If you are a baby boomer like me and you hear the phrase "Mom Always Liked You Best," most likely the Smothers Brothers will immediately come to mind.A musical comedy duo from the 60's, the Smothers Brothers, like John Stewart today, brought comedy to the news of the day. Their TV show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, thrilled audiences for three years before controversy resulted in their firing by the network, CBS.
When I came across this page on The Smothers Brothers by sheilamarie, it was a fabulous trip down memory lane. She writes about the controversy in this excerpt.
At first look, their humour appeared to be childish banter of the "mother always liked you best" variety. But these silly moments would inevitably shed light on attitudes and prejudices that always remained covered up in other media, attitudes about race, war, gender, and political corruption that would be blurted out the way a child would blurt out what adults would be embarrassed to say publicly.
Dick Smothers was the older brother, always politically correct before the term was popular. Tommy was the silly younger brother, who always made mistakes and blurted out things that people were thinking but not necessarily saying. Eventually, the two started pushing the edges in a way that made the network uncomfortable. Watching the old videos, their banter may look tame according to today's standards, but in the context of that time, criticizing the government and the war was not looked on kindly.
Sheila provides videos of some of the Smothers Brothers funniest performances as well as other musical guests who appeared on the show. I was mesmerized by the closeup shots of a young Paul McCartney singing "Hey Jude."
If you have not heard the Smothers Brothers, you are in for a treat. If they were as much a part of your life as they were of mine, I hope you enjoy this blast from the past.
Oh I remember these shows and how shocked some people were at the things they said. Funny how now that is tame, but the 60's were a unique time for sure and the Smothers Brothers are icons of that era. They were always good for a laugh or two ;)
ReplyDeleteOh Kim one of my all time favorite shows...The Smothers Brothers! This was so much fun to visit! Paul was so adorable in that video. And Pat Paulsen just cracked me up! What was that hippie girl that used to do the comedy bits...do you remember? Great show, great lens, and wonderful review!
ReplyDeleteI remember them! My mother thought they were silly but my dad loved them! Thanks for the memories Kim. Great review and lens. Sheila is one of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteKim, I'm so glad you reviewed this story that so delightfully brought back favorite memories of The Smothers Brothers. I just spent a fun half-hour listening to all the YouTube videos sheilamarie included in her story. I saw The Smothers Brothers in person at a concert in Washington DC in 2002 and they were just as entertaining then as they were in the early 1960s. Reading this wonderful lens also gave me the opportunity to 'meet' sheilamarie, so I thank you for both a fun lens and a new lensmaster to follow.
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Yes, I remember the Smothers Brothers. I think I was a little young to appreciate their humor always and liked Tommy best for being the silly guy he was. Thanks for the review of a piece of our history.
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