The Gong Show

In discussing how mean American Idol has gotten lately, a lot of people point back to the Gong Show as the initiator of public TV humiliation. Anybody who thinks that never saw this show.

The show basically had two kinds of acts: the really ridiculous, and the really good. People with genuine talent were usually given high marks and compliments by the judges, who were all show-biz veterans and who knew talent when they saw it (I recall after one such act, Arte Johnson exclaimed, "I'm gonna get you a job!").

The other acts were supposed to be either wildly bizarre or just plain dumb. This gave everyone a chance to enjoy it for a few moments, knowing that the gong was soon in the offing. When the gong sounded, everyone laughed, including the people in the act itself. And Chuck Barris would shake his head in mock indignation and say "Gee, I don't know why they did that..." and as he escorted the act offstage, he cooed "Be of good cheer."

It was all played for laughs. Nobody was told they were horrible, nobody was told they had no talent, nobody was told they were too fat.

Add to this the great music, the amazing creativity of the contestants, and the one-line jokes between acts, and you had a great half-hour of comedy.

What a little gem of a show this was. If my memory serves me correctly this aired in the UK on Channel 4 twice a week in the early eighties long after the series had finished in America. A bold move I must say on the part of Channel 4 at the time, considering the fact that apart from Jamie Farr (MASH), and Arte Johnson (Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In) none of the other members of the show were actually, house hold names with the British public.

Taking that and the show's formula, getting anyone off the street, with absolutely no talent what so ever to do a turn, then get marked for their efforts, (if they didn't get gonged first) it's amazing it ever got shown once a week, let alone twice! Thankfully it did and what wonderful 'Acts!!!' some of them were. The guy dressed in a dinner suit complete with Bowler hat and walking cane, coming to the front of the stage, then standing in a fixed position for one completely minute without saying a word. Then there was 'Granny Go Go'. A 70+ woman wearing a mini dress dancing wildly to a boogie on down sound of the time. How about the singing trio whose lyrics to their song contained just one line 'I don't know why?' Mind blowing stuff!

They did though have some class acts appearing on the show in between the dross. Willie Bo Bo, a panelist on the Gong Show from time to time, along with his band, gave an excellent up beat rendition of the '2001- A Space Odyssey' film theme, 'Also Sprach Zarathustra' that really went down well. A girl singer going by the name of 'Stony' did a very nice version of the song 'I Got the Music in Me' and The Valentine Brothers, a brilliant close harmony duo sang 'That's the Time I Feel Like Making Love to You'.

I guess we'll not see the like's of this on TV again? Thankful though I've managed to lifted off the seven episodes I have from VHS tape onto DVD, so I'll still be able to go back from time to time and relive them all over again!

I was in my single digits when "The Gong Show" was on the air. I remember watching this one and enjoying it. Even though I didn't know it was rigged (Jaye P. Morgan and her fellow judges convinced me it wasn't) it was great fun. You never know who'd show up or what outrageous act would be featured. They certainly had some very "racy" stuff from other people's recountings of the program.

I still remember Jaye P. Jamie Farr, Arte Johnson, Gene-Gene The Dancing Machine, The Unknown Comic, and that midget; but even today, I still have Chuck Barris etched in my 31-year old mind as the ultimate in manhood. Chuck was my first idol; I wanted to grow up to be just as cool as he was. I still really wonder why he'd start out wearing a tuxedo and then shedding parts of it gradually; sometimes even wearing a Philadelphia Flyers jersey. Maybe he was a Diana Ross fan LOL.

I wish I could see this show again in some capacity today. Perhaps some day "The Gong Show Movie" will be released on DVD if it hasn't already. Just to show you that the 70's was a great decade for entertainment; better than the 00's will wish to be.

People may not realize it, but you really DID have to audition to get on the show. No Talet Bums would be lined up around the block waiting for their chance to try to get on the show. An episode of Sanford and Son and Carol Burnett were framed around getting on the Gong Show. How can you not pee your pants laughing when every singe act sang "Feelings". The $516.32 was the union scale and everyone got it, regardless if they got gonged or not, and yes they still get residuals to this day! Gene Gene the Dancing Machine (Gene Patton) was a stage hand who was sent out one day to dance and it took off. The house band, Miton DeLugg and his Band with a Thug were real people. And of course, Chuck seemed the most surprised when a bad act got gonged while being booed by the audience, "I can't believe they did that, you were doing so good" was classy in a classless show. Its too bad they couldn't keep their drug use under control, it really could have gone on a lot longer than it did!

I remember this show from my youth. Every once in a while there'd be a performer with some talent but most of the time this show belonged to some pretty weird contestants. They would be painfully bad but would still get upset when they were gonged. Of course "Chuckie baby" and his clapping would keep the show going. Then "Gene Gene the Dancing machine" would dance his classic dance. The judges were minor celebrities that didn't take their jobs too seriously. Like I said this was a pretty weird show that couldn't be taken at face value as a "talent" show but just a crazy show that eventually became stale. It made "Chuckie baby" a household name (and a ton of money), and it was a fun way to waste a half hour.