How did the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour reflect or channel social changes happening in the US at the time? Why did CBS censor The Smothers Brothers? What taboo topics did the show engage with and what contributed to the show becoming a battleground around issues of tradition—both social and industrial? How did The Smothers Brothers respond to CBS’s attempts at censorship?
The Smothers Brothers chose to incorporate their own personal views/reflections of the social changes happening in the US at the time, which essentially got them into trouble with the network and later led to their show being canceled. CBS chose to censor The Smothers Brothers because they were much too "liberal" and the network was taking a major risk by letting such content air on television. The Smother Brothers dealt with topic such as religion and politics. There was a sketch that poked fun at priests and The Smothers Brothers themselves were constantly criticizing the president. For a while, The Smothers Brothers ignored the censorship warnings, but then it got out of hand. CBS realized that they could no longer "control" The Smothers Brothers and that made them very nervous. With The Smothers Brothers now as a threat to the network, CBS cancelled their show. Personally, I found the documentary very interesting and inspiring - I was glad to see the brothers fight for the content they believed in.
What I think is so cool about the Smothers Brothers is that they used their power in Hollywood to really do good for the society around them. At first they were this clean cut brother duo that everyone loved, which worked for them at the beginning, but after they realized how crazy the US was in the 60s and how something needed to be done about it, the brothers did something and in effect garnered change. In later seasons, the Smothers Brothers were often seen making political commentary and pointing jokes towards the right side of the aisle. They also spoke heavily about war, the effects of guns, and people in power. CBS censored the brothers heavily because they were explicitly making fun of conservatives in a time when TV was still pretty discreet about their political messages. Some say that CBS’s head also had ties to the president, making the brothers even more censored. This control the network tried to have over the brothers didn’t bode over so well seeing as they still were able to put out a lot of content CBS tried to censor them on. As I mentioned above, the Smothers Brothers put out a lot of sketches that were overt political humor dealing with topics such as religion and the president. Likewise, even though CBS attempted to censor the Smothers Brothers (especially in the script), they pushed back and brought on acts and speakers that were very left leaning and spoke very clearly about their positions. At the same time, with such a push back from the Smothers Brothers and their fans, CBS had to give them some of the content they demanded. At one point, the brothers got so fed up that they decided to go on air and talk about how CBS was regulating and censoring them. Basically what I’m saying is that the Smothers Brothers found ways to get their opinions and content out there. The conflicts between the Smothers Brothers and CBS came to a head and eventually their show was cancelled. But in the couple years their program was on the air, the Smothers Brothers made a lot of bad ass content and really worked towards getting important information out to society with a hilariously comical approach.
The Smothers Brothers Comedy hour reflected social changes happening in the US at the time by mocking them or presenting issues in a way that appeared to be appropriate, but would be understood by younger generations as not. An example of this was the character Goldie O’Keefe and her segment. Goldie and Keefe were both slang for marijuana known to younger populations at the time, and Goldie would talk about sex in coded terms on her segment that bypassed censorship but was not lost on younger audiences. The Brothers also allowed presenters and performers that were people of color or war dissenters to perform on the show, which upset the CBS network who had close political ties to the president and the executive office. Pete Seeger was a particularly controversial person to put on the air because he had previously been blacklisted, and performed a song that was anti-Vietnam war that CBS censored for broadcast. They also censored a woman talking about her husband being sent to jail for civil disobedience and tearing up his draft card. The show became a battleground due to its popularity with younger audiences and CBS’s ties with the government. Eventually, CBS realized they couldn’t control the brothers and that their show may be affecting the rest of the CBS brand, and so they sought to end the brother’s contract. However, the brothers were not pacifists with CBS and took them to court and made it public knowledge through newspapers and other media why they were being censored. They would even make fun of censorship on air by telling audiences they had something good prepared, but wouldn’t be allowed to see it or by physically showing the audience the closed script they were prohibited from performing. Ultimately, I think we spent time learning about the smothers brothers because by making their battle with CBS over censorship public, they influenced the history of censorship and had more people pushing the government for freedom of speech.
Let us first take a moment to appreciate how funny the Smothers Brothers were. This is like the beginnings of the politically charged late night shows of today!
