The Case of Bill Cosby vs. Tommy Smothers' Head

Tommy & Dick Smothers, last of the great comedy teams, as most of you are aware were enemies of both the Democratic Lyndon B. Johnson and the Republican Richard M. Nixon administrations. CBS executives, keen allies of the warmongers in Washington, did not look fondly upon their network's highest rated show being mainstream America's number one source of anti-war commentary (the same thing happened to Phil Donahue, cancelled by MSNBC during the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq, despite being number one in the ratings). The notorious cancellation of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was justified by network execs as being a response to "offensive" sketches skewering religion as performed by young guest star David Steinberg. In reality, CBS had been looking for a reason, any reason, to get the comedy duo off the air, so as to stop their anti-Vietnam war views (as well as the views of their folksy guest stars like Pete Seeger and Joan Baez) from beaming into the homes of Middle America. If you're too young to recall The Smothers Brothers or their television crucifixion then may I refer you to the sensational 2002 documentary, Smothered, which will supply you with the story. Think of them as the sixties equivalent of The Dixie Chicks; mainstream martyrs in a reactionary political climate, just a lot funnier and a little bit easier to listen to.

Almost forty years later, and unlike many of his contemporaries (Jane Fonda, John Kerry, David Horowitz etc.), Tommy Smothers is still standing his ground against ludicrous imperialism and war. In an excellent interview conducted by Vancouver journalist Guy Macpherson back in July, Tommy Smothers had this to say about the parallels between the Vietnam and Iraq wars, "[We have] the same type of people running it, the same arrogance ... the same mistakes, going into someone else's country and trying to do something except saying there's a light at the end of the tunnel ... this country is just ... ugh."

In the 1970s Tommy Smothers got into a slight feud with one Bill Cosby. Tommy has never had much patience for those in the comedy community who he feels either have taken the side of power, instead of speaking truth to it, or those who have decided to remain silent about the crimes of government, the latter being the category he feels Cosby fits into. In the same interview Smothers was asked about the right wing's smarmiest spokesperson, Dennis Miller. "Oh, man ... did he turn south. Well, he's not funny anymore. Well, you know, I went up and saw his act. He was here about three years ago in Santa Rosa and I went over and saw it. And I kinda started heckling because I couldn't believe it. And my wife said, 'Just shut up and get outta here.' So I left. I walked out. I was so upset. It was just, 'bomb everybody, those ragheads, people in mud huts,' 9/11 turned a lot of people around. They lost their perspective and became nationalists and fascist by nature."

As recounted in Gerald Nachman's sensational and well researched treatise Seriously Funny: The Rebel Comedians of the 1950s and 1960s (2003, Pantheon Books) Tommy's public chiding of Bill Cosby for not being more outspoken on civil rights issues eventually led to fisticuffs between the two iconic comedy figures - with Hugh Hefner trapped in the middle(!). "At the time I was very volatile, and thought everyone should take a stand. I guess I said something that really pissed him [off]. For a couple years after that, I'd say, 'Hiya Bill, how ya doing?' and he wouldn't shake hands with me - you know, like, 'Fuck off."

In October of 1976, Cosby and Smothers were attending the same party at The Playboy Mansion. Hoping to ease some of the tension, Tom congratulated Bill on his latest television series. What Smothers did not realize was that the show in question had been cancelled the day before. "I liked your show," said Tom, "it was a really good effort." Cosby didn't respond. "He just looked at me [as if to say] 'Fuck you,' and I said, ' Well, Fuck you.' ... and walked away. I'd been getting this kind of thing from him for a long time. It started when he was hosting The Tonight Show. He had this kind of dismissive way of introducing people ... and I nailed him - you know, comedic oneupmanship---and I remember he said, 'Maybe sometime I'll knock you upside the head one of these days,' and I said, 'Yeah, go ahead and try.' A couple months later ... boom ... there it was. I should never have turned my back on him. He didn't have the balls to do it when I was looking. He slipped behind Hefner and sucker-punched me. He hit me right in the head with his fist - knocked me down ... and I was down there a minute or two and he was standing over me screaming at me, 'C'mon, I'll kick your ass,' stuff like that. I've never seen him since then. I always thought, maybe if he turns around sometime I might give him a shot."

