Who remembers "The Gong Show" ?

[stevenash]

[I/O]

the "unknown comic" was the best

[Dirty Sanchez]

Gene...Gene...The Dancing Machine!

[stevenash]

the "unknown comic" was the best

[stevenash]

Tell me Chucky isn't jacked up on blow here?

[Dirty Sanchez]

When he whipped out the hockey stick look out...and they threw crap at him

[stevenash]

"Three words can describe our next guest...Post Nasal Drip! Here's Jamie Farr!" -Chuck Barris

[Optional]

The Camel Toe Queen



.

[Jasonal_98]

Did any of you ever read or see Confessions of a Dangerous Mind? Barris claims he was a CIA assassin during this time

[stevenash]

He was a genius in every sense of the word, but he was a certifiable nut job.

[Roadtrip635]

Did any of you ever read or see Confessions of a Dangerous Mind? Barris claims he was a CIA assassin during this time

Saw the movie, it was great, I really enjoyed it. Chuckie was strange cat, but funny as hell. I really think he meant that part about being an assassin for the CIA as a metaphor, but then again who would ever suspect him of all people of being an assassin.


Gene The dancing Machine was my favorite!

[Jasonal_98]

[rake922]

I was born after this show was on tv

[Reno Paul]

That show was great to watch being stoned.

[dogkatcher]

J.P. Morgan, the greatest, fantastic show
Chucky was a genius. Studio always trying
to censor him, but a lot slipped through
for that time period of TV.

[rake922]

[pedro803]

I used to get stuck with this show when I was about 10 years old and I would go to visit my dad -- he would sleep till almost noon and I wasn't allowed to go outside or make much noise so pretty much all that was left was to sit in the living room and watch tv with the sound turned low -- this was in a suburb of New Orleans just before cable tv reached the area -- so you can imagine weekday mornings choices were slim

One episode that sticks out in my mind was the one where every contestant sang the song "Feelings" by Morris Albert, anybody remember that song? It was not a fun deal to have to listen to about 6 amateurs (and that is giving them too much credit) in a row sing that syrupy song!

Another show I remember from my visits to the big city was the late night soap opera Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.... We didn't get this kind of stuff out in the sticks where I lived the rest of the time!

[stevenash]

^
It wasn't a talent show, but a sarcastic spoof of a talent show.
The original host was supposed to be John Barbour, but he couldn't grasp the concept, he didn't get it.

Barris is not a front of the camera guy, he's a writer, producer, creator, director.
But his nervous unscripted mannerisms were perfect.

NBC cancelled the show because Barris would not tone it down, the show got good ratings because it pushed the envelope, Barris is a genius, he knew he couldn't tone it down.

[katstale]

Sometimes Chucky would be so "into it" he would be frothing at the mouth. Good stuff for sure.

[mtneer1212]

Incredible show, incredible concept, underrated talent. Chuck Barris was a genius. And a whack-job.

[stevenash]

Sometimes Chucky would be so "into it" he would be frothing at the mouth

Whenever he danced with Gene, his shirt was drenched with flop sweat, he was so into you ever notice the pools of sweat under his arm pits, high on coke (and Jaye P) but he did the show great high on coke.

His girl OD'ed from coke, she and that porn star used to introduce Chuck.

"and now the star of the show, MY daddy"

[I/O]

^
It wasn't a talent show, but a sarcastic spoof of a talent show.
The original host was supposed to be John Barbour, but he couldn't grasp the concept, he didn't get it.

Barris is not a front of the camera guy, he's a writer, producer, creator, director.
But his nervous unscripted mannerisms were perfect.

NBC cancelled the show because Barris would not tone it down, the show got good ratings because it pushed the envelope, Barris is a genius, he knew he couldn't tone it down.

Sly like a fox

I think he had a lot of other ventures he was involved in

[I/O]

Sly like a fox

I think he had a lot of other ventures he was involved in

found it!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=911411

[Snowball]

Gong Show was awesome. I watched it every week as a kid.

[Roadtrip635]

^
It wasn't a talent show, but a sarcastic spoof of a talent show.
The original host was supposed to be John Barbour, but he couldn't grasp the concept, he didn't get it.

Barris is not a front of the camera guy, he's a writer, producer, creator, director.
But his nervous unscripted mannerisms were perfect.