But basically, according to the documentary, the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour ended up getting censored and being so controversial because it actually had an opinion. A lot of TV at the time was just so apolitical to the point where it was essentially a way to check out of the real world and forget that problems actually existed. The Smothers Brothers clearly had a viewpoint and didn’t hesitate to share it. They took on the Vietnam war, presidential elections, and even censorship which ironically is what got them the most censored. And even when CBS tried to silence them, they fought back with humor. Humor is one of the most powerful political statements. Laughing at something takes away its power. It is also contagious, which brings more people to your side of an issue if you can make them laugh about it with you. And there were plenty of letters sent to the studio saying how mad people were and how they would never watch the show again, but there were just as many people who loved it and agreed with the brothers. The studio didn’t cancel them because of poor reception or ratings; they were cancelled because they were a threat.
The Smother Brothers took a clever approach to political comedy, in a way that's almost a mix of something like the Colbert Report and SNL. They did a mix of direct addresses to the audience, pointing out the faults in American politics, and skits that poked fun at things without outright saying "this is wrong." In this clip, we see the actor that is a recurring part who voices the people they are making fun of and gives "their point of view," but with a comedic twist (kind of like Melissa McCarthy's Sean Spicer). He says things that sounds entirely like what the opposition would say, that leads to a punchline at the end, which is a useful method for arguing a side. By speaking to people in their own language, they can lead them to a specific conclusion, delivered as a joke. Some of the things they talked about included race, the war in Vietnam, and even censorship itself. They would simply make the jokes that they made, and if it got taken out that was that, but they didn't let it hold them back from making the jokes in the first place. And they took the opportunity to criticize censors by making skits about them as well , which was a way of telling the viewers that they were being censored in a way that was still funny but called attention to it. They also would publish things in print (and I think on the radio?) about things they had been censored on. They made sure that everything that they said that was taken out was still put out there, which I think was really smart and probably backfired on the censors because it ended up calling more attention to what they were trying to censor in the first place. Through comedy, they could reach people with their ideas, and also tell people what they should be outraged about in a way that was subtle enough to not get punished for.
When the Smothers Brothers began airing in 1967, people, especially young people, were more politically active than they had been before. The Smothers Brothers took advantage of this and created some humorous political satire , obviously siding with more "liberal-minded" people. They lampooned everything from racism to the Vietnam War. While their fanbase loved this satire, CBS hated it. In efforts to remain family-friendly, or to not alienate right-wing audiences, CBS decided to censor some of the Smothers Brothers material. For example, after one of the writers appeared and performed a sketch poking some (fairly light) fun at the Bible and pastors, CBS was flooded with disapproving letters, and told the Smothers Brothers they were never allowed to have that writer deliver a sermon again. In another notable case, a musical performance by Harry Belafonte was censored. Belafonte sang "Don't Stop the Carnival" while the backdrop showed images from the protest at the DNC in Chicago, drawing a comparison between a "carnival" and the "carnival-like atmosphere" of politics at the time. The Smothers Brothers fought back against censorship in a few ways. First, they would publish stories in the paper whenever something on their show was censored. The first time they used this technique was for Elaine May's sketch about censors. Second, they would satirize the censors on the show (though sometimes the censors wouldn't allow them to). Third, they rebelled against the censors by putting more and more political material into their scripts, knowing full well the censors wouldn't allow it to be aired. Last, they never gave up. When Pete Seeger's song "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy" was censored, the Smothers Brothers hounded the censors to let Seeger come back and sing the song, which he was eventually allowed to do. The Smothers Brothers changed the face of television, paving the way for people like Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart. Political satire is a staple of television these days, and we have the Smothers Brothers to thank for it.
In the year 1967, CBS was searching for the right talent to rival the unbeatable NBC show Bonanza during prime time. Thus the Smothers Brother’s Comedy Hour was born. CBS took a risk with the two young, hip, but clean-cut brothers giving the two full creative control of their comedy-variety show. The show focused their content on contemporary topics that especially appealed to youth viewership. Some of their acts even included political satire, hip musical guests, and sketches that referenced topics like marijuana, the draft, the Vietnam War, and more. In the clip, we can see an example of one of their reoccurring characters, Pat Paulson, who spoke about irony concerning political policies. Although the show remained popular, the inference to these serious topics caused some debate between the brother’s and CBS; many of their sketches had to be censored because of their blatant liberal approach. The network’s attempt to censor the show made the brother’s angry enough to fire back on air with sketches about censorship. They even tried to bring more controversy onto the air by bringing on a previously blacklisted musician to sing about the Vietnam War and another act making fun of the Catholic Church. They continuously pushed the boundaries with CBS until eventually CBS canceled the show.
