Pinked

My husband giggles like a girl when he watches the original Pink Panther movies, and he's got my kids hooked on them too. They walk around the house pretending to be Inspector Clouseau, speaking in an exaggerated French accent with their lips taut and barely moving. Cracks me up.

One of their favorite exchanges is from The Pink Panther Strikes Again when Clouseau (played, of course, by Peter Sellers) is checking into a hotel. There is a dog there, making threatening noises, and the exchange goes:

Clouseau: Does your dog bite?
Innkeeper: No.
Clouseau: (bending down to pet dog) Nice doggie!
(Dog attacks Clouseau.)
Clouseau: (holding leg in pain) I thought you said your dog doesn't bite!
Innkeeper: That's not my dog.

(This exchange sends my kids into howls of laughter, and even for me, who really hasn't seen the humor in the Pink Panther movies and who doesn't giggle when I watch them--like a girl or otherwise--I can't help but join them.)

However, we saw the new Pink Panther movie with Steve Martin and Kevin Kline (whom I've adored ever since A Fish Called Wanda), and I absolutely loved it. It was ridiculous and silly, but I loved it enough to see it twice--which is saying a lot for me.

(Now my kids and I repeat the scene over and over where Steve Martin is trying to learn how to say, "I would like to buy a hamburger" until my oldest daughter yells at us to shut up!)

So when we were in Paris, it was natural for us to be looking for Clouseau and his ilk. And wonder of wonders, we actually found the Prefecteur where we are certain Clouseau worked...and even got a pic with one of his colleagues. The kids, as you can imagine, were thrilled.







(That's my Music Man, standing next to the lamp at the Prefecteur.)

Pinked

http://colleengleason.blogspot.com/2006/06/pinked.html