Game shows and smoking

[TimK2003]

Interestingly how this topic came up when last night I had seen something on MG'7x that puzzled me:

Why was it that on MG, they always allowed/showed Charles Nelson Reilly smoking a pipe when the few times you saw any cigarette smokers (Richard Dawson & Scoey Mitchll come to mind), you'd occasionally see the plumes of smoke left after they took their last drag before the camera was on them?
 
But only once in a blue moon would you see them openly hold a cig in their hand near their face -- more often if you'd see the cigarette, they were holding it low to the desk either putting it down or snuffing it out.

Not that I favor equal opportunity smoking (I have always been a non smoker), but why would they allow pipes on camera but frown on cigarettes?  

And while we are on the topic...What would have been the last game show to regularly allow smoking on camera during normal gameplay -- not including staged bits, comedy or otherwise?

[bclark71]

Three of my four grandparents smoked.  Care to guess which one is still alive?

I've always admired people who can conquer that horrible addiction.  Dick Clark's "Rock, Roll & Remember" autobiography talks about how he used to smoke and drink pretty heavily at times (great book, BTW, if very dated now...published in 1976).

Anybody know any other hosts besides Clark and Dawson who smoked and were able to quit?

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'bclark71\' date=\'Aug 13 2005, 11:10 PM\']Anybody know any other hosts besides Clark and Dawson who smoked and were able to quit?[/quote]
On Bill Cullen's last TV appearance in 1987 (a Pyramid guest shot) Dick Clark congratulated him on having finally given up smoking.  Of course, he would be dead in three years, so it's hard to say this counts...

[Jimmy Owen]

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' date=\'Aug 13 2005, 10:09 PM\']
And while we are on the topic...What would have been the last game show to regularly allow smoking on camera during normal gameplay -- not including staged bits, comedy or otherwise?

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Celebrity Blackjack.

[chris319]

Anybody know any other hosts besides Clark and Dawson who smoked and were able to quit?

Johnny Carson reportedly quit, but apparently too late in life to prevent him from succumbing to emphysema. According to his death certificate he spent the last 10 minutes of his life in respiratory arrest. I don't even want to THINK about what that entails.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'bclark71\' date=\'Aug 13 2005, 10:10 PM\']

Anybody know any other hosts besides Clark and Dawson who smoked and were able to quit?

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It was reported in TV Guide at the time that Chuck Woolery quit smoking in 1996 around the time he had quadruple bypass surgery.

[JamesVipond]

Does anyone know whether Lynne Thigpen was a smoker, either while working on the Carmen Sandiego shows (not on camera, of course) or afterward? It wouldn't surpirse me if she had been.

[wschmrdr]

I think I remember on a few occasions on the 50's panel shows like I've Got a Secret, the contestants or celebrity guests were even asked if they would like to smoke a (insert brand name of cigarette) on the air. I know when Desi Arnaz was the special guest on IGaS with Lucille Ball as a panelist, he was asked if he'd like a Winston.

I do know many that smoke, but now I see way too many underagers smoking. I'm not going to go into a big schtick about smoking here, though.

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'JamesVipond\' date=\'Aug 14 2005, 08:49 AM\']Does anyone know whether Lynne Thigpen was a smoker, either while working on the Carmen Sandiego shows (not on camera, of course) or afterward? It wouldn't surpirse me if she had been.

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Having hung around stage actors for some time, I can say with a certain amount of certainty that Thigpen, who considered herself first a stage actor, was likely to have smoked.  Last night the theater company I work with in Chicago wrapped up their weekend festival (not the one I've posted about elsewhere) and although it seems like the number of people standing outside at the cast party smoking is less and less each year, it still happens.

And on the fire doors in the theaters now is a sign saying that they are only to be opened for emergency use--"STANDING IN THE ALLEY SMOKING IS *NOT* AN EMERGENCY USE."

[johnnya2k3]

[quote name=\'wschmrdr\' date=\'Aug 15 2005, 08:03 AM\']I know when Desi Arnaz was the special guest on IGaS with Lucille Ball as a panelist, he was asked if he'd like a Winston.

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But...wasn't their show I Love Lucy sponsored by Philip Morris???

Speaking of Winston...it may have been not a game show, but they also sponsored "The Flintstones." Although it was produced "in living color" (like all other Hanna-Barbera stuff), the show was broadcast in black-and-white.

Jonathan Allen

[geno57]

Jonathan Allen wrote:

Speaking of Winston...it may have been not a game show, but they also sponsored "The Flintstones." Although it was produced "in living color" (like all other Hanna-Barbera stuff), the show was broadcast in black-and-white.


Not only did Winston sponsor the Flintstones, but they had cartoon commercials which featured Fred and Barney, and Wilma and Betty, huffing and puffing on Winstons and talking about what a great thing it was to smoke.

I've seen these old commercials recently, and folks I showed 'em to, couldn't believe that an early prime time cartoon would show this.

[Jimmy Owen]

All this goes to show that smoking back then was as acceptable as (insert something everybody does now that twenty years from now will be discovered to have been hazardous to our health.)

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'geno57\' date=\'Aug 15 2005, 05:29 PM\']I've seen these old commercials recently, and folks I showed 'em to, couldn't believe that an early prime time cartoon would show this.
[/quote]
And why not?  I was always of the mindset that "The Flintstones" was produced more for adults then kiddies.

And wah, wah.  I'm sick of people shoving this anti-smoking crap down peoples throats.  While I do sympathize with the loss of peoples' loved ones, youth today are fully aware of the consequences of smoking.  If they choose to light up, that's their decision.

It shouldn't have had to come to crap like banning tobacco from being involved in sports, and requiring as much bullsh*t as they do.  Same goes with fast food and beer.  I'm sick of special interest groups getting their way in this country.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Modor\' date=\'Aug 15 2005, 04:16 PM\']And wah, wah.  I'm sick of people shoving this anti-smoking crap down peoples throats.  While I do sympathize with the loss of peoples' loved ones, youth today are fully aware of the consequences of smoking.  If they choose to light up, that's their decision.
[/quote]
Wow.

[Kevin Prather]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Aug 15 2005, 05:27 PM\'][quote name=\'Modor\' date=\'Aug 15 2005, 04:16 PM\']And wah, wah.  I'm sick of people shoving this anti-smoking crap down peoples throats.  While I do sympathize with the loss of peoples' loved ones, youth today are fully aware of the consequences of smoking.  If they choose to light up, that's their decision.
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Wow.

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Hey, I've actually got to agree with Mark here. I'm very VERY anti-smoking, but laws aren't gonna do any good. They'll just be broken. The "Over 18" law doesn't work, let's face it. Adults will just buy cigarettes for the kids. Prohibition was about as worthless as tits on a boar when it came to alcohol. When you get right down to it, it's the smokers decision.

I wholeheartedly sympathize for smokers, especially ailing ones, but trying to force people to stop is a lost cause.