Uncle Vernon Tiptoe Through the Tulips (was: Mrs. Figg's 'Cat among the Pixi

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 93661

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "potioncat" 
<willsonkmom at m...> wrote:
> > Neri wrote:
> > Since we seem to be on a roll of "I didn't get it" posts, can 
> > somebody explain to me what was the point in:
> > 
> > (SS/PS Ch. 3, p. 40 in the US paperback) 
> > "Uncle Vernon stayed at home again. After burning all the 
letters, 
> he  got out a hammer and nails and boarded up the cracks 
around the  front and back doors so no one could go out. He 
hummed "Tiptoe through  the  Tulips" as he worked, and 
jumped at small noises."
> > 
> > I looked up the words of this song on the web and listened to 
the  midi. Nice song, though not exactly my style in music. But 
what  was  the joke? Or at least, what does it say about Vernon?
> 
> Potioncat:
> I've wondered about that too.  There was one thing that came to 
my  mind. In the late '60's or early '70's there was a comedian in 
the  U.S. who played a ukulele and sang "Tiptoe Through the 
Tulips" in a  very high voice.  His name was Tiny Tim  <snip 
comparison of Tim to a certain Hogwarts professor>>

Tim's schtick was being a harmless weirdo: flowerchild looks, 
without the sex drugs and rock'n'roll. (His marriage on the 
Johnny Carson show drew 40 million viewers.) The joke is that 
Vernon, in his attempts to defend his household from 
weirdness, is getting pretty weird himself.

Pippin
dating herself