The Smothers Brothers, Tom and Dick, are one of the most iconic comedy duos in the history of television. As children, they learned to play musical instruments and sing from their father, who was a vaudeville performer. Tom and Dick began performing as a duo in the late 1950s, playing in coffeehouses and clubs in San Francisco. Their act consisted of music, comedy, and witty banter, which quickly gained them a following.
The Smothers Brothers became a household name in the late 1960s with their variety show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. The show was groundbreaking in its approach to comedy, pushing the boundaries with political satire and social commentary. The show also featured up-and-coming musical acts, including The Doors and The Who, and introduced the world to comedians like Steve Martin and George Carlin.
The Smothers Brothers' irreverent style has made them a beloved and enduring force in American comedy.
One of my first LP records was "The button-down mind of Bob Newhart"! Listening to any track would immediately lift my spirits ( ".. the flashing red light on the car you hit blinded you?... Yes, officer, she was just telling me about it...)
Okay, when you get up there look for St. Peter. What does he look like? I'm not sure, I'm guessing old at this point. Just tell him who you are and he'll waive you in.
When he first "ran for president" everyone laughed with him and he no doubt thought is was great fun. Then he saw how many people voted for him by write in votes. The write in vote was (maybe still is) legal back then. Not so funny.
Newhart's phone bits were masterpieces of comedy. I hope my grandfather saw this bit. He was an air traffic controller in the Air Force in the early 50s.
❤excellent choice right now with the Zeitgeist now July of 2024 laughing at those who make no sense. Don’t get upset but 😅😅Laugh at those who are full of nonsense❤❤😅😅😅😅
When the Bob Newhart Show premiered, mom had to laugh 'cause she said talking on the phone was Bob's schtick, and the show opens with him going "Hello...." Never missed it!
I'd never heard this skit before. "Why don't you just tell the passengers it was a giant eagle?" nearly had me on the floor!🤣 RIP Bob, you were one of a kind.
Yes, the study of word origin is called etymology. Like most widely-used modern languages, English is a sort of a melting pot of dozens of other languages and dialects. Words and their pronunciations have been pulled through multiple different languages throughout history to arrive in English, creating different sounds for words that are spelled similarly. So for example "tomb" was originally "tymbos" in Greek, pulled into Latin as "tomba," then Old French "tombe," into Anglo-French as "tumbe," then into English as "tomb." "Bomb" was originally "bombos" in Greek, then Latin as "bombus," then French "bombe" and then English as "bomb." As you may notice the words have also a geographical migration as they are adopted by new languages throughout history, but generally the modern pronunciation of most English words originate from somewhere along the line of their migration through other languages.
Frieda, thanks so much for this video. I’m going to see if I can find this documentary on Amazon or another streaming platform. I love the indomitable human spirit of these folks.