If Smothers took issue with Cosby's lack of political stance in the 1970s, one might wonder what Tommy thinks of the political stance Cosby has adapted since. Bill Cosby's series of 'pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps' style speeches have gotten plenty of press in recent history, and certainly don't come any closer to Smothers' notion of speaking out on civil rights issues. To the contrary, it seems Cosby's message that African-American poverty is primarily the fault of African-Americans has not resonated with the majority of its intended audience, and instead has vindicated many racist "see I told you so" whites, who need only to point to Cosby to justify their own prejudices. If they ever start feeling guilty about race or class issues in terms of poverty or any other perceived flaws in the system of American capitalism, just remember what the Cos says. Smothers was asked about Cosby's recent positions in the interview conducted by aforementioned journalist Guy Macpherson:

TS: He's beating up on his own people.
GM: He's taking hits.
TS: Well, he should. I think he's an asshole.
GM: (laughs) Still.
TS: Yeah, But that's okay. He's a great comedian. He's a great comedian. But he kept his mouth shut during the Vietnam War and I didn't see him much in any of the civil rights movement.

Comments

[listener colin in Toronto]

oh Kliph, you are such a Canadian... wait a minute, so am I! damn! thought that was such a zinger. good to see your posts.

[lee]

cosby filmed his show in my friends apartment building on 110th and broadway. he would NOT RESPOND when greeted. SILENCE AND A SNOTTY GLANCE made up his response to 'hello' . the rules were that he couldn't smoke his cigar inside. he kept lighting it anyway. ''what a dick'', everyone in the building ended up thinking . i think we're right. i often wonder who is a federal agent in the world of the media. plenty of them are, i'm sure. they make you laugh, and distract you. i remember cosby's routines about beating his kids and his dad beating him and russell. weird stuff to make light of. 'the trouble with dilbert' is a very good read regarding comedy as potential tyranny. very interesting. thanks wfmu! thanks kliph!

[krup]

for more Cosby fun, be sure to check out "House of Cosbys":

http://krupsjustsayin.blogspot.com/2006/03/dear-god-this-has-to-stop-now.html

[Buzzy]

You all may have seen this, but it appears Groucho Marx didn't really like Cosby either:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY_FVLtvUkY

[yragentman]

in 1980 I was working for Texas Instruments in Dallas. The Cos was spokesman for Speak and Spell learning toy. One morning, I was walking up the corridor and here comes The Cos and a TI press relations person.

As I got close, I noticed the press person was cringing. Then I noticed The Cos was shuffling and stumbling. Then I noticed The Cos had a glazed look in the eye. Then I heard him trying to say something. I say trying because I couldn't understand anything he said even being only a couple feet away.

The Cos was clearly totally fucked up; at 11am, at work, in dry county north Dallas TX.

But he did sell a bunch of Speak and Spells.

[Dale Hazelton]

I remember watching "Smothered" and some of the included clips. As a kid at the time most of the political stuff just went right over my head, especially since Tom and Dick looked like all-american Kingston Trio type lads, but I was blown away by the anti-Vietnam, anti-network censorship clips in the documentary. Somebody HAD to bite the hand that feeds them, and nobody did it better than Tommy. I think that's what killed the Johnny Cash show, too. His politics were probably just too in your face for ABC at the time. Pap like Sonny and Cher was more their speed -- innocuous, inoffensive (even with the Bob Mackie outfits) variety programming. As an aside, I saw Cosby perform at my college in the mid-70s. It WAS all about him getting smacked up as a kid...but you gotta give him credit for I SPY. He really was the first Black prime time lead (ok, co-lead) on televesion.

[Dale Hazelton]

Oops....Sony and Cher was on CBS, it was the crappy "Sonny" post-divorce that went to ABC...

[Parq]

Buzzy, I'm not here to take up Cos's cudgels at all (even though my first-ever LP was "Right"), but Groucho talked that way to *everybody* in the last years of his life.

[Guest]

Then there's always current news about Bill:

http://wjz.com/topstories/local_story_319210614.html

and

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=161407&Sn=WORL&IssueID=29235

[SheckyGrey]

For some great senile moments with Groucho Marx I highly reccommend The Dick Cavett Show: The Comedians DVD set. It has Groucho, oblivious to the fact that Truman Capote is gay, telling him all he needs is a good woman in his life. Their cantankorous rapour is incredibly entertaining.

