***For a direct link to the video, click here: "It's the Great Pumpkin, CHRIS Brown"
(Not available on mobile phones)
I can’t believe I did
another literary music video so soon after “The Raven is Hard to Handle” but I
just love Halloween too much to allow it to go by without giving it some
“Pumpkin Luvin.” Everybody close
to me knows I obsess around the holidays with anything pumpkin. I think I am up to twenty pumpkin food
items (my pumpkin tea & pumpkin sparkling non-alcoholic cider being my
favorites), so of course being a designer, I also had to sew a pumpkin purse,
then a matching hat, and just a week ago decided I needed a skirt too.
 |
| Wearing my Peanuts hat, wristlet purse, and skirt! |
So once again the idea for
“It’s the Great Pumpkin, CHRIS Brown” came from something I made! But this time it also incorporated a
joke I had been performing that mashed up the Peanuts classic It’s a Great
Pumpkin, Charlie Brown with a book
called Hip Hop Chris Brown. Mashing up books has become my
signature at my literary comedy shows.
I just love it! But
whenever I did the joke, I just knew it could be better with Brown’s music,
some of his crazy dance moves, and a whole lot of humor.
 |
| It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown meets Hip Hop Chris Brown! |
Choosing Chris Brown was a
risky move due to his ongoing controversy with Rhianna. As a comedian, there were so many jokes
I could have incorporated into this thing but as I have chosen to be a comedian
that lifts people up, not puts them down, I decided to focus on my love for the
Peanuts gang instead. Besides, taking two extremes and mashing them together to
promote books and having fun at the library (or at this case the pumpkin patch)
is kind of what made me want to do it in the first place.
 |
| Hip Hop Peanuts! I made Brody this Linus/Snoopy security blanket scarf to wear. |
And Busta Rhymes is an
incredible rapper! The speed to
which he raps in that middle section is a true skill. The minute I heard that song, I thought jeez, I bet he reads
fast too! And that is exactly what
I tried to do. I read the entire
book really fast, cut it in two parts, and then put the tracks on top of one
another so what you hear is actually the entire story!
 |
| For Busta Rhymes, I had to wear something batty! |
It’s no secret I love to
dance and dancing in a pumpkin patch was pretty cool. Boy, did I want to break dance and do flips like Chris Brown
but knowing me, I would probably trip on a pumpkin or land on a rake or
something, and well, I have Halloween parties to attend and candy to hand out
so maybe next year…when I have health insurance.
 |
| Dancing in a pumpkin patch? A must-do this Halloween! |
I hope this Halloween when
you watch “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” on TV, you might think of me
and little Brody drinking pumpkin juice and dancing to a great story. Then maybe go to your library and sign
up for one of the programs there.
Just be safe this Halloween.
Dressing up as someone else is fun for one night but if you are really
lucky, you might find yourself dressing up all the time…and being IN those
stories!
 |
| "Story time with the Stand-Up Librarian" is always a good time! |
 |
| Shooting the video with my brother. Thank you Tampa Bay Times! |
Happy Halloween
everybody...especially to my friend, Brody!
