Well, now I want to hear the W. C. joke!
I remember “May your sister fall in love with a Bedouin bedwetter.” He had a number of them, mostly involving, as noted, camels, your sister, or both.
per Wiki:
If a joke (often a very bad pun) generated a negative response, Carnac would give a disapproving look, then cast a comedic “Middle Eastern curse” upon the audience (such as “May your favorite daughter be featured in NFL Films’ Sack of the Week”, “May a bloated yak change the temperature of your jacuzzi”, “May you walk a mile under a diseased camel”, “May a demented deer lock horns with your daughter’s Kawasaki”, “May the fleas of a thousand camels infest the crotch of the person seated next to me, and may his arms be too short to scratch”, “May a diseased camel be sick on your prayer rug”, or “May your proctologist be a frustrated concert trombonist”).
Actually, you don’t, because it’s overly long and the payoff is not that great. I was looking for a clip of it, but the only clips I could find were of Jack Paar (not Carson) walking off the show protesting the joke being cut, or of his returning to the show after three weeks.
Here’s an article about the whole controversy which includes the joke in full.
He was protesting that joke !?
Not so much he was protesting the joke, but that the joke was censored. I understand it was a different time, when couples on TV slept (purportedly, since they were never seen in bed) in twin beds, but it was his way of saying, “You gotta be effin’ kidding me” to the censors.
The version I heard said “Wesleyan Chapel,” which I was thinking might result in butt-hurt emails from Methodists, if it were told today-- not sure how many letters it might have generated in the Jack Paar days. People tended to roll with the punches then.
I laughed at the joke, but I definitely didn’t think of the “bah” being a dying bleat, or the imagery being horrible or gory at all. To me, the “bah” coming after the “boom” signals that the sheep is actually okay - I picture a very Looney Toons style scene, with the sheep’s fur being turned all black and sticking out in crazy points.
Johnny Carson’s jokes, on paper, were rarely side-splitters. In fact, many bordered on full-blown dad-joke groaners. But the thing is—Carson sold them like no one else could. His monologues were often lukewarm, his fake ad skits charmingly amateurish, and his Karnac the Magnificent routine felt like it was mailed in from Vaudeville. Yet somehow, Carson’s deadpan cool, sincerity, self-deprecation, and impeccable timing turned those clunkers into comedy gold.
In anyone else’s hands, those bits would’ve sunk faster than the Titanic in a lead wetsuit. But Johnny had that magic blend of suave charm and goofball dad energy. He was trustworthy, low-key, and warm—like your dad wearing his Sunday Best. And just like your dad, when he told a bad joke, you didn’t laugh at the punchline. You laughed because he was laughing. He was in on the joke—and the joke was him.
What I especially loved were Carson’s animal segments with Joan Embery and Jim Fowler. They always started out respectful, even educational. Johnny’s genuine curiosity about animals was obvious. But animals being animals—i.e., chaotic little assholes—they often went rogue. Like the time a pygmy marmoset climbed onto Johnny’s head and peed on him like it was claiming territory. Carson didn’t miss a beat. That’s when his brilliance truly lit up—just like it did during the infamous Ed Ames tomahawk segment. He didn’t just react—he danced with the moment. It was spontaneous, honest, and hysterical.
I miss Carson. He was a great way to end the day.
Here’s Johnny’s encounter with a Burmese python:
In fairness, so were the jokes on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In - which was regarded as ground-breaking comedy at the time. And Rodney Dangerfield had a long career of telling jokes that were older than him. So much of what makes something funny is gestalt, the sense of the whole being more than the sum of its parts. It’s the joke itself, the person who delivers it, the style of the delivery, the receptiveness of the audience, etc.
It’s all in the delivery:
Just like the ‘Jewish’ quip with Ed Ames, you have to admire his patience for timing, waiting and not rushing the zinger.
ETA: I remember 2 or three comedians on his show who asked Johnny to ask them the secret to good comedy. It’s an old joke but Johnny, ever the consummate straight man, would set it up.
Johnny: What’s the secret to good com..
Guest (interrupting): Timing !
I always thought it would be funny to flip it. After Johnny delivers the set up (expecting to be interrupted), Pause appropriately and thoughtfully answer, ‘timing’.
I first heard that from Lorne.
Also he did really well with animals. Just the look on Johnny’s face when some of the animals crawled on him and did some “stuff” is hilarious.
I tried to edit my post and include this, but of course then it objected to the video, Good points all the way, thanks.
From memory, Carson-Carnac:
Answer: Yasser Arafat
Question: What’s the sound made when Dolly Parton takes off her bra?
I’m pretty sure this is the definitive list.
At the time of that joke humor, much like color tv, hadn’t quite been perfected.
What do you mean? TV’s been color for the start. How do you think it so faithfully captured all of the shades of gray on Carson’s set?
Possible highjack here:
My uncle told me of watching a “greatest hits” compilation of Carson guests. Supposedly, Gypsy Rose Lee was on the Tonight show one night. Carson was asking about some of the bump ‘n’ grind moves she would do in the burlesque days (she was past her prime at that point). She stands up, and says to the drummer over in the band area, “Could you give me the beat.” The drummer asks what “beat” she is talking about.
“Y’know, the beat, the same beat they always use in a burlesque show.”
“Uh, ma’m,” the drummer replies, “I wouldn’t know, I’ve never been to a burlesque show.”
Incredulous, Gypsy Rose asks, “A grown man like you? You’ve never been to a burlesque show??”
“No, ma’m.”
Shaking her head, she says, “Wouldn’t you know it, I get a BEEEEEEP for a drummer!”
The audience goes apeshit. Carson falls out of his chair laughing. The band (even the drummer) is laughing. Pandemonium reigns.
So what in Sam Hill did she say?
Probably a pejorative term for a male homosexual that starts with “f”.