Shari Lewis’ Lamb Chop is currently the #1 dog toy, at least according to a recent article in the NY Post.
How this happened, nobody quite knows, but there it is. The Post article indicates that this has all the makings of a fad among pet parents, including photos of dogs with many Lamb Chop toys. One also shouldn’t forget the anthropomorphic projection of humans as they discuss why this sock puppet lamb who turns 65 this year is a favorite for their dogs. Even with the proliferation of licenses ranging from Pokémon to The Lion King to SpongeBob SquarePants, Lamb Chop is the chew du jour.
Salespeople at the PetSmart in the Flatiron area of New York (the ground floor of the 1007 building, once known as The Toy Center North), said that of all the licensed goods they carry, Lamb Chop is currently the most popular. On a recent shopping trip, all the larger items were sold out, and we had to dig through a bin to find what stock there was. The toys are made under license by Multipet.
What Would Shari Say?
Shari Lewis would probably be happy that Lamb Chop is having a day. She was, after all, a very astute businessperson. I worked with her in the 1990s when I was working with her toy licensee after the PBS Show Lamb Chop’s Play-Along became a major hit–and racked up big sales for several years. Shari passed away in 1998.
Shari really understood the licensing business, and I vividly remember sitting in meetings with her as she discussed strategy, positioning and had an uncanny knowledge of the business down to sales at individual chains. Shari often had pointed things to say in response to a situation, but very often, those sharpish comments were delivered by Lamb Chop. (As a ventriloquist, Shari was a marvel. Even just sitting across a conference table from her, you would swear it was the puppet that was talking. Lamb Chop’s private vocabulary was, shall we say, frank.)
Beyond the Business
For all her business acumen, however, Shari was a passionate advocate for childhood and the imagination. From the early 1960s, she believed that television should do more than passively entertain children; she felt it should be active, that children should get up and dance or sing along with the programming.
That was certainly baked in to Lamb Chop’s Play-Along, and it was one of the reasons the toys became so successful; children were encouraged to play and express themselves. One of the features of the show was the ending: “The Song that Never Ends.” Of course, Shari always tried to make it end, but the kids and the puppets would keep it going. It’s a perfect example of how well Shari understood young minds and what was funny to the kids she lived to entertain.
Shari also never forgot anyone she met. It’s a rare skill, shared by only one other celebrity I had the chance to work with. But that’s a story for another day.
In the meantime, Lamb Chop’s Play-Along is available on YouTube. May we suggest co-viewing with your pup?
