Joanie Loves Chachi

Paul Richter

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Jul 2, 1998, 3:00:00 AM7/2/98

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> This sounds like an urban legend to me---supposedly the #1 American
> imported sit-com to Korea is Joanie loves Chachi---the reason being that
> "Chachi" is Korean slang for "penis"---any verification, or lack of would
> be appreciated

Well, my Korean vocabulary consists of about ten phrases, of which 8 are
dirty words (learned from a Korean friend in college). And you know what,
one of them was indeed "chachi-pochi", which means "penis-(you can figure
out the other half)". So that part of the story is, in my non-expert
estimation, true.

I agree with a previous post, though, that they probably would have
changed the name of the TV show and the character, maybe to "Chuckie" or
something.

Andrew Schub

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Jul 2, 1998, 3:00:00 AM7/2/98

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The very funny Gary Marshal, the creator of Happy Days and it's many
spin-offs, including Joanie Loves Chachi, claims that this is true -- he's
talked about it on many a talk show, and might have even mentioned it in a
book (I'm really not sure on that one). But this doesn't exactly make it a
true story.

Jose Beltran-Escavy

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Jul 2, 1998, 3:00:00 AM7/2/98

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Rich <rl...@erols.com> wrote:

> This sounds like an urban legend to me---supposedly the #1 American
> imported sit-com to Korea is Joanie loves Chachi---the reason being that
> "Chachi" is Korean slang for "penis"---any verification, or lack of would
> be appreciated

Well, I don't speak Korean, but, if we assume that geographic proximity
has some influence on cultural and language similarities, I would say
that there is a possibility for this to be true, based on the fact that,
in Japanese, "CHINCHIN" is the slang word for penis.

(Incidentally, this also happens to be the standard expression used for a
toast in Spanish. Let us close a tupid veil over what happened to a
very good friend of mine, just arrived to Japan from Spain, when she was
asked to lead a toast during a small banquet in a rather posh
restaurant).

(NOTE 2: We are on today for linguistic coincidences! In Spanish slang,
"CHACHI" means roughly "cool, good, very nice").

But I think that, if "chachi" really means "penis" in Korean slang, they
will have changed the name of the sitcom if they really broadcast it on TV
there... Not to mention that Korea is one of the most prudish countries I
know of (for instance, it is forbidden to show women's breasts in
magazines, etc. 'Playboy' issues et.al. are confiscated at the airport if
discovered).

Jose "I'm chachi!" Beltran-Escavy

Rich

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Jul 2, 1998, 3:00:00 AM7/2/98

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Davie

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Jul 2, 1998, 3:00:00 AM7/2/98

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Jose Beltran-Escavy <pe...@prince.pe.u-tokyo.ac.jp> wrote:

> But I think that, if "chachi" really means "penis" in Korean slang, they
> will have changed the name of the sitcom if they really broadcast it on TV
> there... Not to mention that Korea is one of the most prudish countries I
> know of (for instance, it is forbidden to show women's breasts in
> magazines, etc. 'Playboy' issues et.al. are confiscated at the airport if
> discovered).

I lived in Korea 2 years and speak Korean relatively well. Chachi is
indeed a word for penis, although the "ch" is pronounced more like a cross
between "ch" and "j."

While I would agree that Korea is more prudish than America, it's
definately not a bastion of virtue.

T. Fuller

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Jul 2, 1998, 3:00:00 AM7/2/98

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In article <6ngllq$9hj$2...@nntp1.ba.best.com>,
Rich <rl...@erols.com> wrote:

That's true, I've read it in several different sources.

I have what is probably the only web page devoted to Joanie Loves Chachi. Includes show info,
cast info, episode guide, theme song, etc. It's a spinoff page of my main Happy Days page.

Joanie Loves Chachi
http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/9835/joanielchachi.html