RICHMOND — Christmas is the White family’s “best holiday,” said Bob White.
Decorations are up Nov. 1 and the trees outside the Richmond couple’s house are decorated year-round by White’s wife, Debora. Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations are up, simultaneously.
So to have a Christmas video they recorded make the cut for the TV show “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” it made sense.
“It’s funny. It’s sort of unbelievable. I play guitar for shows and (get recognition) for the other thing,” joked White.
Last year, White recorded a video in his home, of him impersonating a 6-foot-tall Santa Claus statue he brought home and stuck next to their television. He said his wife had a couple of friends over, so he put on his newly bought Santa suit, stood next to the tree and waited there frozen in place until one of the women noticed.
“I went, ‘Ho ho ho,’ and my God, did she scream,” White said.
White said he shared the video on his personal Facebook page and after it received reactions from his friends, he decided to submit it to “America’s Funniest Home Videos” after coming across an ad on Facebook for the show.
The process was easy, he said, and took place last year. It involved a producer contacting him and asking for more information about the video.
White, as well as the other women featured in the video, had to sign a release form consenting to be on TV. He said the other women were “laughing hysterically” over the video.
After that, he didn’t hear anything until this week.
“I got a text message that said it’s going to be on Sunday at 7 p.m. They sent me a free T-shirt for doing it,” White said.
The format of the show is different because of COVID-19. What would usually take place in front of a live studio audience is now being done over Zoom with people tuning into the show from their homes. When White spoke to the Kennebec Journal, he had not received a link to participate in the audience on TV, but plans to watch it with his wife, Debora, who White said is “really excited.”
White shared the news with the Richmond Family and Friends Facebook Page, where he received “over 100 likes” and many endearing comments from friends and community members.
“We love this show,” commented Amanda Moreno Musica. “Kids will love that a local’s video is featured.”
America’s Funniest Home Videos will play White’s video on Sunday at 7 p.m. on ABC.
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