B&W Overnight

[MyCapableAssistant]

Open question for anyone that knows...

Two questions:

1 - In which year did the stations ban cigarrette ads?
2 - When they banned the cigarrette ads, did they
     prohibit the personalities from smoking ON-AIR?

The older shows are priceless, but I'm really getting tired
of seeing this!

How much longer before the cigarrette ban??

[Matt Ottinger]

Sorry, the ban won't help you when it comes to B&WO.  Congress passed the law banning cigarette advertising in 1970, long after these shows you're seeing now originally aired.

Once the dangers of smoking started to become more evident, you saw fewer personalities doing it on-air, and you'll gradually start seeing that on these shows.  I was surprised to see Arlene lighting up on these earliest WML episodes, but it's really not something to get that worked up over, is it?

[Dbacksfan12]

*pulls out Winstons*
What makes it a bad thing?

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Oct 4 2004, 07:40 AM\']
Sorry, the ban won't help you when it comes to B&WO.  Congress passed the law banning cigarette advertising in 1970, long after these shows you're seeing now originally aired.

Once the dangers of smoking started to become more evident, you saw fewer personalities doing it on-air, and you'll gradually start seeing that on these shows.  I was surprised to see Arlene lighting up on these earliest WML episodes, but it's really not something to get that worked up over, is it?

I'm guessing Mycapableassistant hasn't observed MG7x, particularly the Dawson era, which came well after the cig ad ban but virtually always had at least two smokers on the panel at any given time.

[aaron sica]

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Oct 4 2004, 09:50 AM\']I'm guessing Mycapableassistant hasn't observed MG7x, particularly the Dawson era, which came well after the cig ad ban but virtually always had at least two smokers on the panel at any given time.

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[/quote]

Yup..Dawson was a regular smoker on most episodes. Other people I've seen smoking (cigs, not cigars like CNR) have been:

Brett Somers (who quit during the show's run..she talked about it a few times)
Patty Duke Astin
Mitzi McCall
Scoey Mitchlll (my gf likes him...she calls him the "angry, smoking black man")
Joan Collins

[CaseyAbell]

Scoey was great at the angry schtick. He was never really angry, of course. He was always winking at us: gee, don't I do a good impression of being p.o.ed?

He was one of my faves among the semi-regulars. His imdb.com page makes it look like he dropped off the face of the earth in the late eighties. Anybody know what happened to him?

EDIT: Did manage to dredge up this 1992 photo of Scoey. He looks obviously older and, sadly, not in the best of health. Or maybe it's just the contrast to the lady in the photo, who looks very healthy indeed.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'aaron sica\' date=\'Oct 4 2004, 07:58 AM\'](cigs, not cigars like CNR)

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[/quote]
Charles was usually a pipe smoker, wasn't he?

[INSERT RYAN SEACREST REFERENCE HERE]

[aaron sica]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Oct 4 2004, 11:38 AM\']Charles was usually a pipe smoker, wasn't he?
[/quote]

Yes, yes he was. I was thinking of Sheldon Leonard for some reason, but typed CNR instead.

[inturnaround]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Oct 4 2004, 11:38 AM\']Charles was usually a pipe smoker, wasn't he?

[INSERT RYAN SEACREST REFERENCE HERE]

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[/quote]

Chris, that was the best laugh I've had all day. I thank you, sir.

[MyCapableAssistant]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Oct 4 2004, 06:40 AM\']Sorry, the ban won't help you when it comes to B&WO.  Congress passed the law banning cigarette advertising in 1970, long after these shows you're seeing now originally aired. [/quote]
Well, yeah. I figured that much. Perhaps the question should have been:
"when did these personalities stop smoking on-air?" I know it was sometime
BEFORE the ban as Daly and others on WML DID stop - well, at least you didn't
SEE them smoking openly.

I was surprised to see Arlene lighting up on these earliest WML episodes, but it's really not something to get that worked up over, is it?

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No, nothing to get "really" worked up about. It just seems to me that these folks were "flaunting" the fact that they were smokers. Like, WHO CARES?!! There's 24 hours in a day, could they NOT go 30 *minutes*  without one?? Did they feel they HAD to advertise it??!  As for Arlene.. Wow. Wearing black gloves and blowing "rings" in the air? Kinda reminded me of .. well, it lacked class IMO and looked so "tasteless."
(and NO, no pun intended).
I was disappointed when I saw Bill Cullen on NTS light up.

[MyCapableAssistant]

[quote name=\'Dsmith\' date=\'Oct 4 2004, 07:43 AM\']*pulls out Winstons*
What makes it a bad thing?

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[/quote]
LOL !
For a guy, I guess nothing. Not really. It just seemed, IMO, that it
lacked class to watch females.
Today? Not a problem. Back then? I dunno, it just bothered me!
Probably was all about the "flaunting" aspect!

But if they (GSN) was so careful as to omit all the cigarrette advertisements,
what difference did it really make when you SAW live personalities doing
pretty much the same thing?? Was there really a reason to omit the advertisements?

[MyCapableAssistant]

zachhoran,Oct 4 2004, 07:50 AM]
I'm guessing Mycapableassistant hasn't observed MG7x, particularly the Dawson era, which came well after the cig ad ban but virtually always had at least two smokers on the panel at any given time.

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Actually, I HAVE seen Dawson and a few of the others smoking on
MG7x, but it didn't bother me as much (or AT ALL) as the older shows
did. I don't know why it is, it just bothers me. I guess because it looks
like such a spectacle?

[Steve Gavazzi]

[quote name=\'MyCapableAssistant\' date=\'Oct 4 2004, 05:44 PM\']No, nothing to get "really" worked up about. It just seems to me that these folks were "flaunting" the fact that they were smokers. Like, WHO CARES?!! There's 24 hours in a day, could they NOT go 30 *minutes*  without one?? Did they feel they HAD to advertise it??!

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[/quote]

I don't really think it was that big of a deal back in 1950.

[quote name=\'MyCapableAssistant\' date=\'Oct 4 2004, 05:52 PM\']But if they (GSN) was so careful as to omit all the cigarrette advertisements, what difference did it really make when you SAW live personalities doing pretty much the same thing?? Was there really a reason to omit the advertisements?

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[/quote]

I think it's sort of illegal to air them...

[Jimmy Owen]

I think it boils down to a difference in the culture. Everyone smoked back then and it was socially acceptable.  Sponsor influence may have had something to do with it, but these folks smoked in real life, too.   I understand the disappointment, though, as it reveals a shorcoming of some of our most beloved game show icons.

[melman1]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Oct 4 2004, 03:18 PM\']I understand the disappointment, though, as it reveals a shorcoming of some of our most beloved game show icons.
[/quote]"Disappointment" ?  "Shortcoming" ?  Is there a reason you're judging the behavior of these celebs in the early 50's (when smoking was indeed "cool") by today's PC standards?

I almost wished I lived back then.  America had just won the war and was the envy of everyone.  We smoked 'em if we had 'em.  Unfiltered.  Butter (rationed during the war) ran in the streets.  No seat belt laws, since hell, we didn't even have seat belts.  And we liked it just fine.  Dagnabbit.