Alvin and the Chipmunks…and my Grandfather

Fun Fact [winter edition]: My grandfather was the voice of Theodore on Alvin and The Chipmunks. Every time I hear the Alvin and the Chipmunks “Christmas Song” I get really nostalgic. According to Wikipedia, Theodore was the “chubby, impressionable one”….just like my grandfather.

It’s funny how the holidays make us think about our loved ones the most. Grandfather always used to sit me on his knee and sing me the show’s theme song. The whole family would gather ’round. Of course he would have to sing into a small little microphone to alter his voice. Grandfather would tell us of the time his character, Theodore, was a blow-up float in the 1959 Thanksgiving Day Parade…the proudest day of his life. Grandmother would come out of the kitchen holding chipwich ice cream sandwiches [which they cleverly called chip”munk”wiches], saying that the proudest day of his life should have been when his grandchildren were born. Grandfather would say, “Nope…can’t even compare”. We’d laugh and laugh for hours and hours as we at the chip”munk”wiches.

I don’t usually tell people about my grandfather’s ChipMunk fame because I would question if they were friends with me for who I was, or because of my grandfather’s voice. For example, after weeks of being friends with this girl I met in college, Maryellen, we went to see Harry Potter 4 in the movie theater. Every time we talked, the conversation would end with her asking me, “So did your grandfather meet the actual chipmunks?” or “So, did he really get to go surfing in a bathtub with a wave formed from a fan?” or “So, Can you get me Dave Seville’s autograph?” [She always began sentences using the word “so”]

I broke that “friendship” off quicker than Dave can say, “ALVINNNNN”

I just IMDB’d Alvin and the Chipmunks and it says the voice of Theodore was actually played by a woman named Janice Karman. Who would have known? Well I guess my grandfather lied to us all these years. I feel so used…so betrayed…

I guess I’ll give my college friend Maryellen a call now that my grandfather is not famous.

Imagine if the show’s premises were real in today’s day and age? Where a man named Dave raised three talking chipmunks. How bizarre. I’m glad my grandfather wasn’t the voice of Theodore.

On Ichat this morning, I told my co-worker/friend about that my grandfather was the voice of Theodore. Here is her reaction:

reebok
whats this blog on
beckyyk
my grandfather’s voice was used as theodore from alivin and the chipmunks
reebok
WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ARE YOUSERIOUS?!
beckyyk
yep
hahah
reebok
OMG
how have you never told me this?!?!?!?!?!?!
beckyyk
hahaha
reebok
omg.
beckyyk
i don’t konw!
reebok
thats like famous.
reebok
omg
is he still alive?
did they alter his voice??!
beckyyk
no he is not alive
and they altered his voice only slightly
reebok
omg
wow
that is so cool!
hahaha
beckyyk
haha yeah…he lived in LA
reebok
?!?!?
seirously!?!?
mom or dad’s
?
beckyyk
mom’s
reebok
are you lying!??!
reebok
is your mom from california?!?!?!
beckyyk
yes
from la jolla
san francisco
reebok
omg
hahaha
wow
amazing.
beckyyk
i’m just kidding
reebok
HAHAHAHAHAHA
YOU WEIRDO