[Joe Williamson]

I googled Bill Cosby vs Tommy Smothers and got your web page. I actually was watching the Tonight Show, hosted by Bill Cosby, when they were trading barbs on the air. I've never seen anything like that before or since. I like both of the guys but have to say I probably sided with Tommy Smothers. I guess I thought at the time that Cosby was the agressor in the fued.
I do agree, however, with Bill Cosby's stance that it's time to take responsibilty for one's own fortune, or misfortune. There is always going to be various degrees of prejudice attitudes in all of us. People are either going to like me or dislike me based on my appearance, age, weight, color etc..

[Woop Dog]

Did you see the Letterman show where Bill Cosby was guest hosting but he had a total brain fart and the stagehand had to get on camera and wave to turn it off and guide the Cos off the show? He looked totally pathetic. He's lost it.

[Michael Powers]

The funniest thing about Cosby's haranguing about buckling down in school to get your education is that he used one of his TV series as college credit! Then, surreally, he put the academic letters at the end of his name on the end-credits of a later series!!

[George Morris]

Neither the Smothers nor Cosby were ever particularly funny. Tommy Smothers came out publicly against the war when it was safe to do so. Only radical mon-centrist elements on the right and left criticized this administration when it took balls to do so. The Smothers have gotten copious amounts of good press over the years for their supposed rebel iconoclasm, which is good enough reason to suspect propaganda at work. Real rebels never get good press.

[Brian]

CBS executives, keen allies of the warmongers in Washington, did not look fondly upon their network's highest rated show being mainstream America's number one source of anti-war commentary (the same thing happened to Phil Donahue, cancelled by MSNBC during the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq, despite being number one in the ratings).

Wishing does not make it so. Donahue was getting killed in the ratings. That's why he was canned - nothing more. Get a clue (not that anyone is going to read this.)

[Carl Weaver]

I didn't know the Cos what that much of a dick.

Michael Powers - Cos got those academic letters the honest way, even if he did get some credit for his TV experience. If I were going back to school I might look into getting some life-based credit as well.

I used to hold him up as a great example for my students when I taught GED classes. Cosby got his GED and went on to get hi D.Ed. degree eventually, in addition to his other accomplishments. A great guy in many ways, but from what I read here, he sounds like a prick.

Tommy Smothers is by far one of the funniest people I have ever seen perform, even though it has all been on TV and (now) online. Great guy.

[Michael Powers]

Carl Weaver - No, I'm under the impression that Cosby, a notoriously poor student as a kid, somehow got his academic letters almost exclusively by working some deal getting credit for doing the TV show, and he discussed it with co-workers on the set, although I certainly couldn't swear to that (perhaps you were one of his former teachers). I always got a kick out of seeing the academic letters behind his name in the credits, usually the funniest part of any given episode.

[Duane DeSwamp]

Why doesn't Smothers speak up now about the corrupt administration now in the White House and on the Hill?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VjsomPd3ms&feature=related

[Kevin Kelly]

Well I saw the Tonight Show with Cosby filling in for Carson. It was pretty awful. Cosby was rude to all the guests. On the other hand, Tom Smothers said the worst thing he could have. When confronted by Cosby on TV, Tom said, " Well I never liked black people "....The Smothers were doing some bit about Toms stamp collection. Elliot Gould ate one and Dick and Tom freaked out....It was the worst Tonight Show I ever saw, and showed the talent of Carson who wasn't there that night. ...I lost alot of respect for Smothers Brothers and Cosby this night.

[MINNA]

AT LAST I'VE FOUND OUT WHAT HAPPENED WITH COS AND TOM. THANX FOR THE INFO, AND WHILE I WILL REMAIN FANS OF BOTH ARTISTS, I DELIGHTED IN THE DIRT I'VE READ HERE. NOT SURPRISED TO HEAR COS CAN BE AN ASS,BUT I WILL ALWAYS LOVE THE MAN...AND TOM HAS SOME BIG BALLS. RIGHT ON FOR BOTH.

[D]

Gee Kliph, five years later and you're still full of shit

[Jeffju1]

I caught Cosby guest hosting the Tonight Show in about 1980 or so when Tom Smothers was on. It wasn't particularly entertaining and at one point Tom said something I felt was disparaging to or sarcastic about Black people. There was a stunned silence in the room and Cosby eventually said "You're losing, Tommy" and Tom said "I know that", as if it didn't bother him or, perhaps, to show that Cosby couldn't tell him anything he didn't already know. It was about a year later that Cosby slugged him and the news report of it at the time attributed it to hard feelings resulting from that appearance on the Tonight Show.