| As a writer, sometimes you get commissioned to write a piece that ultimately doesn’t run or disappears from view. Unpublished is where I resurrect those stories. |
Originally published on Lifehacker, 26 June 2012
Florence Henderson’s Kitchen Time Savers
Forever famous for playing mother Carol on The Brady Bunch, Florence Henderson is also a nifty cook with a long-running TV series and several cookbooks to her credit. We caught a handful of her kitchen time-saving tips on video.
I’m the perfect age to be a Brady tragic (let alone thinking about Shakes The Clown or Will & Grace), so I wasn’t going to turn down the chance to see Florence, who was down under promoting the Ardmona Duo tinned tomatoes/tomato paste combo. Check the video for her hints on quick vegetable snacks, stopping honey sticking to measuring cups, lemon juicing and more.
The story behind the story
Blimey, it’s a whole 9 years today since Florence Henderson died, so I figured it was worth reviving this brief video piece from Lifehacker. According to the agency that arranged the promotional visit, Florence’s trip down under led to 607 press mentions.
Henderson was always happy to do commercials and promotional appearances, something she made clear in her 2011 autobiography Life Is Not A Stage:
Being Carol Brady all those years also made Florence Henderson a more viable commodity as a commercial spokesperson. Some actors can be quite condescending about doing ads. It’s that “I’m sorry I’m doing this commercial because I’m really a great actress” attitude. I never felt that way. Instead, I approached it no differently than I did any other performance. I’m there to fulfill the fantasy of the viewer, whether it’s about selling tickets or moving products off the grocery shelf. Look around at almost anyone who has had longevity in the business, and you’ll see that they all did commercials. If the performer’s personal image and the brand come together in a natural way, it’s a win-win situation.
Despite her enthusiasm and all those mentions, though, Ardmona Duo hasn’t survived as a product. Which makes sense, I think. How lazy do you need to be to require tomato paste already in your tinned tomatoes?
For another video deep dive from 2012, check out some life tips from John Cleese. For a different Brady take, check out the big mistake Australian media made when Philip Brady died.
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