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Flashback: Johnny Carson warned against political preaching in entertainment on '60 Minutes'

Spock said:
These comedians understand and highlight the inherent hypocrisy and inconsistency of most current conservative propaganda.
Surely you do not object to comedy.
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] and they never, never, never see their own
 
CaughtInThe said:
This is from Google's AI...



Johnny Carson addressed the Watergate scandal through jokes in his monologues and interviews, generally becoming more critical of President Nixon as the situation progressed. While Carson was known for avoiding heavy politics, the escalating absurdity of Watergate made it a regular feature of his routine.
Key elements of Carson's Watergate humor:
  • Early, lighthearted teasing. When the scandal first gained attention in 1973, Carson made playful references to Nixon and the situation without attributing guilt. For example, he joked that Nixon, who played the piano, was going to form a band called the "Watergate Five".
  • Growing cynicism and directness. As more White House officials resigned, Carson's jokes became more pointed. In May 1973, after multiple resignations, he quipped, "One of the reporters from [the] New York Times called the White House today, and on the other end he heard, 'Hello, this is President Nixon. I'm not home right now, but when you hear the beep, will you leave your name and address?'".
  • The "taped conversation" jokes. When the White House claimed that Nixon's secretary, Rose Mary Woods, had accidentally erased a crucial portion of a White House tape, Carson and other comedians had a field day. Carson's most famous joke from this period was, "Would you believe Moses if he had come down with the Eight Commandments?".
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None of that was pushing an agenda.
 
Kimmel just wasn't funny. His show was a political show not comedy. Colbert was funny but deranged. Both a stain.
 
TobyOne said:
Kimmel just wasn't funny. His show was a political show not comedy. Colbert was funny but deranged. Both a stain.
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So what?

Freedom of speech doesn't apply if you don't like it?
 
Hamish Howl said:
Sounds like Johnny Carson had an opinion.
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That was his style, which is perfectly acceptable, and he was very successful using it.

However, at the time of Carson's interview in 1979, SNL was on its fourth season. I remember seeing a Mr. Peanut skit that year. Laughed my ass off.

Carson was great. I loved him. At the time Letterman took over, his "gentleman comedy" was old and tired. We had Steve Martin, Cheech & Chong, even the Brits' Monty Python who ushered in a new gritty comedy era. George Carlin was overtly political.

I've never been offended by comedy. Of any sort. The craft has evolved from the less political divisions regarding religion, drugs and sex, which the above listed comics were adept at exploiting, into straight-up party politics sarcasm, parody and satire. This division, brought to us by Trump, is now along authoritarian lines. Trump writes the jokes with his words and actions, then takes them away with a stroke of the pen.

What we're left with is an oxymoron - fascist comedy.
 
This is not new. Corporations will always side with the immediate financial interests of their shareholders, and to Hell with the 1st amendment or any other 'noble' cause.

Carson was concerned about audience size and what the broadcast corporations would do if you crossed the line. Carson was well aware of what happened to a top-rated TV show that 'crossed the line' in the eyes of their CBS corporate overlords.

According to AI:

The Smothers Brothers' show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, was canceled by CBS on April 4, 1969, for pushing the boundaries of political satire and social commentary. The network officially cited the brothers' failure to meet submission deadlines for network censorship review, but the true reason was the show's increasingly controversial anti-Vietnam War and counterculture-friendly content.
Reasons for the cancellation
  • Political Satire: The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour became famous for its sharp political humor, which often challenged the American mainstream during the Vietnam War era. The brothers' willingness to mock the "Establishment" led to repeated clashes with network executives.
  • Censorship battles: The show had continuous conflicts with CBS censors over its scripts and musical guest choices. In one incident, the network censored a performance by folk singer Pete Seeger, who sang an anti-war song. CBS also cut a segment featuring Joan Baez who wanted to dedicate a song to her husband, who was entering prison for refusing military service.
  • Failed compliance: At the start of the 1968–1969 season, CBS demanded that the brothers submit their shows ten days in advance for review. Network president William S. Paley cited the brothers' failure to meet these deadlines as the official reason for the abrupt cancellation, violating their contract.
  • Blacklisting and lawsuit: The cancellation led the Smothers Brothers to file a breach-of-contract lawsuit against CBS. They eventually won in court and were awarded a settlement, but they were effectively blacklisted from television for a significant period.
Legacy of the cancellation
The public termination of the show became a landmark moment regarding censorship in television. Many viewed the incident as a battle over freedom of speech, with protests from free-speech advocates and support from fellow performers. Despite being canceled, the show won an Emmy Award that year for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy, Variety or Music. The cancellation is also the subject of the 2002 documentary Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.
 