Towards the end of the 60s, America was in a war that people did not want, yet the government did not want to encourage the anyone to be vocally against it. The Smothers Brothers took their stage to bring attention to the issues, such as the draft on their show, which was significant for the period. They were not afraid to push the limits, and had to battle with CBS on their content. When they brought on a wife of a man drafted, CBS censored it, so it wouldn’t seem “radical” or too liberal. They also went on television and performed a sketch about how CBS censors their show, which was a direct dig at the very network the sketch was airing on. The entertainers were bold, and sometimes boldness causes fear from others, and CBS was not ready to promote a show that was so progressive. After some complaints from people over the content, CBS became increasingly nervous of their inability to control the brothers. This eventually to the show’s cancellation as the brothers would not give up their political content. In a way the brothers represented much of America’s youth towards the end of the decade as both were loud against what was happening in the country and the war.
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was cut before its time, and its demise arguably serves the show’s legacy more than its time on air did. The Smothers Brothers became a martyr for the counterculture. In an era with heightened political tensions, networks believed that a primetime slot should be used to unify families from all around to tune in together. They wanted to avoid controversial programming that could drive viewers to other networks. Taking on Bonanza is no easy task, but the Smothers Brothers managed to do it with their boyish charms, musical talents, and wits sharper than harpoons. They were raised in the Eisenhower-era of economic prosperity and conformity, but their views changed as the Vietnam War raged on unnecessarily. They took on the war, the lax gun rights of the US, and the Bible, among other things. They were the voice for the millions of Americans who were suspicious of the dominant forces of the government and religion. Their program would have been dead in the water a decade earlier, butt they stayed afloat due to the shifting politics of the country. They were liberals talking about politics on television in a time where that wasn’t a popular idea, so CBS censored them. The brothers were too edgy for the average family (supposedly), and that wouldn’t fly in CBS’s eyes. CBS tried, but the show would not be censored. They brought on controversial guests, they made fun of the censors, and they continued running sketches that were too taboo. CBS realized that they were no longer the dominant force in the show’s production, and looked for every opportunity to get out of their agreement. This lead to a controversial termination and a lawsuit, which only helped the show’s legacy by letting it die as a symbol of the counterculture, being struck down by “the man” despite doing everything properly.
The Smothers Brothers chose to incorporate their own personal views/reflections of the social changes happening in the US at the time, which essentially got them into trouble with the network and later led to their show being canceled. CBS chose to censor The Smothers Brothers because they were much too "liberal" and the network was taking a major risk by letting such content air on television. The Smother Brothers dealt with topic such as religion and politics. There was a sketch that poked fun at priests and The Smothers Brothers themselves were constantly criticizing the president. For a while, The Smothers Brothers ignored the censorship warnings, but then it got out of hand. CBS realized that they could no longer "control" The Smothers Brothers and that made them very nervous. With The Smothers Brothers now as a threat to the network, CBS cancelled their show. Personally, I found the documentary very interesting and inspiring - I was glad to see the brothers fight for the content they believed in.
ReplyDeleteWhat I think is so cool about the Smothers Brothers is that they used their power in Hollywood to really do good for the society around them. At first they were this clean cut brother duo that everyone loved, which worked for them at the beginning, but after they realized how crazy the US was in the 60s and how something needed to be done about it, the brothers did something and in effect garnered change. In later seasons, the Smothers Brothers were often seen making political commentary and pointing jokes towards the right side of the aisle. They also spoke heavily about war, the effects of guns, and people in power. CBS censored the brothers heavily because they were explicitly making fun of conservatives in a time when TV was still pretty discreet about their political messages. Some say that CBS’s head also had ties to the president, making the brothers even more censored. This control the network tried to have over the brothers didn’t bode over so well seeing as they still were able to put out a lot of content CBS tried to censor them on. As I mentioned above, the Smothers Brothers put out a lot of sketches that were overt political humor dealing with topics such as religion and the president. Likewise, even though CBS attempted to censor the Smothers Brothers (especially in the script), they pushed back and brought on acts and speakers that were very left leaning and spoke very clearly about their positions. At the same time, with such a push back from the Smothers Brothers and their fans, CBS had to give them some of the content they demanded. At one point, the brothers got so fed up that they decided to go on air and talk about how CBS was regulating and censoring them. Basically what I’m saying is that the Smothers Brothers found ways to get their opinions and content out there. The conflicts between the Smothers Brothers and CBS came to a head and eventually their show was cancelled. But in the couple years their program was on the air, the Smothers Brothers made a lot of bad ass content and really worked towards getting important information out to society with a hilariously comical approach.
