Mr.
Six - Strange old guy sporting glasses, a tuxedo, a red bow tie and
two-tone shoes who represented the "Fun" one finds at Six Flags theme parks.
Similar to Mr. Magoo in appearance, Mr. Six (a.k.a. "the Ambassador of Fun") is
a sort of a Pied Piper of Pleasure who pulls up in a red-and-cream retro style
bus and begins to do a spasmodic, hyperkinetic dance to "We Like to Party!, a
1999 hit by the Vengaboys. Created by Doner Advertising from Southfield,
Michigan, the TV spots hoped that we, the "overscheduled, over-worked and
stressed out" consumer will jump on board Mr. Six's magic bus and take a trip to
one of Six Flags' amusement park for a day of "ultimate fun" (despite our
parents training to never, EVER to get into a vehicle driven by a stranger just
because he promises you a good time). Six Flags theme parks are located in or
near 35 of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S.

Mr. Six does his little dance.
Since the Mr. Six ads debuted in mid March of 2004 many people have been
speculating as to the real identity behind the actor who portrays Six Flags
limber dancing mascot with oh so inviting wave. On the surface, the dancing
"senior" appears to be a much younger actor under the costume and makeup but
Internet chatter has fans speculating the likes of such celebrities as Regis
Philbin, Martin Short, Jaleel "Urkel" White and even
Uncle Junior, a geriatric mobster from THE SOPRANOS as being behind the exuberant geriatric dancer who
moves like a twenty year old clubgoer.
So far, however, Six Flags is not willing to release the identity of their new
mascot - keeping it a closely guarded secret. Charles "Hank" Salemi, Six Flags'
senior vice president of marketing will only say that Mr. Six "is the spirit of
Six Flags....He comes to take people away from their boredom." Six Flags New
Orleans public relations director Ann Wills. reportedly said "It's a trade
secret. If I tell you, then I have to kill you."
The Mr. Six mascot has appeared in a number of ad spots. Each of the ads end
with the tagline "Six Flags: It's Playtime" In the first ad entitled "Mr. Six
Launch", a voice speaking in rhyme akin to a Doctor Seuss story narrates over
the images of suburban families doing yard work and house repairs and saying
"There once was town that worked so hard there was just no time for play, but
that all changed on this one particular day." Suddenly, a bus pulls up and out
hobbles Mr. Six. He activates speakers that sprout from the top of the bus and
then suddenly does a frenzied dance meant to entice all the people to take a
trip to Six Flags theme parks. The ad concludes with the phrase: "There a time
for work and there's a time for play. Six Flags: It's Playtime"
In the "Waterfall" ad, two teenage boys sit on lawn chairs. One teen comments
"Man, is it hot!" Then Mr. Six drives up and opens the door of his bus, turns a
knob and unleashes a torrent of water through the doorway of the bus. Of course,
both boys quickly hop on board and travel to a Six Flag theme park to enjoy a
bounty of water slide activities.
In the "PDA" ad, a father and daughter try to arrange a day together on their
PDAs. She's busy with soccer, a recital and fencing, and he's got a business
trip to Detroit and tai chi. When the Six Flags bus rolls up, the daughter says,
"I think I can move some things."
In the "Caddy" ad spot, Mr. Six pulls his bus on the greens of a golf course and
lures away two young boys from their duties as two disappointed golfers look on
as their caddies escape on the bus to the fun of Six flags theme park.
The Mr. Six character made his first national appearance on Friday, July 9, 2004
at Six flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, midway between Chicago and
Milwaukee off I-94 at the Grand Avenue East (Rte. 132) exit. Mr. Six wannabes
were invited to party at the park for free and compete in a look-alike contest
featuring a $2,500 cash prize and a dance lesson choreographed by America's most
talked-about new character, Mr. Six. All of the finalists donned costumes and
danced to Mr. Six's popular theme song "We Like to Party". Jordan Pope, 13, of
Prophetstown, Illinois, won the contest and $2,500 cash prize out of a pool of
200 contestants.
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TRIVIA NOTE: Does anyone remember the original Mr. Six? |
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Number Six (Patrick McGoohan) from the THE PRISONER |
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