Comedy/sitcom jokes that people won't "get" anymore

[hubcity]

This may be a little OT, but I hope it fits OK: Today I was watching the 1967 spy spoof In Like Flint with James Coburn on Netflix. One of the main plots was that the President had been kidnapped and replaced with an actor, and when Flint discovers this, he asks "An actor for president??"
I know Ronald Reagan was governor of California at that time, but was he already considering running for president, or was this just something that would turn out to be funny later when he actually ran?

And it was also spoofed quite nicely in that scene from Back to the Future, although the "soda jerk" incorrectly guessed that Jane Wyman would be First Lady. Since the earlier scene was from 1955, Reagan was already divorced from Wyman by then, since he had married Nancy in 1952.

And here's Laugh-In, getting a laugh on the "News of the Future" by simply saying "Dateline 1988: President Ronald Reagan..." It's the last bit of the clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLlWbDu30PI

 

[anotherguyTN]

I found out there may have been at least one roundabout joke about Reagan running for president in MASH, when one of the movies being shown is titled Bonzo Runs for President. This was from the episode Local Indiginous Personnel in 1973: http://www.mashepisodeguide.com/2012/09/03/l-i-p-local-indigenous-personnel-2x07/

So this may have come from when Reagan was planning to run in 1976, but to my knowledge I can't remember any jokes from when he ran and won in 1980 or later. If anyone knows of something different feel free to correct me.

 

[BD Sullivan]

The epilogue of a first season episode of Batman in 1966 has Commissioner Gordon nervously phoning the Caped Crusader to ask him about a rumor of him running for Governor of California--which Reagan was doing at the time.

As far as Reagan running for President, that would go back to 1968. In November 1967, he was among those considered to be a potential nominee for President, with one poll suggesting he might be the VP nominee for GEORGE Romney. Reagan kept denying it, but by the time of the convention in August, even though Nixon was pretty much in control, Reagan actually made a late effort to challenge. One of his team's scenarios was that they would force the delegate vote to go to a fifth ballot, where they'd win. That would have been a wild scene, worth noting given the knowledge that the insanity at the Democratic convention was probably what doomed Hubert Humphrey.

 

[LKellerIII]

The epilogue of a first season episode of Batman in 1966 has Commissioner Gordon nervously phoning the Caped Crusader to ask him about a rumor of him running for Governor of California--which Reagan was doing at the time.

As far as Reagan running for President, that would go back to 1968. In November 1967, he was among those considered to be a potential nominee for President, with one poll suggesting he might be the VP nominee for GEORGE Romney. Reagan kept denying it, but by the time of the convention in August, even though Nixon was pretty much in control, Reagan actually made a late effort to challenge. One of his team's scenarios was that they would force the delegate vote to go to a fifth ballot, where they'd win. That would have been a wild scene, worth noting given the knowledge that the insanity at the Democratic convention was probably what doomed Hubert Humphrey.

Reagan was a former California Governor when he ran against Gerald Ford for the Republican nomination in 1976 - he was crushed. Many pundits thought Reagan's career was over. I can't recall what happened to him after that... ;D

 

[firepoint525]

Reagan was a former California Governor when he ran against Gerald Ford for the Republican nomination in 1976 - he was crushed. Many pundits thought Reagan's career was over. I can't recall what happened to him after that... ;D

And Reagan's successor was governor "Moonbeam," who (ironically enough) is governor there again now! ;D

 

[rnigma1]

Reagan was a former California Governor when he ran against Gerald Ford for the Republican nomination in 1976 - he was crushed. Many pundits thought Reagan's career was over. I can't recall what happened to him after that... ;D

And Reagan's successor was governor "Moonbeam," who (ironically enough) is governor there again now! ;D

Wasn't Reagan's predecessor Jerry's dad, Pat Brown? Must have felt odd to be succeeded by the son of the man who held the office before him. Just ask Bill Clinton.

 

[LKellerIII]

Reagan was a former California Governor when he ran against Gerald Ford for the Republican nomination in 1976 - he was crushed. Many pundits thought Reagan's career was over. I can't recall what happened to him after that... ;D

And Reagan's successor was governor "Moonbeam," who (ironically enough) is governor there again now! ;D

Wasn't Reagan's predecessor Jerry's dad, Pat Brown? Must have felt odd to be succeeded by the son of the man who held the office before him. Just ask Bill Clinton.

Yes - I recall an early 70s joke that said Reagan's Governorship was "well done because it was brown on both sides."

