They came decked out in fiery red wigs with tight curls, oversize glasses and, of course, the colorful caftans that were iconic to the look of the beloved Mrs. Roper.
Younger generations may be confused at the reference, but anyone with a television in the late ’70s and ’80s will remember Mrs. Roper, the wise-cracking-yet-lovable neighbor from the hit sitcom “Three’s Company.” The television show told the story of a bachelor who lived with two female roommates and interacted neighbors, a hilarious cast of characters that included the landlady Helen Roper, played by the late Audra Lindley.
A group of Helens dance to the music at the Yorba Linda Town Center in downtown Yorba Linda as they gather for a Roper Romp, on Saturday, March 16, 2024. The Roper Romp pays homage to Mrs. Helen Roper from the 1970’s and 80’s show, Three’s Company. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A group of Helens pose for a group photo at the Yorba Linda Town Center in downtown Yorba Linda as they gather for a Roper Romp, on Saturday, March 16, 2024. The Roper Romp pays homage to Mrs. Helen Roper from the 1970’s and 80’s show, Three’s Company. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A group of Helens dance to the music on Main Street in downtown Yorba Linda as they gather for a Roper Romp on Saturday, March 16, 2024. The Roper Romp pays homage to Mrs. Helen Roper from the 1970’s and 80’s show, Three’s Company. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Yazmin Stutzel of Yorba Linda, front left, takes a selfie with a group of Helens as they gather on Main Street in downtown Yorba Linda for a Roper Romp on Saturday, March 16, 2024. The Roper Romp pays homage to Mrs. Helen Roper from the 1970’s and 80’s show, Three’s Company. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Helens greet each other as they gather on Main Street in downtown Yorba Linda for a Roper Romp on Saturday, March 16, 2024. The Roper Romp pays homage to Mrs. Helen Roper from the 1970’s and 80’s show, Three’s Company. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Debbie Taylor of Corona, left, and Yazmin Stutzel of Yorba Linda, lead the group of Helens in the Roper Romp on Main Street in downtown Yorba Linda on Saturday, March 16, 2024. The Roper Romp pays homage to Mrs. Helen Roper from the 1970’s and 80’s show, Three’s Company. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Yazmin Stutzel of Yorba Linda shows off her glasses as she stands with a group of Helens as they gather on Main Street in downtown Yorba Linda for a Roper Romp around town, on Saturday, March 16, 2024. The Roper Romp pays homage to Mrs. Helen Roper from the 1970’s and 80’s show, Three’s Company. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A group of Helens dance to the music at the Yorba Linda Town Center in downtown Yorba Linda as they gather for a Roper Romp, on Saturday, March 16, 2024. The Roper Romp pays homage to Mrs. Helen Roper from the 1970’s and 80’s show, Three’s Company. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Adrian and Bay Rivas with their son, Hartley, 11 months, all dressed as Helen, pose for a photo at the Yorba Linda Town Center in downtown Yorba Linda as they gather for a Roper Romp, on Saturday, March 16, 2024. The Roper Romp pays homage to Mrs. Helen Roper from the 1970’s and 80’s show, Three’s Company. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A woman takes photos as a group of Helens dance to the music on Main Street in downtown Yorba Linda during the Roper Romp, on Saturday, March 16, 2024. The Roper Romp pays homage to Mrs. Helen Roper from the 1970’s and 80’s show, Three’s Company. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A group of Helens pose for a photo on Main Street in downtown Yorba Linda as they gather for a Roper Romp around town, on Saturday, March 16, 2024. The Roper Romp pays homage to Mrs. Helen Roper from the 1970’s and 80’s show, Three’s Company. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Erin Williamson, back center, speaks with the crowd of Helens as they gather on Main Street in downtown Yorba Linda for a Roper Romp around town, on Saturday, March 16, 2024. The Roper Romp pays homage to Mrs. Helen Roper from the 1970’s and 80’s show, Three’s Company. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Erin Williamson, front center, takes a selfie with a group of Helens as they gather on Main Street in downtown Yorba Linda for a Roper Romp around town, on Saturday, March 16, 2024. The Roper Romp pays homage to Mrs. Helen Roper from the 1970’s and 80’s show, Three’s Company. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A group of Helens dance to the music on Main Street in downtown Yorba Linda as they gather for a Roper Romp on Saturday, March 16, 2024. The Roper Romp pays homage to Mrs. Helen Roper from the 1970’s and 80’s show, Three’s Company. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
And now, decades after the show was a nightly must-watch ritual in living rooms across the country, Mrs. Roper look-alikes are bringing back a bit of nostalgia – and a lot of laughs.
“There’s been Roper Romps all over the United States,” said Erin Williamson, who organized a gathering in Yorba Linda on Saturday, the group starting at the boutique Chic Revelations on Main Street and making their ways to bars and restaurants around town. “We hope the Mrs. Roper community continues to grow … it’s a phenomenon that is taking over the world.”
Many articles online point to the origin of the Roper Romps as dating back to 2013 during a New Orleans parade, and through the past decade, pop-up events have spread across the country, the trend splashed across social media and even written about in the New York Times.
Williamson, a real estate agent, attended a Roper Romp in Orange a few months back when 200 “Helens” showed up, and then decided to host her own with friend and fellow real estate agent Christina Loomis, with hopes it will become an annual event.
Williamson recalled how Mrs. Roper was always complaining about her husband, Stanley, who was perennially in a bathrobe holding a newspaper.
“Her famous line was ‘oooh Stanley,’” Williamson chuckled.
Whether 10 or 110 people showed up decked out in the Mrs. Roper attire, it was no matter, Williamson said, the idea is just to get together for a fun time, whoever decides to join.
“It just makes everybody happy,” she added. “Life is all about having fun and making other people smile.”
