During the 1970s, a series of sketches on The Carol Burnett Show featured the young Vicki Lawrence in old-lady drag as the abrasive matriarch of a dysfunctional Southern family. In 1983 she spun off into Mama's Family as the elderly Thelma Harper, still grumpy but considerably nicer -- a champion of the underdog, fighting such social ills as illiteracy, nursing home abuse, and sexual harassment in the workplace.
Her family consisted of her conservative sister (Rue McClanahan, later of The Golden Girls), her dimwitted son Vint (Ken Berry, center, previously of Mayberry RFD), his sexually voracious wife Naomi (Dorothy Lyman, right), and his kids.
After a season, the show was cancelled. It returned in syndication in 1986, with the sister and kids gone, and Allan Kayser (left) introduced as Bubba, Thelma's juvenile delinquent grandson.
And the jaws of gay men everywhere dropped. The 22-year old Kayser had a dazzling smile, a stunning physique, and an amazing bulge, and he knew it. And the producers knew it.
In every episode, he was crammed into muscle shirts and sweatpants or painted-on jeans, and his body always got the limelight, even when something else was going on.
Mama's Family immediately became must-see tv. It aired on Saturday nights, so we watched Mama's Family and The Golden Girls before going out to the bars.The only gay content was Thelma's subtext friendship with mousy neighbor Iola (Beverly Archer). Bubba's plotlines were standard teenage sitcom fare -- school projects, teams, dates -- with no significant male friends, except his Uncle Vinton, and that relationship was avuncular, not romantic.
But sometimes beefcake is enough.
During the 1980s, Allan also starred in a few B-movies that allowed him to show off his bulge and biceps, including Hot Chili (1985) and Night of the Creeps (1986).When Mama's Family ended in 1990, he retired from acting, married, and moved to Missouri. He has appeared in only a few small roles since.
He still has a stunning physique, and he is still gracious to his gay fans.
See also: The Golden Girls
Producer Dick Clair was gay, so he probably hand-picked Kayser for his physique.
ReplyDeleteMostly for his big bulge
DeleteI wish I could thank Dick Clair for selecting Allan Kayser for the role of Bubba Higgins. He was wonderfully funny and attractive. I don't believe I would have continued watching Mama's Family had hiss character not been added.
DeleteOddly, Bubba's hunkiness was not emphasized during his first season on the show. He sort of grew into the bicep-and-bulge costumes.
DeleteDon't forget Buzz Vinton's son in the first season he had a nice ass and torso that I would have loved to see him naked.
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ReplyDeleteEric was much more attractive and sexier
ReplyDeletethan Allan.
Indeed he was a cutie pie. 😍 He also had a nice ass and bulge in those tight jeans he wore on the show
DeleteI think Eric was much more attractive and sexier than Allan. Too bad he wasn't on the show for more seasons.
ReplyDeleteYes I would like to know how the writers of the show explained his "sudden" disappearance in Season 2.
DeleteBuzz and Sonia were alluded to in the first episode of Season 2, and then retconned into having never existed. In Having Vint's kids around made him the focus character, with Thelma the antagonist. In syndication Thelma became the focus, so they gave her a best friend, and introduced Bubba. Since his parents were absent, she could become a maternal figure rather than a cranky grandma.
DeleteEric was much more attractive and sexier
ReplyDeletethan Allan.
They did focus a lot on his "ass" in shots bending down in front of the refrigerator or running up the stairs and front porch. He was a gay heart-throb on Mama's Family in a time during the 1908's when gays were largely invisible and not spoken of much and never in a positive light either ! He was super sexy and handsome and possessed those all-American good looks and what a body (and ass) ! Not to mention his penis was always visible through his blue jeans and those dark blue and skin tight designer jeans that were very popular in the 1980's. Of course, this was all done by design to be tacitly "suggestive" and still remain within network restrictions of the day !
ReplyDeleteWho are you referring to Eric Brown or Allen Kayser?