roberthughey said:
Political humor is funny when both sides are laughing.
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Excuse me? Lmao.

roberthughey said:
Kimmel and Colbert don't quite live up to that idea.
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The idea that you determine what I find funny is truly fascinating. Kinda authoritarian. One might say fascist. This is what the Nazis did.

Your worldview is apparent in your words. You have no power. Thinking you do because of Trump just proves how powerless individual MAGA's are.

No sir, I reject the fascist idea that you determine my taste in comedy. Trump lied to you. You don't have that power.
 
Great show. I barely remember it but it was a gather 'round the TV show.








Stealers Wheel said:
This is not new. Corporations will always side with the immediate financial interests of their shareholders, and to Hell with the 1st amendment or any other 'noble' cause.

Carson was concerned about audience size and what the broadcast corporations would do if you crossed the line. Carson was well aware of what happened to a top-rated TV show that 'crossed the line' in the eyes of their CBS corporate overlords.

According to AI:

The Smothers Brothers' show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, was canceled by CBS on April 4, 1969, for pushing the boundaries of political satire and social commentary. The network officially cited the brothers' failure to meet submission deadlines for network censorship review, but the true reason was the show's increasingly controversial anti-Vietnam War and counterculture-friendly content.
Reasons for the cancellation
  • Political Satire: The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour became famous for its sharp political humor, which often challenged the American mainstream during the Vietnam War era. The brothers' willingness to mock the "Establishment" led to repeated clashes with network executives.
  • Censorship battles: The show had continuous conflicts with CBS censors over its scripts and musical guest choices. In one incident, the network censored a performance by folk singer Pete Seeger, who sang an anti-war song. CBS also cut a segment featuring Joan Baez who wanted to dedicate a song to her husband, who was entering prison for refusing military service.
  • Failed compliance: At the start of the 1968–1969 season, CBS demanded that the brothers submit their shows ten days in advance for review. Network president William S. Paley cited the brothers' failure to meet these deadlines as the official reason for the abrupt cancellation, violating their contract.
  • Blacklisting and lawsuit: The cancellation led the Smothers Brothers to file a breach-of-contract lawsuit against CBS. They eventually won in court and were awarded a settlement, but they were effectively blacklisted from television for a significant period.
Legacy of the cancellation
The public termination of the show became a landmark moment regarding censorship in television. Many viewed the incident as a battle over freedom of speech, with protests from free-speech advocates and support from fellow performers. Despite being canceled, the show won an Emmy Award that year for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy, Variety or Music. The cancellation is also the subject of the 2002 documentary Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.
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roberthughey said:
] and they never, never, never see their own
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Why should a comedian be self-critical and personally analytical?
They are reporters of life and there is no comedy without some degree of irony, exaggeration, or frolic.
The thin-skinned rejection of comedy is a preposterous, smug, and moronic excuse for pompous hypocrisy.
 
Michael Cole said:
Excuse me? Lmao.


The idea that you determine what I find funny is truly fascinating. Kinda authoritarian. One might say fascist. This is what the Nazis did.

Your worldview is apparent in your words. You have no power. Thinking you do because of Trump just proves how powerless individual MAGA's are.

No sir, I reject the fascist idea that you determine my taste in comedy. Trump lied to you. You don't have that power.
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Carson was right on the money.

Kimmel and Corbert got themselves into that "self importance feeling" as Carson puts it.

BTW, your post?

I did no such thing. Nothing but your lies.
 
roberthughey said:
Carson was right on the money.

Kimmel and Corbert got themselves into that "self importance feeling" as Carson puts it.

BTW, your post?

I did no such thing. Nothing but your lies.
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Interestingly, Carson said nothing about getting thrown off the air because the president doesn't like your speech.

That sort of thing didn't happen back in his day.
 
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