Got word via Fark that Dick Martin of Laugh-In passed away about 8 hours ago. A bit of sad news, since I was introduced to his type of comedy by my middle school vice principal in the early 90s. He mentioned that there will be a Laugh-In special that week and I tuned in. I loved the bits of quick and colorful subversive humor.
It was the clever wordplays, the digs at cultural foibles, and the fast-paced clips that make Laugh-In a cultural icon. Contrast Rowan & Martin with the crudeness of recent comedy. After watching the episode, I realized that my vice principal introduced me to (for a lack of terminology) “grown-up humor” and its accompanying culture.*
Here are two Laugh-In Quickies, complete with a President Nixon cameo. You bet your sweet bippy that none of the presidential candidates had the guts to say “Sock It To Me”.
Good night, Dick, and thank you for the laughs.
*Wes Clark had experienced that too, but he refers it as the patio culture, as he entered that grown-up realm via the backyard patio.