ReplyDeleteThe Smothers Brothers Comedy hour reflected social changes happening in the US at the time by mocking them or presenting issues in a way that appeared to be appropriate, but would be understood by younger generations as not. An example of this was the character Goldie O’Keefe and her segment. Goldie and Keefe were both slang for marijuana known to younger populations at the time, and Goldie would talk about sex in coded terms on her segment that bypassed censorship but was not lost on younger audiences. The Brothers also allowed presenters and performers that were people of color or war dissenters to perform on the show, which upset the CBS network who had close political ties to the president and the executive office. Pete Seeger was a particularly controversial person to put on the air because he had previously been blacklisted, and performed a song that was anti-Vietnam war that CBS censored for broadcast. They also censored a woman talking about her husband being sent to jail for civil disobedience and tearing up his draft card. The show became a battleground due to its popularity with younger audiences and CBS’s ties with the government. Eventually, CBS realized they couldn’t control the brothers and that their show may be affecting the rest of the CBS brand, and so they sought to end the brother’s contract. However, the brothers were not pacifists with CBS and took them to court and made it public knowledge through newspapers and other media why they were being censored. They would even make fun of censorship on air by telling audiences they had something good prepared, but wouldn’t be allowed to see it or by physically showing the audience the closed script they were prohibited from performing. Ultimately, I think we spent time learning about the smothers brothers because by making their battle with CBS over censorship public, they influenced the history of censorship and had more people pushing the government for freedom of speech.
ReplyDeleteLet us first take a moment to appreciate how funny the Smothers Brothers were. This is like the beginnings of the politically charged late night shows of today!
ReplyDeleteBut basically, according to the documentary, the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour ended up getting censored and being so controversial because it actually had an opinion. A lot of TV at the time was just so apolitical to the point where it was essentially a way to check out of the real world and forget that problems actually existed. The Smothers Brothers clearly had a viewpoint and didn’t hesitate to share it. They took on the Vietnam war, presidential elections, and even censorship which ironically is what got them the most censored. And even when CBS tried to silence them, they fought back with humor. Humor is one of the most powerful political statements. Laughing at something takes away its power. It is also contagious, which brings more people to your side of an issue if you can make them laugh about it with you. And there were plenty of letters sent to the studio saying how mad people were and how they would never watch the show again, but there were just as many people who loved it and agreed with the brothers. The studio didn’t cancel them because of poor reception or ratings; they were cancelled because they were a threat.
The Smother Brothers took a clever approach to political comedy, in a way that's almost a mix of something like the Colbert Report and SNL. They did a mix of direct addresses to the audience, pointing out the faults in American politics, and skits that poked fun at things without outright saying "this is wrong."
ReplyDeleteIn this clip, we see the actor that is a recurring part who voices the people they are making fun of and gives "their point of view," but with a comedic twist (kind of like Melissa McCarthy's Sean Spicer). He says things that sounds entirely like what the opposition would say, that leads to a punchline at the end, which is a useful method for arguing a side. By speaking to people in their own language, they can lead them to a specific conclusion, delivered as a joke.
Some of the things they talked about included race, the war in Vietnam, and even censorship itself. They would simply make the jokes that they made, and if it got taken out that was that, but they didn't let it hold them back from making the jokes in the first place. And they took the opportunity to criticize censors by making skits about them as well , which was a way of telling the viewers that they were being censored in a way that was still funny but called attention to it. They also would publish things in print (and I think on the radio?) about things they had been censored on. They made sure that everything that they said that was taken out was still put out there, which I think was really smart and probably backfired on the censors because it ended up calling more attention to what they were trying to censor in the first place. Through comedy, they could reach people with their ideas, and also tell people what they should be outraged about in a way that was subtle enough to not get punished for.
