There are doobies, and then there are good doobees. A caller from Traverse City, Michigan, says her husband refers to himself as a good doobee whenever he’d clean the house or pay the bills. The phrase goes back to Romper Room, a children’s television series, where the Do Bee bumblebee taught kids lessons like, do be a plate cleaner, don’t be a plate fussy. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Good Doobees”
Hello, you have A Way with Words.
Hi, this is Maya. I’m calling from Traverse City, Michigan.
Traverse City, Michigan. All right. What are you bringing us?
This is kind of weird, but my husband, actually, when we first started dating, would refer to himself as a good doobie. When he would do something like clean up the house, get the bills paid, he was always saying I was a good doobie. And I asked him, what on earth does that mean? And he said, oh, it’s what my mom used to always call me. And I don’t know. I’ve always thought, boy, that sounds a little bit weird, especially when you think of other connotations that that could be. Why would your mom call you that? What kind of doobie are you thinking about? Doobie brother.
Now, I’m not saying. I just read the media. But I think we can.
Can what?
Talk about what a doobie is.
Yeah, the other doobie. There’s two doobies here, right?
Yeah.
Yeah. I mean, obviously there is the vessel for drug inhalation, if you will. That’s what I’ve always heard Doobie use.
Right, a marijuana cigarette. Cannabis delivery system, yes.
But this other Doobie is another thing, right?
Yeah.
Okay.
Yeah. I think so. That’s actually the Doobie that I grew up with. The good Doobie.
The good Doobie.
Yes, yes. You grew up with the good Doobie.
I did grow up with the good Doobie. Why not? In fact, there used to be a children’s show on TV called Romper Room. Have you ever heard of that?
Oh, maybe vaguely.
Vaguely.
Okay. I watched it. I remember.
Did you?
Okay. 1970s, yeah.
Really?
Okay. It was on that late?
Okay.
Yeah, yeah. Well, when I was watching it, there was a character named Mr. Doobie, and he was this giant bumblebee who would advise children on proper behavior. And so this giant bumblebee would advise children to do be a good plate cleaner or do be a helpful person around the house and that kind of thing.
Yeah. So if you were a good doobie and a devoted romper room watcher as I was, then you would strive to do all those good things. And don’t be a don’t be.
Right. Don’t be a don’t be. Don’t be a don’t be. Be a doobie.
Doobie.
Oh.
Yeah. It’s not regional. It’s almost generational then.
Yes, definitely generational. But the show was on the air for decades all around the country. And it had a variety of local hosts, too, so a lot of people remember a different person. But I remember enjoying it and loving it. I think it was on the PBS station where we lived when I was a kid.
Yeah. I lived in Boston at the time, and we had Miss Jean. And at the end of the show, she would look in her magic mirror. Do you remember this? And she would say, romper, bomper, stomper, boo, tell me, tell me, tell me, do. Magic Mirror, Tell Me Today, Have All My Friends Had Fun at Play. And then she would do a shout out to different kids whose parents had written in. And I remember that my mother was trying to get me to drink all my milk at the dinner table. And so she actually sent my name in. And so one day I’m watching TV and Miss Jean says, Martha Ann, you drink all your milk, don’t you? And I was sitting there just nodding at the TV, lying through my teeth.
Mind blown.
It was completely wrong.
Oh, that’s adorable.
Thank you.
You were a doobie, though, except for the milk.
Yes, but I became a doobie after that. I think it was mind control. I think she was sending out devil rays ever since. I’ve always got all my milk.
Boy, that’s a helpful parenting tool.
Yeah. Something like that now.
Yeah. So your husband’s not weird and your husband’s family’s not weird. They just watched kids’ television maybe a little late in life.
They watched a charming television show.
Wow. You can find various clips of it around the internet. It’s for kids. It’s sweet and charming. It does all the things that a show like that should do.
I’m going to have to find it now.
Oh, yeah. See if you can find a DVD set and give it to him for Christmas.
Oh, my gosh. That’s a great idea. I’m writing it down. Hopefully he won’t hear this. Otherwise, I’ve just given away his gift.
Thanks for calling, Maya.
Thank you.
All right. Take care now.
Bye-bye.
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