21 Comments
User's avatar
Terry Thompson's avatar

Yeah, here's the answer:

Bring back LP's, 45s, CD/DVDBR discs that we can buy. No AI, no auto-tuning.

Joseph Vincent's avatar

This from Wikipedia -

"The Smothers Brothers were both born on Governors Island in New York Harbor, where their father, Thomas B. Smothers Jr., a West Point graduate and U.S. Army officer, was stationed. Tom was born on February 2, 1937, and Dick was born on November 20, 1938. Major Smothers served in the 45th Infantry Regiment and died during World War II, while being transported from a Japanese prisoner of war camp in Fukuoka, Japan, to a POW camp in Mukden, Manchukuo. They were raised by their mother in the Los Angeles area."

The brothers were about 5-8 years old when their dad died in WWII.

And yes, Tommy was right - their mom did like his brother Dickie best.

Terry Thompson's avatar

Young folks today have never lived through war, been bombed, been without. Born in the early 60's, I haven't either-- but I worked to LEARN from my mother, who did.

David Nichols's avatar

I remember when Nixon was going through a hard time. Colbert should be reinstated by Trump!

Sarah's avatar

My memory is that the tipping point for the Smothers Brothers was Pete Seeger's performance of "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy". I believe that their dismissal was swift. In some ways it was more painful to witness. What we are seeing now is a vast expansion of governmental abuse and corruption -- manifested in myriad ways.

Randall Doyle -- Writer's avatar

William Paley was willing to fire his most famous journalist (ever*), Edward R. Murrow, after the famous McCarthy broadcast in 1954......

A significant majority of Americans approved Murrow's broadcast that put the final nail in the political coffin of US Senator Joseph McCarthy........None of that mattered......Paley spent his career of CBS on bended knee to "power".....Murrow's firing was not the first famous journalist to be canned for expressing "radical" interpretation of the "news"......

William Shirer, the author of bestseller, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, was also a significant journalist within the CBS universe......Murrow participated in his firing to save his own ass.....Their relationship

Whether it be corporate America, or Washington, DC, Paley did not give a shit about integrity or truthfulness.....Paley only cared about one thing in his life -- William Paley......

How many TV shows were cancelled due to their unacceptable criticism of government policy -- particularly US foreign policy..?....Smothers Brothers, Lou Grant, Stephen Colbert, etc.....

This is just the beginning.....

America......We are entering a very dark period in our history.....Brace yourselves.....

Wendy horgan's avatar

And the extortion is in plain sight. More terrifying.

Wendy horgan's avatar

I'm of an age to remember the Smothers Brothers. Was a big anti-war protestor back in the day. Smothers Brothers were goofy - but it turns out righteous.

Charlotte Cody's avatar

Maybe if there had been an internet back then, the Smothers Brothers might have not lost their show. I'm signing all kinds of petitions to CBS to withdraw their cancellation of Stephen Colbert, but who knows if it'll do any good! smh

Darcee Kane-White's avatar

I thought I was the only one who had remembered Tommy & Dickie losing their show.

Jody Mendes's avatar

Nope. There are a lot of us! 😂

Kelly Eggers's avatar

Oh!! I remember when the Smother Brothers took a stand!! It was a big deal when they took them off the air!!! They were heroes 🦸🏻‍♂️

Christine Duteau's avatar

I remember that. Arghhh! I loved George Carlin too.

Jeff LeFevre's avatar

Extortion in all of it's lying in while in slim and stink!!

Edward Gullo's avatar

Yes! There are many examples of CBS caving to the powers that be--Ed Murrow and Dan Rather come to mind.

CNN sanitized the bombings in Iraq that killed or injured so many troops after the U.S. invasion. An e-mail to producers warned not to show any blood in videos of the aftermath--

As if the only damage was a burning vehicle and a crater.

Thanks to you and others who take to Substack and other social media to reveal the truth.

Cecilia Iwao's avatar

I remember The Smothers Brothers , and when I read about the cancellation of The Late Show I immediately thought about the similarity. At the time I always looked forward to Sunday night and The Smothers Brothers Show. Now I find The Late Show a joy and an encouragement in extremely trying times. I believe I am not the only one who feels this way!

elle vj's avatar

Shocked CBS would have cancelled their most popular & best comedian working today. I hope Stephen Colbert moves to another, less THIN-SKINNED corporate owner. OR better yet I'd love to Colbert move to NPR, Public Broadcasting Station, to help a publicly owned more edgy network.

@suzannecloud's avatar

Ah, the Smothers Brothers! When Pete Seeger sang Waist Deep in the Big Muddy on the show, man, the network went nuts. https://youtu.be/uXnJVkEX8O4?si=C46Gywe5MTE0JTyU

mstruck2's avatar

Yup. I remember the Smothers Brothers Show. It was delightfully mocking of "the establishment", as used to be said. Ah, those were the days.