Saturday Night Live Transcripts
Season 2: Mardi Gras Special
Baba Wawa At Large
…..Buck Henry
…..Jane Curtin
Baba Wawa…..Gilda Radner
…..Henry Winkler
[ dissolve back to SNL’s reviewing grandstand at the corner of Bourbon and Canal streets ]
Jane Curtin: Just to give you a hint of things to come, the marching band and the drill team from the Louisiana State Prison – they all escaped this morning so that they could be here tonight.
Buck Henry: The parade is just a little delayed in getting here. Apparently, an overactiv drum majorette has just had an unfortunate but interesting accident with her baton. We’ll have more on that — [ Buck’s words are cut off as a pair of beads tossed by a reveler nearly knocks his microphone from his hand ]
Jane Curtin: That’s probably in anticipation of the person we’re all waiting for – the King of Bacchus, Henry Winkler. Known to countless of americans as the Beaver.
Buck Henry: No, no. Not the Beaver, Jane. I think he’s known as, uh.. Shorty, or Captain Video.
Jane Curtin: Well, I knew it was either the Beaver or the cisco Kid.
Buck Henry: At any rate, he has gone into court, in order to change his name legally – so there’ll be no confusion – to change his name to Helen Hayes.
Jane Curtin: Well, we’ll probabyl find out what’s happening with him right now, when we take you to an interview with Baba Wawa and Henry Winkler, taped earlier today.
[ dissolve to pre-tape of Baba Wawa standing with Henry winkler ]
Baba Wawa: Hewwo! This is Baba Wawa at Warge, and I’m here at Wadi Gwas in New Owweans. It’s a pwetty tewwific city! Known thwoughout Amewica as Awthaw Fonzawewwi, the tewwibwy, tawented, twuwy tewwiffic, weal-wife – Henwy Winkwer!
Henry winkler: No, Baba – that’s He-ry Wink-ler.
Baba Wawa: Hewwo, Henwy!
Henry winkler: It’s a pleasure to be here with you, Baba!
Baba Wawa: Henwy, you’ve cweated a chawactaw that has a pwetty cowassaw wesonse. I mean, weawwy. I mean, I nevaw miss yaw pwogwam, it’s wondawfaw!
Henry winkler: Thank you.
Baba Wawa: Teww me, Henwy – do you have any difficuwties sepawating yaw own pewsonawities fwon the Fonz?
Henry winkler: Now, that’s a very good question, Baba. Actually, the first lesson I ever learned as an actor was to make that separation between my identity and the character’s, and, in this case, it’s the Fonz.
Baba Wawa: Weww – sounds wike you have the pwopaw pawspective!
Henry winkler: Oh, yeah. Like, in the studio, you know, I’m the Fonz, and, at home, I’m Henry Winkler, you know? Uh – at home, I answer the phone as Henry winkler; on the set, I answer the phone as the Fonz.
Baba Wawa: Weawwy?
Henry Winkler: Yes. Now – well, occasionally, sometimes I get a call at home for the Fonz. But, what I do is, I take a message, I give it to him – uh, he does the same for me. He’s a very considerate man. If he’s wearing a shirt that I truly love, all I have to do is mention it to him, he takes it RIGHT OFF and gives it to me!
Baba Wawa: Weww, he sounds wike a wiving daww.
Henry Winkler: Oh, he is! He’s a – he’s a pleasure to spend time with. We do a lot,/i> of things together. You know, sometimes we go to the movies, or catch a frisbee, you know, grab some burgers, just cruise! Uh – the only thing we have not been able to do, uh, lately – we haven’t been able to take a picture together, which is really like a drag. I’d love to ave a picture with him! [ Baba looks at Henwy with gweat confusion ] Now, it’s true that we have some problems. Like, when I meet a girl – she falls for me! Which I can understand, you know, because I’m cool, she’s cool. You know? Dig it, huh? [ laughs ] Ah, the last time that happened, H.W. beat me up one side up my body and DOWN the other! You know what I’m talking about? I mean, DOWN the other! [ in a serious tone ] Baba, I-I believe he deserved it, because he is, um, a creep —
Baba Wawa: Oh, ho, ho. Well, Henwy, despite yaw difficuwties, you awe extwordinawiwy chawismatic. You know, Henwy, I would like to know the, uh, the secwet to yaw success. I’m suwe evewyone would – I mean, why awe you maw wuhved than, wet’s say, uh.. Baba Wawa?
Henry Winkler: [ defensive ] Hey! That’s not true! You are LOVED, Baba! I’m talking about love-a-mondo!
Baba Wawa: Aw, Henwy, Henwy —
Henry Winkler: I’m talking about affection corazon!
Baba Wawa: Henwy, wet’s be sewious – thewe awe no scweaming teenagews fowwowing me, going, “Baba! Baba!” I mean, thewe awe no Baba t-shiwts.. no Baba postaws.. no I mean, what’s the weason? I’m pwetty nice, I’m pwetty pwetty, I’m pwetty cute.. I’m pwetty.. pwetty.. [ begins to weep ]
Henry Winkler: Well, perhaps what you need is just a change of style.
Baba Wawa: Aw, it might be pwausibwe, but what do you suggest?
Henry Winkler: Alright, let’s do this quickly, because I don’t want to spend that much time on you.
Baba Wawa: Wight.
Henry Winkler: Uh – what was the largest story, the biggest story you had on the news last night?
Baba Wawa: Uh, well – a pwane cwash kiwwed thwee-hundwed peopwe.
Henry Winkler: Alright. Let’s try it. [ demonstrates a la the Fonz ] “Plane crash killed three-hundred PEOPLE! He-e-e-eyy!”
Baba Wawa: [ tries it ] “He-e-e-eyy!” [ laughs ] You know, I’ww twy that – I mean, maybe it’ww stop Hawwy Weasonaw fwom kicking me undaw the desk. Henwy – one wast question befaw we cwose: How do you pewsonawwy feew about being KING of tonight’s pawade?
Henry Winkler: Oh, Baba.. New Orleans is really the city in which to be a king. There are male teenagers here from all over the United States, and I — [ mocks weeping ] I wee-eep!
Baba Wawa: [ laughing ] We-e-e-ehh! That sounds weawwy womantic! Thank you, Henwy! [ to the camera ] This is Baba Wawa at Warge, cwosing and saying, Henwy Winkwer is —
Henry Winkler: No, no, no – that’s: Hen-ry Wink-ler.
Baba Wawa: Hen-wy Wink-wer.
[ Henry takes Baba’s face in her hands and moves her mouth for each syllable ]
Together: Hen. Ry. Wink. Ler. Hen-ry. Wink-ler. Henry/Henwy. Winkler/Winkwer.
Henry Winkler: Right. Henry Winkler.
Baba Wawa: Wight. [ to the camera ] I’m Baba Wawa, saying, Henwy winkwer is a fwuit! Good night!
[ Henry closes in to give Baba a hard, passionate kiss on the lips, as the video dissolves back to SNL’s reviewing grandstand at the corner of Bourbon and Canal streets ]
