10 Lessons Kids Can Learn from Bucky

Bucky is one of the characters from the animated TV series Fat Albert & the Cosby Kids. He gets his name from his very prominent overbite. As a member of the junkyard band, Bucky plays a stovepipe organ. Bucky didn’t say much in the series, but from what we know about him, we can see 10 lessons that kids can learn from Bucky:

  1. Silence is Golden As the saying goes: We’ve each got one mouth and two ears; so we should be listening twice as much as we talk. Bucky is undoubtedly one of the wisest in the gang because of this habit.
  2. Orthodontists can do wonders with your teeth. It may be that Bucky’s family simply can’t afford the dental work. Lord knows fewer and fewer health plans are providing adequate coverage for such elective surgery. Which reminds us …
  3. Affordable health care is essential to our nation’s future. Too many people like Bucky are walking around,unable or unwilling to speak, through no fault of their own. We say it’s time for all Americans to “Buck” up.
  4. A Cartoon Character Union is needed. Animated characters should be given at least a minimum of lines in each episode if they are going to be listed as main characters. Kids need to get a more balanced view of the group dynamics.
  5. Bucky is more than likely one heck of an organ player. It stands to reason that his musical prowess must be the compensatory factor in his otherwise complete lack of input to the group. Kids can draw a lesson here on how to communicate through their artistic gifts and talents.
  6. Stovepipe organs can’t be simple instruments to build.  In fact, the closest we could come to finding a real-life one is here, which looks like a pretty imposing project all its own.  But a pipe organ, like this one, made from a bunch of these? Well, all we can say is, hats off to Bucky.
  7. They are also probably quite loud. This could be another means of offsetting his relative quiet demeanor when not laying the stove pipe smack down with the boys. We’re of course just speculating.
  8. Keeping one’s cool in that crowd is another herculean feat. It must take the patience of Job not to just up and scream “shut yer cake hole!” to some of these guys on a daily basis, Rudy especially. How Bucky manages to stifle ranks with the 7 natural wonders.
  9. Chewing tobacco is bad for you, boys and girls. We have no idea whether Bucky has ever so much as contemplated chewing. It’s just been our observation that a high percentage of persons who do, tend to have substantial under-bites. So we offer this caveat just in case Bucky is considering Skoal as a substitute for that orthodontic work his folks can’t afford.
  10. As clothing goes, however, Bucky is really quite conventional. No mushroom-shaped pink ski masks, mismatched socks or oversized clothing. Bucky by comparison is practically an Old Navy ad in the ‘hood. Come to think of it, maybe it’s good that he keeps his trap shut.