Ottawa, CANADA: The worlds of late twenty-somethings and early thirty-somethings came crashing down this past Tuesday, as the most endearing celebrity to ever grace the entertainment industry passed away. Some believe that he was the heartbeat of a generation. Others have said he was the most spotlighted individual to walk the earth. Others said he was bigger than Elvis, The Beatles, and Jesus combined.
That man, of course, is Canadian actor and broadcaster Les Lye.
The name itself may not mean much to many of you. There were few who knew of his real name, which was part of the mystique of such a volatile celebrity. You would, however, know of his many stage names. These included Senator Lance Prevert, Mr. Schidtler the tyrannical school-teacher, Blip the arcade owner, Snake Eyes the bus driver, El Capitano, and everyone’s favorite, Barth.
Yes, Les Lye’s sole purpose to be on this earth was to play all of the adult roles of the hit television show You Can’t Do That On Television on Nickelodeon. It is quite literally the most important job in the 1980’s, aside from the hair stylist for the band Flock of Seagulls.
For twelve years, Les braved the ranks of snot-nosed kids in order to bring comedy to the 10-14 age range, and he delivered. Although it appeared that Mr. Lye dropped off the face of the earth when You Can’t Do That On Television ran its last episode, it should be noted that barely anyone else of note came out of that show, either, except for Alanis Morissette and Klea Scott.
After a long run of 84 years, this notable actor will be missed, no matter how many people forget his real name.