# Tom Smothers has died **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death\ **Created:** [December 27, 2023, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239 "2023-12-27T16:11:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2023, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/41 "2023-12-28T02:29:09Z")
I read a book about them a few years ago. Two things I distinctly remember: 1.) The death of the family’s father and the mother’s subsequent downward spiral caused Tom to become very protective of Dick and their sister, which he kept up for the rest of his life 2.) CBS screwed themselves by telling the Brothers they had to submit the show earlier for review by the network and affiliates, but failed to officially notify them in writing as the contract stipulated. That’s how the Smothers Brothers won their lawsuit. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2023, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/42 "2023-12-28T03:12:04Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Or a snarling, vicious gnu (pronounced with a hard “g”-- guh-_NOO_). I have an alibi. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2023, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/43 "2023-12-28T06:34:35Z")
I used to watch it when it was new (not gnu). I was 7-8. I suspect a lot of the humor went right over my head. 🙂 I bet most people don’t know they had a drag racing team: [![](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/73/a0/09/73a009464b38371036d742c868ddcb5d.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/73/a0/09/73a009464b38371036d742c868ddcb5d.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2023, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/44 "2023-12-28T09:24:33Z")
When their show was still on Tom, and just Tom, was a guest on _The Johnny Carson Show._ Tiny Tim was also there and had both done their interviews, then Johnny introduced an “up and coming” comedy duo, a man and a woman, for a sketch. Some sort of “I’m okay, you’re okay” self-help book was popular then and they set the sketch up, saying they’d both read it before their first date. They each kept deferring to the other – “Where’d you like to eat?” “I dunno – where do _you_ prefer?” – and for five minutes the date is going nowhere, eliciting a couple chuckles but no big laughs, kind of dull, really. Then as they’re shaking hands good night the screen goes black and the sound goes silent for a good six or seven seconds. Everything comes back and the audience is howling as they take their bows and exit. The camera cuts to the desk where Tim, Tom, and Johnny are all sitting with stunned expressions on their faces. Then Tom gets a _huge_ grin on his face. “Boy! They wouldn’t let us get away with that on _our_ show!” ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2023, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/45 "2023-12-28T13:18:48Z")
Since nobody has mentioned it, Dick is still alive at 85. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2023, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/46 "2023-12-28T14:43:29Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I loved their show when I was a kid. > > I always remember a routine where Tommy was the Tooth Fairy in a kid’s bedroom. A cop shows up to arrest him as an intruder. ‘Do you know who I am?’ asks the cop. Tommy’s face fills with wonder, and his voice was filled with axe. ‘You’re the Easter Pig!’ The cop was played by Bob “Super Dave Osborne” Einstein (brother of the Albert Brooks). He was apparently their go-to guy when they needed a cop in a sketch. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2023, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/47 "2023-12-28T14:53:18Z")
Officer Judy. He handed out speeding tickets when the Bros played too fast. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2023, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/48 "2023-12-28T15:45:20Z")
Super Dave Osborne was funny in his own right, and his own show. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2023, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/49 "2023-12-28T18:57:12Z")
TIL: Bill Cosby once sucker-punched Tommy Smothers from behind, at the Playboy mansion, using Hugh Hefner as a shield. > [@](#): > > **Bill Cosby vs. Tom Smothers** > > **The Backstory:** > > Mom always liked Dick Smothers best. So did Bill Cosby. Following the cancellation of the Smothers Brothers’s comedy-variety show in 1969 over their merciless ridicule of racism, the government and the Vietnam War, an unrepentant Tom Smothers frequently criticized Cosby in public for his failure to take a stand on civil rights. > > The unamused Cosby finally threatened to knock the strident Smothers brother upside his head during a gig guest-hosting _The Tonight Show_. “Yeah, go ahead and try,” Smothers responded, setting up the battle of Tom vs. Uncle Tom. > > **The Beatdown:** > During a party at the Playboy Mansion in October 1976, Smothers congratulated Cosby on his latest TV series, which, unbeknownst to Smothers, had been canceled the day before. Cosby gave him a look of disgust, so Smothers said, “Well, fuck you,” and walked off. According to Smothers, Cosby then sneaked up on him, using Hugh Hefner as a screen, and sucker-punched him in the back of the head, knocking him down. Smothers lay stunned as Cosby stood over him screaming that he was going to kick his ass. > > Let’ just take a second to reflect on _how crazy_ that all is and, alternately, how everything and everyone involved makes for a kick-ass addition to the game of “Celebrity Clue” we’re in the process developing for Parker Brothers. (I guess “Mr. Huxtable, with the Hugh Hefner, in the Playboy Mansion”). > > **The Winner:** > Smothers, believe it or not. Cosby might have indeed knocked him upside his head, but it was a cheap shot. Smothers, on the other hand, clearly got inside Cosby’ head. Now Cosby, far from remaining silent, can’t keep his mouth shut about racial issues. “He’s criticizing, and that’s good because nobody else is. His commentaries are, I think, correct,” Smothers says. Not that he’s ruled out a rematch. “When we’re 75 years old, he’ll turn around and I’ll give him a blindside. It probably won’t hurt by the time we’ll be hobbling around in our walkers.” > **[The 10 Most Improbable Celebrity Fistfights](https://www.cracked.com/article_14923_the-10-most-improbable-celebrity-fistfights.html)** > > Celebrities fight just like they have sex: randomly and with whichever fellow celebrity is closest at hand. At least it seems that way, based on the long history of odd and seemingly pointless brawls between famous people. > > > > 10 Axl Rose vs. Tommy... ETA: the Charlie Watts story is also good; I’ve heard about that one before. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2023, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/50 "2023-12-28T21:05:07Z")
