# Gene? Gene! The dancing machine stopped! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 14, 2015, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gene-gene-the-dancing-machine-stopped/714989 "2015-03-14T14:17:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gene-gene-the-dancing-machine-stopped/714989/1 "2015-03-14T14:17:17Z")
[Gene Patton, ‘Gene Gene The Dancing Machine’ on _The Gong Show_ has died](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/gene-patton-dead-gong-show-781394). He was 82. Let’s have [one last look at his moves](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Dd6-KV0TR8). ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gene-gene-the-dancing-machine-stopped/714989/2 "2015-03-14T14:37:51Z")
He was the best part of the Gong Show. Didn’t realize he was still alive. He had a long life. RIP ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gene-gene-the-dancing-machine-stopped/714989/3 "2015-03-14T14:47:52Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Didn’t realize he was still alive. I thought I’d heard he’d died several years ago. Must’ve been someone else. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gene-gene-the-dancing-machine-stopped/714989/4 "2015-03-14T14:53:57Z")
Another great passes from the scene. I feel so old… ☹ RIP! Nothing, however, surpassed The Popsicle Twins on _ **The Gong Show** _: [Gong Show: The Popsicle Twins (aka "Have You Got A Nickle?") - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDxDYIQL6Nc)🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gene-gene-the-dancing-machine-stopped/714989/5 "2015-03-14T14:56:33Z")
My best friend and I absolutely loved Gene. We watched the Gong Show together every day, and when that music started, we’d be up and dancing. Trivia time: When Chuck Barris pitched the idea of the Gong Show, he thought they’d get a professional MC to host it. The network told him “It’s your idea, and you should host it.” Barris had never been on TV, but he took the gig. And the rest is history. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gene-gene-the-dancing-machine-stopped/714989/6 "2015-03-14T15:00:53Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > My best friend and I absolutely loved Gene. We watched the Gong Show together every day, and when that music started, we’d be up and dancing. > > Trivia time: When Chuck Barris pitched the idea of the Gong Show, he thought they’d get a professional MC to host it. The network told him “It’s your idea, and you should host it.” Barris had never been on TV, but he took the gig. > > And the rest is history. Ah, but the late Garry Owen was the original host! I’ve always heard that the decision to replace him was taken by Chuck himself, since he _really, really_ wanted to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gene-gene-the-dancing-machine-stopped/714989/7 "2015-03-14T16:01:02Z")
I used to get up and dance along with Gene, Gene, too. IIRC, on at least one episode, various family members of his came out and danced with him. Anybody remember The Unknown Comic? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gene-gene-the-dancing-machine-stopped/714989/8 "2015-03-14T16:09:11Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > … > Nothing, however, surpassed The Popsicle Twins on _ **The Gong Show** _: > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDxDYIQL6Nc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDxDYIQL6Nc)🆒 I actually saw the Popsicle Twins when it first aired. It had quite the effect on 15 year old me at the time. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gene-gene-the-dancing-machine-stopped/714989/9 "2015-03-14T16:52:48Z")
> [@Dendarii\_Dame](#): > > I used to get up and dance along with Gene, Gene, too. IIRC, on at least one episode, various family members of his came out and danced with him. > > Anybody remember The Unknown Comic? Hell yeah I remember him. He was awesome. That show changed my life! RIP Gene; you done good. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gene-gene-the-dancing-machine-stopped/714989/10 "2015-03-14T17:32:16Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Let’s have [one last look at his moves](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Dd6-KV0TR8). That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever seen; Chuck Barris getting rich off producing the show, and poor Gene can’t even afford a change of clothes. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gene-gene-the-dancing-machine-stopped/714989/11 "2015-03-14T17:57:30Z")
What’s even worse is they finally outsourced Gene to a dancing Chinese skeleton to save money… ---
