Hi-Ho Steve-a-reeno

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I know that Eve posted something about this yesterday, but its worthy of another thread (IMHO).

Steve Allen invented late night television. There would be no Jack Parr (“I kid you not”), Johnny Carson (“Here’s Johnny”), Jay Leno (I can’t stand him, so I have no idea what his catch phrase is), David Letterman (“Ladies and Gentlemen, this is only an exhibition, not wagering please”), no countless other imitators, if Allen hadn’t figured it out first.

Don Knotts, Bob Newhart, Lewie Nye, Jonathan Winters, and Bob and Ray were all regular contributors and many got their first national exposure on Allen’s show. He also seemed to have a genuine concern for the state of the society we live in.

Like someone else said, my condolences to his family.

“And now, to our man on the street…”

2

which is, of course, the basis of one of the funniest MST3K skits ever. Everything Joel and the 'bots can think of, Steve Allen thought of it first. Hopefully a more obsessed MSTie will come along and post an episode number.

3

Funny but though I’m not a Steve Allen fan I know the world will be an emptier place without him. I suppose it’s time to forgive him for the the condescending and humiliating bit he did with Elvis, forcing him to sing Hound Dog to a basset hound in a top hat. :rolleyes: You have to be a grade-A moron to take rock lyrics completely literally but if that’s the worst of his flaws he’s not so bad. The cat may have been clueless but he was a pioneer.

4

In fact, one of his funniest bits was to read rock lyrics straight.

Sha na na na, sha na na na, wah ooh.
Sha na na na, sha na na na, wah ooh.
Sha na na na, sha na na na, wah ooh.
Sha na na na, sha na na na, wah ooh.
Dip dip dip dip dip dip dip dip,
Boom boom boom boom boom boom,
Get a job.

Enunciating as he went.

Be bop a luba, she’s my baby.
Be bop a luba, I don’t mean maybe.
Etc.

Great stuff.

I can’t remember the MST3K episode number, but it was one of the funnier bits.

5

RIP… :frowning:

His novelty song “How’s Your Sister” (on the CD, Hollywood Hi-Fi) is very funny.

6

You’re all forgetting Steve Allen’s contributions to the humanist philosophy and scientific skepticism. Check out Dumbth, published in the fall of 1998. He was also one of the directors of CSICOP.

[Edited by UncleBeer on 11-01-2000 at 01:38 PM]

7

Don’t forget how prolific this guy really was. He wrote over 40 books and 8500 songs (without being able to read music, BTW).

I may not have agreed with his later political views, but he was an amazing man.