# 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:** 8\ **Page:** 4
**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, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/61 "2023-12-29T03:24:11Z")
Why is that surprising? ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2023, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/62 "2023-12-29T04:19:25Z")
The Smothers Brothers Comedy hour was a favorite of mine in the 60s. They weren’t my parent’s cup of tea, so I had to watch them on a small, old portable TV in a different room. The TV tube was pretty well shot, so I rarely got an undistorted picture. But, I loved that show, especially Tommy. I also loved the Beatles, so my eyes were glued to the screen when the show broadcast Beatles promo films (originally shown on The David Frost Show), in 1968. Seeing music films of Hey Jude, and Revolution on TV, long before MTV, was quite an event. Even as a kid, I knew Tommy was razor sharp, though he played the dimwit brother brilliantly. Kudos to him for fighting short-sighted network execs, and standing up for what he believed in. Officer Judy, and Pat Paulson were pretty cool characters, too. ---
**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, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/63 "2023-12-29T07:08:02Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > ETA: the Charlie Watts story is also good; I’ve heard about that one before There are 2-3 versions of the story. The version inside the linked article has been discredited in Charlie’s recent biography (by Charlie himself IIRC), and by Mick. ---
**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, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/64 "2023-12-29T22:16:36Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Why is that surprising? Because ev’rybody’s talking 'bout John and Yoko, Timmy Leary, Rosemary, Tommy Smothers, Bobby Dylan, Tommy Cooper, ,Derek Taylor, Norman Mailer, Alan Ginsberg, Hare Krishna, Hare, Hare Krishna But no one talks about Petula Clark. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2023, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/65 "2023-12-30T00:07:53Z")
I’ve always detested the destruction of instruments in fake furies. ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2023, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/66 "2023-12-30T00:41:28Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > But no one talks about Petula Clark. I have always followed her advice not to sleep in the subway. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2023, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/67 "2023-12-30T07:01:48Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > But no one talks about Petula Clark. She didn’t like me much when she first met me. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2023, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239/68 "2023-12-30T12:23:36Z")
Yeah, and I’m glad I followed her advice to go Downtown. 'cause, I Know a Place. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-smothers-has-died/995239.md?page=3)