Get it?

It occurred to me a few years ago that you could adapt that joke for Clinton...something along the lines of: "Given his many bimbo eruptions, it's not surprising that Bill Clinton would like bush on both sides."

Sorry.

 

[BD Sullivan]

The epilogue of a first season episode of Batman in 1966 has Commissioner Gordon nervously phoning the Caped Crusader to ask him about a rumor of him running for Governor of California--which Reagan was doing at the time.

As far as Reagan running for President, that would go back to 1968. In November 1967, he was among those considered to be a potential nominee for President, with one poll suggesting he might be the VP nominee for GEORGE Romney. Reagan kept denying it, but by the time of the convention in August, even though Nixon was pretty much in control, Reagan actually made a late effort to challenge. One of his team's scenarios was that they would force the delegate vote to go to a fifth ballot, where they'd win. That would have been a wild scene, worth noting given the knowledge that the insanity at the Democratic convention was probably what doomed Hubert Humphrey.

Reagan was a former California Governor when he ran against Gerald Ford for the Republican nomination in 1976 - he was crushed. Many pundits thought Reagan's career was over. I can't recall what happened to him after that... ;D

He started off getting crushed, but by mid-May 1976, Ford was sweating big-time. When the convention delegates voted in August, Ford only won by just over 100 delegates.

 

[KyDXIn]

This may be a little OT, but I hope it fits OK: Today I was watching the 1967 spy spoof In Like Flint with James Coburn on Netflix. One of the main plots was that the President had been kidnapped and replaced with an actor, and when Flint discovers this, he asks "An actor for president??"

I know Ronald Reagan was governor of California at that time, but was he already considering running for president, or was this just something that would turn out to be funny later when he actually ran?

I can't answer that for sure, but----

I've made this illustration before. When independent channel 39 came on the air in Miami in 1982, one of the first reruns they showed was a 30-minute "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-in." Even in 1982 or 83 when I saw this, it was dated......Dan Rowan gave his "News of the Future" (this was a 1968 episode). Went like so: "News of the future, 1988, 20 years from now. U.S. President Ronald Reagan----" which followed with hilarity from the audience.

Well....whaddya know?

cd

You say it, we play it, plus here is a two-fer!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYCvOmQLgS0

 

[firepoint525]

Reagan was a former California Governor when he ran against Gerald Ford for the Republican nomination in 1976 - he was crushed. Many pundits thought Reagan's career was over. I can't recall what happened to him after that... ;D

And Reagan's successor was governor "Moonbeam," who (ironically enough) is governor there again now! ;D

Wasn't Reagan's predecessor Jerry's dad, Pat Brown? Must have felt odd to be succeeded by the son of the man who held the office before him. Just ask Bill Clinton.

And both times that "moonbeam" was governor, he followed an actor into the governor's office.

 

[Ultimajock]

And both times that "moonbeam" was governor, he followed an actor into the governor's office.

'And both times that "moonbeam" was governor, he followed an actor a movie star into the governor's office.'

...corrected ;D ...

 

[landtuna]

Not sure anyone would accuse Ronald Reagan of being a movie star.

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

Not sure anyone would accuse Ronald Reagan of being a movie star.

Good point. Reagan's Hollywood legacy bears witness to a successful string of frequent and lovable B-Movie characters, thrusting him into fame, but only as something a little more regal than a character actor. It is fascinating that he never achieved superstardom in the movies, yet he was a household name years before his "ascent" into politics.

 

[onairb]

Reagan's long stint as host of CBS's General Electric Theater supplemented his film career in its waning years.

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

Reply #193 ^^^-- Good Point.

 

[KeithE4]

Reagan's long stint as host of CBS's General Electric Theater supplemented his film career in its waning years.

He also pushed 20 Mule Team Borax while hosting Death Valley Days in the mid '60s.

 

[LKellerIII]

Interestingly enough, one of his last films - perhaps the last, was 1964's The Killers, a low budget but very decent crime drama directed by Don Siegel (Dirty Harry) in which Reagan played a villain. Reagan was already planning his political career, had made speeches, and endorsed Barry Goldwater for President. IIRC, he was working out his contract, and was not happy about the role.

Here he is from The Killers, slapping a young Angie Dickenson, then getting punched by John Cassavetes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af0Yei2sAbE

 

[onairb]

IINM, The Killers was not released theatrically, but turned up on NBC's Saturday night movie series, leading to some sources erroneously calling it a TV-movie.