| COLUMBUS: I’ve been watching some television, and there’s nothing new. It’s all old. Last night NBC dug into the old film cellar and came up with shows from Bob Hope, Sid Caesar, Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Johnny Carson, Dean Martin, Perry Como, Dinah Shore and Andy Williams to Dave Garaway and Chet Huntley and David Brinkley.
Tonight CBS showed Jackie Gleason, Audrey Meadows and Art Carney from the 1950’s. Go to a movie theater, and what’s on? Spiderman. How long has he been around? Let’s check the news channels. Well, Israel and the Palestinians are arguing over land, Europe is crowing about defeating a radical politician, Congress votes relief for the farmer, and Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic. Well, there is something new. Yesterday was World Laughter Day. You might have thought May 5 was just Cinco de Mayo, but that was mainly concocted as a celebration by the liquor companies and scheduled to give you a few days to sober up and buy flowers and gin for Mother’s Day. On Laughter Day, you just laugh for no reason at all. You don’t have to hear a funny joke or read a comic. As I understand it, you start off with a couple of HaHaHa’s, followed by a HeeHeeHee, and a big belly laugh HoHoHo. After you do that for a minute or two, especially if you’re with some other folks laughing along with you, why you’ll be smiling and in such a good mood you can’t help but be happy. And you don’t have to wait another year to try laughing. In India and some other places there’s folks that start every day laughing. Can’t hurt to try it. They say, “Laugh till it helps.” Now if President Bush could get Mr. Arafat and Mr. Sharon together, and start ’em laughin’, who knows where it might lead. I don’t think either one of those birds has had a good laugh since Amos ‘n Andy went off the air. Historic fact and a quote from Will Rogers: On Nov. 15, 1927, the first radio network show (by the National Broadcasting Company) was sent out over telephone wire to 24 stations. About 5 million listeners tuned in for all or part of the program that lasted 4.5 hours. Will Rogers was one of the entertainers on that very first network hookup, speaking from a remote location in Independence, Kansas. (From “Will Rogers: A Biography” by Ben Yogoda) On his weekly Sunday night radio broadcast, July 8, 1934, Will joked that he never answered any fan mail sent to him. But he added, “You write to these folks that’s puttin’ on this racket. It’s Gulf Oil Company… in care of the National, or is this Colum___? No, no. This is the National. Here’s an NBC right in front of me. NBC. No Body Cares. And those are mighty good letters. Nothin’ anybody says over the radio today is remembered tomorrow, and it’s just as well. No Body Cares.” |