Here’s the Times view (gift link). It credits Smothers with being very savvy, knowledgeable about wine, and supportive of upcoming stars like Steve Martin. > **[Simpleton? Genius? Who was Tom Smothers?](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/28/arts/television/tom-smothers-john-lennon.html?unlocked_article_code=1.JU0.ZUaA.dEdy-4KM7Wml&hpgrp=c-abar&smid=url-share)** > > He was close with John Lennon, and had a sophisticated understanding of wine, politics and literature. He only played the bumpkin onstage. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2023, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/51 "2023-12-28T22:05:07Z")
I came to post a link to that great–and poignant–article. Here’s a picture from the article: [![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/12/30/multimedia/28SMOTHERS-APPRAISAL-01-ftpc/28SMOTHERS-APPRAISAL-01-ftpc-superJumbo.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp) ](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/12/30/multimedia/28SMOTHERS-APPRAISAL-01-ftpc/28SMOTHERS-APPRAISAL-01-ftpc-superJumbo.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2023, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/52 "2023-12-28T22:44:40Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > It credits Smothers with being very savvy, He talked about that in an interview with Guy MacPherson when he was playing Vancouver back in 2006. The dim bulb he played was just a character: > [@](#): > > _ **GM** : How did your character develop, because from all accounts you’re not a dim bulb._ > > **TS** : It developed out of puberty, the awkwardness of growing up. For a while there I thought maybe I was going to be like Jerry Lewis and become so one-dimensional the character didn’t grow. But it did. Now I’m 69 years old and the character works good. It has a lot more depth than it used to. But it did come from the awkwardness that we all feel in social situations at one time or another. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2023, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/53 "2023-12-28T22:54:38Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Officer Judy. He handed out speeding tickets when the Bros played too fast. I remember the first time Officer Judy showed up on the show. Hilarious. The bit’s intro said that Judy (implying Collins) was going to sing one of her big hits, but it was Officer Judy lip-syncing. There was something about his voice that just made me laugh. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2023, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/54 "2023-12-28T23:32:09Z")
Is that a shirtless Timothy Leary in the foreground? ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2023, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/55 "2023-12-28T23:47:47Z")
Our local station cut the last verse of the song. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2023, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/56 "2023-12-29T00:29:01Z")
I had a mad childhood crush on Tommy. I didn’t understand the political humor much in the beginning, but as I got older it made a great impression on me, much to the distress of my conservative parents. And I still say “Pat Paulsen for President.” ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2023, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/57 "2023-12-29T00:58:57Z")
Here’s the cutline. It doesn’t say. > Smothers was close with John Lennon and played guitar on “Give Peace a Chance” in 1969 in Montreal. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2023, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/58 "2023-12-29T01:26:49Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Is that a shirtless Timothy Leary in the foreground? According to the Wikipedia article, he’s credited as one of the performers, so I assume so: > [@](#): > > **Personnel** > > - John Lennon– lead vocals, acoustic guitar > - Tom Smothers – acoustic guitar > - Yoko Ono and others – handclaps, tambourine, backing vocals > - Timothy Leary, Petula Clark– backing vocals > - André Perry – percussion, production > **[Give Peace a Chance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Give_Peace_a_Chance)** > > "Give Peace a Chance" is an anti-war song written by John Lennon (originally credited to Lennon–McCartney), and recorded with the participation of a small group of friends in a performance with Yoko Ono in a hotel room in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Released as a single in July 1969 by the Plastic Ono Band on Apple Records, it is the first solo single issued by Lennon, released while he was still a member of the Beatles, and became an anthem of the American anti-war movement during the 1970s. It ... ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2023, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/59 "2023-12-29T01:51:55Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > **Personnel** > > - John Lennon– lead vocals, acoustic guitar > - Tom Smothers – acoustic guitar > - Yoko Ono and others – handclaps, tambourine, backing vocals > - Timothy Leary, Petula Clark– backing vocals > - André Perry – percussion, production **PETULA CLARK???** ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2023, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/60 "2023-12-29T02:03:23Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > The cop was played by Bob “Super Dave Osborne” Einstein (brother of the Albert Brooks). He was apparently their go-to guy when they needed a cop in a sketch Steve Martin and Mason Williams are mentioned in the list of credits. As I think I recall, they were roommates at that time. And how about Pat Paulsen’s deadpan, voice cracking editorials. He even ran for POTUS, under the banner “What this country needs is a good five cent nickel!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239.md?page=4)