Hilarity ensues
This is one of the funniest things I’ve seen on YouTube in quite sometime. But there might be more to it then what you see in the video.
Don’t read below the fold until you watch the video first.
After seeing the video above, I read this story at Austin360.com:
Has ‘Ellen’ been duped by Austin woman?
The story hints that Gladys, the 88-year old woman who made Ellen bend over in laughter, might not be who she says she is:
We thought Hardy would make a good story for the newspaper, so we checked the phone book and numerous other sources we have to locate people by name and approximate birthdate. We found no Gladys Hardy in Austin or surrounding areas.
Hardy has called into various Austin morning radio shows, including KLBJ-FM’s “Dudley & Bob.†And she has a Web site (gladyscalls.com) and a home on MySpace. Does this sound like an 88-year-old woman? Or someone pretending to be an 88-year-old woman?
Local speculation is that Gladys is really one of the Greater Tuna guys, and most likely Joe Sears.
For those who don’t know or who have never seen it:
Greater Tuna is the hilarious comedy about Texas’ third smallest town, where the Lion’s Club is too liberal and Patsy Cline never dies. The eclectic band of citizens that make up this town are portrayed by only two performers, making this satire on life in rural America even more delightful as they depict all of the inhabitants of Tuna — men, women, children and animals.
“Gladys Hardy” even has a MySpace page.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it was Joe. I would be surprised if Gladys was actually an 88-year old comdic woman. But the video is still hysterical.
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UPDATE — a very close friend emailed me to say, “I know who the real Gladys is…used to work at Cap City [comedy club in Austin] with me. Would call all kinds of places then just to get a good reaction.”
The jig is up for Gladys. But that doesn’t deminish how funny the Gladys character is.
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More on the growing celebrity of the 88 year old Gladys Hardy: urbangrounds
That was a hoot – one of those instances where I’m willing to suspend the disbelief.
My daughter had taped the show and I saw it. It was incredibly funny. Kinda disappointed to hear that she may not be a real 88 year old firecracker. Ellen’s show is great.
That was awesome!
Makes me anticipate my 88th!
It sounds like most rural old ladies I know.
I just love Gladys, whether fictional or real, maybe a mystery here, it’s still awesome to hear her voice.
Mary
I love Jesus but I drink a lot…..but I love Gladys more. After watching the show all my gay friends and I wanted to know who Gladys was. When watching it we all knew it was a bad drag queen. The joke could not be any better being a man who loves tuna. Good thing she didn’t like the roast beast. The joke is on all of us…and we love you Ellen…you made us laugh again!
“She” has a tint of Mrs. Doubtfire edge to her and yeah I think it is a Mrs. Doubtfire. “She” was hilarious the first day, now I wonder if Ellen is in on it -although I don’t think she was that first day.
I was watching an episode on 4/14/08 and Ellen was speaking with Gladys and I was thinking this “lady” sounds like a man pretending to be an old woman. So I did some research and it looks like I was on the right track! That’s crazy. Well it is entertaining just the same!
I personally think that Gladys is really Roy D Mercer playing another one of his phone pranks!
I’m 99% sure I know who he is. He’s not one of the Tuna guys. Go to Gladys Hardy’s myspace and look at her list of “friends”. One of them (Scott) has the last name of Hardy and worked at the Cap City Comedy Club. His photo is also listed in a flickr album (along with other random Cap City folks) with the label “lives with Gladys Hardy”. He’s from Tennessee and has done voice work for commercials. Looking at his myspace, he seems like a really nice guy, loves animals, supports the Austin Zoo with proceeds from the Gladys CD. Funny stuff.