**Author:** ![bunyupp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@bunyupp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bunyupp)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gene-gene-the-dancing-machine-stopped/714989/12 "2015-03-14T17:59:22Z")
Anybody remember The Unknown Comic? I saw him in concert on July 6, 1978 at The Old Waldorf in San Francisco. First he did jokes with bag on his head, which he removed revealing another bag. Then under that bag he was wearing a gorilla mask. When he showed his real face he said, “I can’t believe people buy that bag shit!” It was awesome.🙂 I have the ticket stub in a frame on my wall. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gene-gene-the-dancing-machine-stopped/714989/13 "2015-03-14T20:02:43Z")
The unknown comic? I just got an apartment over a bank, an now my assets over a million dollars! (pronounced “ass sets”) This is my impression of the first man to land on the sun. [High-stepping painfully…] “OOH! OW! OOH! OW!” ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gene-gene-the-dancing-machine-stopped/714989/14 "2015-03-14T20:06:38Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I actually saw the Popsicle Twins when it first aired. It had quite the effect on 15 year old me at the time. 😉 I’d swear I saw the shorter one posing in a porn mag sometime later. :o ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gene-gene-the-dancing-machine-stopped/714989/15 "2015-03-14T20:17:56Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > The unknown comic? > > I just got an apartment over a bank, an now my assets over a million dollars! (pronounced “ass sets”) > > This is my impression of the first man to land on the sun. [High-stepping painfully…] “OOH! OW! OOH! OW!” He was on Johnny Carson one night, and I almost busted a gut laughing. My older brother was literally rolling on the floor, pounding it with his fist! “Hey, everybody! The drinks are on me!” [Pours a bottle of champagne over his head.] “Hey, say ‘hi’ to my mom and dad! They just flew in from Sack-ramento!” [Camera cuts to two people in the audience waving with bags on their heads.] “What’s this?” [Jogs in place with his hands at his throat.] “A running gag!” “Where does the Lone Ranger take his garbage? To the dump, to the dump, to the dump-dump-dump!” “My impression of Jimmy Carter!” [Pulls off one bag to reveal another with a big grin drawn on it.] “My impression of Idi Amin!” [Pulls off one bag to reveal another with a pair of thick lips drawn on it.] “My impression of Linda Blair!” [Spins bag on his head 360 degrees, just like Reagan’s head in _ **The Exorcist** _.] “My impression of The Number Four!” [Lifts one leg and crosses it over the other.] ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gene-gene-the-dancing-machine-stopped/714989/16 "2015-03-14T20:23:14Z")
“What did the Pink Panther say when he stepped on an ant? Dead ant! Dead ant! Dead ant, dead ant, dead ant!” ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gene-gene-the-dancing-machine-stopped/714989/17 "2015-03-14T20:23:56Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Ah, but the late Garry Owen was the original host! I’ve always heard that the decision to replace him was taken by Chuck himself, since he _really, really_ wanted to do it. Gary Owens (best known as the announcer on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In) was the host of the weekly syndicated version (with the $712.05 prize instead of $516.32) for the first season before Barris took over (and the prize raised to $716.32). Barris was the only host of the NBC version, as far as I know. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gene-gene-the-dancing-machine-stopped/714989/18 "2015-03-14T20:26:26Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > Gary Owens (best known as the announcer on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In) was the host of the weekly syndicated version (with the $712.05 prize instead of $516.32) for the first season before Barris took over (and the prize raised to $716.32). Barris was the only host of the NBC version, as far as I know. “From beautiful downtown Burbank…” 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gene-gene-the-dancing-machine-stopped/714989/19 "2015-03-14T21:04:58Z")
Between Gene, the Unknown comic, and Greasy Lee, the Gong Show provided me and my college roommates with tons of amusement, even when we weren’t toking up. Sad to hear he’s passed. ---
**Author:** ![AtomicDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@AtomicDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AtomicDog)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gene-gene-the-dancing-machine-stopped/714989/20 "2015-03-14T22:09:26Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Another great passes from the scene. I feel so old… ☹ > > RIP! > > Nothing, however, surpassed The Popsicle Twins on _ **The Gong Show** _: > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDxDYIQL6Nc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDxDYIQL6Nc)🆒 I lived through the 70’s, and it still amazes me with what they got away with on TV. I feel so nostalgic. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gene-gene-the-dancing-machine-stopped/714989.md?page=2)