When the Smothers Brothers began airing in 1967, people, especially young people, were more politically active than they had been before. The Smothers Brothers took advantage of this and created some humorous political satire , obviously siding with more "liberal-minded" people. They lampooned everything from racism to the Vietnam War. While their fanbase loved this satire, CBS hated it. In efforts to remain family-friendly, or to not alienate right-wing audiences, CBS decided to censor some of the Smothers Brothers material. For example, after one of the writers appeared and performed a sketch poking some (fairly light) fun at the Bible and pastors, CBS was flooded with disapproving letters, and told the Smothers Brothers they were never allowed to have that writer deliver a sermon again. In another notable case, a musical performance by Harry Belafonte was censored. Belafonte sang "Don't Stop the Carnival" while the backdrop showed images from the protest at the DNC in Chicago, drawing a comparison between a "carnival" and the "carnival-like atmosphere" of politics at the time. The Smothers Brothers fought back against censorship in a few ways. First, they would publish stories in the paper whenever something on their show was censored. The first time they used this technique was for Elaine May's sketch about censors. Second, they would satirize the censors on the show (though sometimes the censors wouldn't allow them to). Third, they rebelled against the censors by putting more and more political material into their scripts, knowing full well the censors wouldn't allow it to be aired. Last, they never gave up. When Pete Seeger's song "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy" was censored, the Smothers Brothers hounded the censors to let Seeger come back and sing the song, which he was eventually allowed to do. The Smothers Brothers changed the face of television, paving the way for people like Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart. Political satire is a staple of television these days, and we have the Smothers Brothers to thank for it.
ReplyDeleteIn the year 1967, CBS was searching for the right talent to rival the unbeatable NBC show Bonanza during prime time. Thus the Smothers Brother’s Comedy Hour was born. CBS took a risk with the two young, hip, but clean-cut brothers giving the two full creative control of their comedy-variety show. The show focused their content on contemporary topics that especially appealed to youth viewership. Some of their acts even included political satire, hip musical guests, and sketches that referenced topics like marijuana, the draft, the Vietnam War, and more. In the clip, we can see an example of one of their reoccurring characters, Pat Paulson, who spoke about irony concerning political policies. Although the show remained popular, the inference to these serious topics caused some debate between the brother’s and CBS; many of their sketches had to be censored because of their blatant liberal approach. The network’s attempt to censor the show made the brother’s angry enough to fire back on air with sketches about censorship. They even tried to bring more controversy onto the air by bringing on a previously blacklisted musician to sing about the Vietnam War and another act making fun of the Catholic Church. They continuously pushed the boundaries with CBS until eventually CBS canceled the show.
ReplyDeleteTowards the end of the 60s, America was in a war that people did not want, yet the government did not want to encourage the anyone to be vocally against it. The Smothers Brothers took their stage to bring attention to the issues, such as the draft on their show, which was significant for the period. They were not afraid to push the limits, and had to battle with CBS on their content. When they brought on a wife of a man drafted, CBS censored it, so it wouldn’t seem “radical” or too liberal. They also went on television and performed a sketch about how CBS censors their show, which was a direct dig at the very network the sketch was airing on. The entertainers were bold, and sometimes boldness causes fear from others, and CBS was not ready to promote a show that was so progressive. After some complaints from people over the content, CBS became increasingly nervous of their inability to control the brothers. This eventually to the show’s cancellation as the brothers would not give up their political content. In a way the brothers represented much of America’s youth towards the end of the decade as both were loud against what was happening in the country and the war.
ReplyDeleteThe Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was cut before its time, and its demise arguably serves the show’s legacy more than its time on air did. The Smothers Brothers became a martyr for the counterculture. In an era with heightened political tensions, networks believed that a primetime slot should be used to unify families from all around to tune in together. They wanted to avoid controversial programming that could drive viewers to other networks. Taking on Bonanza is no easy task, but the Smothers Brothers managed to do it with their boyish charms, musical talents, and wits sharper than harpoons. They were raised in the Eisenhower-era of economic prosperity and conformity, but their views changed as the Vietnam War raged on unnecessarily. They took on the war, the lax gun rights of the US, and the Bible, among other things. They were the voice for the millions of Americans who were suspicious of the dominant forces of the government and religion. Their program would have been dead in the water a decade earlier, butt they stayed afloat due to the shifting politics of the country. They were liberals talking about politics on television in a time where that wasn’t a popular idea, so CBS censored them. The brothers were too edgy for the average family (supposedly), and that wouldn’t fly in CBS’s eyes. CBS tried, but the show would not be censored. They brought on controversial guests, they made fun of the censors, and they continued running sketches that were too taboo. CBS realized that they were no longer the dominant force in the show’s production, and looked for every opportunity to get out of their agreement. This lead to a controversial termination and a lawsuit, which only helped the show’s legacy by letting it die as a symbol of the counterculture, being struck down by “the man” despite doing everything properly.
ReplyDelete