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| Warren Berlinger and Henry Winkler on Happy Days. |
I hate and fear going to the dentist. There, I said it. I'm a rabid anti-dentite. It's definitely one of my phobias. But maybe I shouldn't even call it a phobia. Google says that phobias are "exaggerated or unrealistic." My fear of the dentist is completely based on reality and experience. I've had, let's say, my fair share of work done to my teeth over the years, and it has always been painful, uncomfortable, scary, and nauseating. Dentists -- and their evil minions, hygienists -- are among the few professionals in this world who are allowed to lecture their customers and treat them with total contempt. Apparently, it's not enough for them to merely torture us physically. They have to do it emotionally and psychologically as well.
The dentist office my parents used to take me to as a child was located at 3218 S. Dort Hwy. in Flint, Michigan. It's a Liberty Income Tax location now, but it looks exactly the same from the outside as it did when I was young. I think it even has the same front door. God, just looking at this awful place gives me the heebie jeebies. I can still remember that nauseating, quasi-sweet smell and the corny Norman Rockwell prints hanging on the wall of the waiting room.
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| My personal house of horrors from childhood. |
Given all this, you might imagine that I would not be eager to review a Happy Days episode about Fonzie (Henry Winkler) going to the dentist. And you'd be right! But we're watching every episode of the sitcom for our podcast, and Season 8's "It Only Hurts When I Smile" is no exception. Despite my discomfort with the subject matter, I was still looking forward to this episode because it features character actor Warren Berlinger in the fifth and last of his memorable Happy Days appearances.
You can find out what my cohost and I thought of "It Only Hurts When I Smile" by listening to the latest installment of These Days Are Ours: A Happy Days Podcast. Was I able to overcome my prejudice and enjoy this episode on some level? There's only one way to find out!