Tom Smothers

From Citizendium
Revision as of 16:08, 31 December 2023 by George Swan (talk | contribs) (copy editing)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This article is a stub and thus not approved.
Main Article
Discussion
Related Articles  [?]
Bibliography  [?]
External Links  [?]
Citable Version  [?]
 
This editable Main Article is under development and subject to a disclaimer.
Tom Smothers
Dick and Tom Smothers on the 1988 Emmy red carpet (2092448938).jpg
Born 1937
Died 2023-12-31
Occupation musician

Tom Smothers (1937-2023) was an American musician.[1]

In 1967 Tom and his brother Dick premiered 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour'.[1] The show, which, on the surface, seemed to be an uncontroversial mainstream variety show, was cancelled, in 1969, for stealth comments Tom made on controversial topics, like civil rights and the war in Vietnam.[2]

Smother's stage persona was that of a simpleton, with his brother playing the straight man.[1]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Nell Scovell. Simpleton? Genius? Who Was Tom Smothers?, New York Times, 2023-12-28, p. C3. Retrieved on 2023-12-31. “Six years later, the brothers debuted 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,' their seminal variety show that used comedy to satirize issues like the Vietnam War, racial politics and drugs.”
  2. Smothered: The Censorship Struggles Of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Retrieved on 2023-12-31.