Remembering The Life Of Watermelon-Smashing Comedian Gallagher
The Sledge-O-Matic will swing no more. According to a Nov. 11 Fox News report, Leo Gallagher, known on stage as simply Gallagher, died in Palm Springs, California at the age of 76. He is survived by a son and a daughter.
As one of the few one-named celebrities, the comedian rose to fame in the 1980s. For decades, he toured across the United States and brought his quick wit to audiences. Often, his shows ended with a signature piece, the Sledge-O-Matic, a parody of the Veg-O-Matic commercials that were popular in the 1970s. This custom, wooden smashing device would destroy a variety of foods; the final blow would usually involve a watermelon. Many seated in the front rows would cover themselves to avoid the flying food debris.
According to NBC News, Gallagher appeared in the first-ever comedy special to air on cable. Directed by The Monkey's Mike Nesmith, "An Uncensored Evening" was one of 13 comedy shows that aired on Showtime. While prop humor was a centerpiece of his act, he was also known for his observational commentary. Although his unsettling political, social, and racial views had some people put his act on pause, he does hold a place in comedy history. Even recently, Gallagher was portrayed in "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story," which is streaming on Roku.
Gallagher and his Sledge-O-Matic became part of pop culture infamy
Long before Carrot Top pulled props from his trunks on the Las Vegas strip, Leo Gallagher earned fame as a prop comic. As TMZ noted, the entertainer rose to fame in the 1970s and became a popular and recognizable comedian, in part to the Sledge-O-Matic concept.
While it might not be as effective as the Veg-O-Matic touted in the 1970s television commercials, the impact the wooden device had on food was emphatic. As audiences waited for the final smash of the show, a watermelon, they laughed along as the fruit flew through the air. The pop culture bit was even parodied in a Geico commercial in 2012, where Gallagher visited a farmer's market and made quick work of the farm-fresh fruit (via iSpot.tv).
While the innocent fruit destruction brought many laughs, the gimmick was only one part of the comedian's stage act. As reported by Vulture in 2015, the performer never seemed content with his place in the entertainment world. While the article discusses an ill-fated appearance on Marc Maron's "WTF" podcast, it appears that the comedian might have smashed his own fate with comments that were divisive and far from humorous. The article (and Maron) pointed out that some of Gallagher's jokes were racially tinged and perceived as homophobic. Even if some people may look back at the innocent laughs from destroying food on stage, the words flung by the person swinging that hammer cannot be forgotten.