for the holidays. One is of Judy Garland as Dorothy of the "Wizard of Oz."

And darn it, it looks just like Garland did during that time period.'

That one I bought for my wife on her birthday. It was kind of a fun present along with her coat and some other things I got her.

The second was for a friend.

I bought two bobble heads of the Monkees, Peter Tork and Mike Nesmith.

These came out during the first resurgence of bobble heads in the early 2000s. I personally have had these in my collection since then, and they are in my son's room. He had a whole collection of bobble heads, ranging from "Rocky"--yes, the Sylvester Stallone character--to "The Munsters"--sorry, no Marilyn in that bunch.

But anyway, I know my friend will like this, and yes, those bobble heads are becoming rarer to find, so I just got him two, as they are also becoming quite pricey.

Now I read that the Los Angeles Dodgers will be honoring someone with their own bobble head night during the 2014 baseball season.

Who are they honoring? Maybe Jackie Robinson, perhaps Sandy Koufax, how about Walter Alston, maybe even manager Don Mattingly?

No.

They are honoring Babe Ruth!

The Babe, who was best known for his heroics, and classic eating and other appetites, with mainly the New York Yankees but also the Boston Red Sox, was a coach for the Dodgers for one, single, solitary year in the 1940s.

He desired to manage, but never got the chance, and reportedly, he wasn't even the greatest coach in the world, not being given signals to relay as a third base coach, which is usually that position's job.

Anyway, the Dodgers will be saluting him with his own bobble head night.

That is like the Miami Marlins giving out bobble heads for Mike Piazza, or the Orlando Magic in the NBA giving out bobble heads for Patrick Ewing.

Anyway, they will have their night, and I bet that that bobble head will immediately go on Ebay and fetch a fortune.

Bobble heads, weeble, they wobble, but they don't fall down.

And they also make people money, which is guess if the real reason they exist.

Now, what about a bobble head for me?

Nah, it costs too much and I do fall down on occasion, so I guess I wouldn't qualify.