Feminists Will Hate This Tonight Show Appearance With Frank Sinatra and Don Rickles!

I prefer old school TV and I don’t apologize for it. I especially liked watching The Tonight Show when Johnny Carson hosted. It was worth staying up late for.

And when the mega stars were on, it was something else. Oh, those were the days! They could joke about women and nobody was offended. They made no apologies for being men.

It all started when Johnny asked Frank, “It just occurred to me, crazy thought this afternoon: when you’re in a romantic mood and you’re trying to make out, whose records do you put on?”

A great question, and one that made Franky Baby blush! And then Rickles shows up and takes things off the rails.

Watch this clip of Johnny interviewing Frank Sinatra before they were interrupted by Don Rickles.

This Could Never Air Today

It goes without saying that much of even family-friendly TV from back in the day would be deemed chock full of some sort of “ism” or another today. Racism, sexism, xenophobism, or even “toxic masculinity”.

It was an era of “dames” and “broads” and PG-rated “locker room humor” that made America laugh and smile.

It was a time when Don Rickles could come out and launch 5 Italian jokes at Frank’s expense right to his face, but everyone laughed because comedy is supposed to be offensive.

It’s supposed to hit taboos and the uncomfortable parts of life that can only be brought out in joke form.

Just ask Buddy Hackett, who went on The Tonight Show to tell Johnny his divorce jokes!

Please share this if you miss classic TV!