DeleteAllan Kayser was the gay heart throb. We referred to "Mama's Family" as "The Bubba Bulge Show." I wasn't living in West Hollywood during the first season of "Mama's Family," so I don't know if he was a heart throb, but probably not. Gay men in the 1980s were very careful to not express any interest in teenagers, or actors playing teenagers.
DeleteAllan Kayser was and still is a STUD, and a GINGER stud at that. I mean, what more can a you ask for?!! I watch Mama's Family on Logo nowadays because I like the show but mainly to swoon over Bubba ����
ReplyDeleteamen!
Deleteamen!
DeleteI still watch the reruns to see Bubba in his tight jeans. A classically handsome face, firm buns, and nice bulge! He is a sweet guy who cares about his fans, including the gay ones. Hugs to you, Allan!!
DeleteI focus almost entirely on Bubba when I watch Mama's Family! He is beautiful!
DeleteI liked all the characters in the syndicated version of Mama's Family,but whenever Bubba was in a scene I just gazed longingly at him �� and couldn't really concentrate on the others.��
DeleteAllan Kayser was ������
Inton was the buffoon too bad he wasn't a Blonde on the show, that would have given him an excuse for his stupidity. Mama was right when she always told him he was dumb
ReplyDeleteI always thought Ken Berry was hot, even back when he was on "The Carol Burnett Show." He wasn't stupid in the first season, but it became his defining characteristic later on.
DeleteYes he was somewhat "attractive" on the Mayberry RFD show television series but no where neat as close as Bubba Allan Kayser
DeleteWell he sure perpetuated the stereotypical image of a dumb buffoon, a total idiot I don't know what in HELL Naomi saw in him he was a goon just like Mama always called him with no brains.
ReplyDeleteHe was extremely proficient in the bedroom.
DeleteOH! Do tell!
DeleteBuzz was gorgeous but Allen took the cake Bubba Higgins Carol Burnett Naomi Auntie Effie and that Priceless Iola boylen when they brought Bubba on and did the episodes differently it was fantastic it ended too quickly it was it was great if you want to laugh and go back in time to Better Days as what we thought back then we could breathe a little easier at night in the 80s and 90s now oh my God Jesus please help America the producer that brought Allen on the show and the way the scenes in the love and the happiness was and the fights Vicki Lawrence Priceless and wonderful and Mama's beers one of my favorite episodes is the Thanksgiving tornado and Ellen and her young boyfriend that guy was gorgeous you go Betty White Betty White was beautiful back then and any of the Mayor totkwiller episodes in Bubba and his first episodes the juvenile Hall love Mama's Family
ReplyDeleteWait, wait.
ReplyDeleteIn one of the 'Family' skits on THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW this series spun off from, Eunice and Ed have an unseen pre-teen son named Bubba.
Is it possible this is an attempt at continuity?
Yes, this was an attempt at continuity. Carol Burnett was not on the show anymore, even as a voice on the telephone, but they figured a way to let Bubba stay with Grandma, to add a teenager to the show. I'm not sure why they wanted Bubba instead of Buzz and Sonia from the earlier season. Maybe the actors weren't available, or mayb they wanted someone hotter, to provide beefcake interest
DeleteBubba appeared in season 3, episode 1. Not season 2. There were two seasons with Buzz and Sonya. I still watch this show every day while working from home (Hulu).
ReplyDeleteTwo seasons of Buzz and Sonia? I thought there was just one. The only episode I actually remember from the first incarnation involves Mama, Naomi, and Aunt Fran performing as the Andrews Sisters at a high school dance
DeleteI have the DVD set where on the extras, Allan has a nice interview, and said he admired Ken. Very sweet, down to earth guy. I didn't care for his predecessor, but he did have a nice butt. As a footnote, there was mild tension between Carol Burnett and "Mama," because Carol's then husband was producing the show, and they went through a divorce. She didn't say, but I gather Carol felt Ms. Lawrence should have dropped the show.
ReplyDeleteAllan was just fckn hot! Especially when they started to use his sex appeal to make everyone drool. The show knew and we all knew that was the attraction. Just honest lust.
ReplyDelete