NBC cancelled the show because Barris would not tone it down, the show got good ratings because it pushed the envelope, Barris is a genius, he knew he couldn't tone it down.

He definitely had some nervous mannerisms, loved how the crowd would mimic his clap when he talked. All the crazy hats, tugging at his collar and scratching his head, he was one of a kind.

Here's a clip from the last Gong Show where Chuck sings a little song for his former bosses

[mcaulay777]

Americas Got talent is basically the same show but with a idiot panel except i do like Howie Mandell Piers Morgan is a pile of dung cant stand him.Chuck Barris was the best Will Be Back With More Stufffffffffff Great Delivary with that line.

[pedro803]

heres a good one -- the band from far away





several of you mentioned Gene Gene the Dancing Machine -- I found this on Wikipedia


Gene Gene the Dancing Machine (Gene Patton) was a heavy-set, middle-aged black man wearing a warm-up suit and flat hat. Gene-Gene's arrival would always be treated as though it were a glorious surprise to everyone on the show, especially Barris. Upon hearing the opening notes to his theme music (an arrangement of "Jumpin' at the Woodside," a popular Count Basie song), Barris' face would light up and he would stop the show, yielding the stage to Gene-Gene.

Members of the crew would toss random objects from the wings, littering the stage while Gene-Gene danced on, seemingly unaware of the activity around him. Barris and the panelists would enthusiastically mimic Gene-Gene's dance moves, which consisted primarily of a slow-footed chug-chug motion, punctuated by an occasional, exultant fist pointed skyward. Typically, the dance break would be interrupted by a commercial or by the show's promotional announcements.

In reality, Patton was an NBC stagehand whose backstage dancing caught the attention of Barris, who moved him out in front of the curtain when time ran short during an episode. He added membership in AFTRA to his existing IATSE membership.

Occasionally, Gene-Gene filled in as one of the three mallet-wielding judges. Patton's popularity was such that his retirement from NBC made the national news wires in 1997, unique attention for a stagehand. In what is an ironic coda to Patton's story, in the early 2000's, The Dancing Machine had to have both legs amputated due to complications from diabetes.

[babyjesus]

i was thinking of a different gongshow lol

[I/O]

In what is an ironic coda to Patton's story, in the early 2000's, The Dancing Machine had to have both legs amputated due to complications from diabetes.

[koz-man]

I can't believe I did not see/remember "the band from far away" which was excellent. I used to watch this show all the time. back then...

[gafl]

Chuck Barris and the Gong Show were made for each other. Great show.

[stevenash]

heres a good one -- the band from far away





several of you mentioned Gene Gene the Dancing Machine -- I found this on Wikipedia


Gene Gene the Dancing Machine (Gene Patton) was a heavy-set, middle-aged black man wearing a warm-up suit and flat hat. Gene-Gene's arrival would always be treated as though it were a glorious surprise to everyone on the show, especially Barris. Upon hearing the opening notes to his theme music (an arrangement of "Jumpin' at the Woodside," a popular Count Basie song), Barris' face would light up and he would stop the show, yielding the stage to Gene-Gene.

Members of the crew would toss random objects from the wings, littering the stage while Gene-Gene danced on, seemingly unaware of the activity around him. Barris and the panelists would enthusiastically mimic Gene-Gene's dance moves, which consisted primarily of a slow-footed chug-chug motion, punctuated by an occasional, exultant fist pointed skyward. Typically, the dance break would be interrupted by a commercial or by the show's promotional announcements.

In reality, Patton was an NBC stagehand whose backstage dancing caught the attention of Barris, who moved him out in front of the curtain when time ran short during an episode. He added membership in AFTRA to his existing IATSE membership.

Occasionally, Gene-Gene filled in as one of the three mallet-wielding judges. Patton's popularity was such that his retirement from NBC made the national news wires in 1997, unique attention for a stagehand. In what is an ironic coda to Patton's story, in the early 2000's, The Dancing Machine had to have both legs amputated due to complications from diabetes.

Here's the compilation clip

The audience goes nuts at 2:29

I'm told Chuck is doing a line of coke at the 2:45 mark of this clip, I believe this.

[LordVodka]

I do but only from watching the E True Hollywood story.

Wasn't the host claiming that he was an FBI agent during that whole time period? They made a movie about it a few years ago. I think he's making it up though.

[thejanitor]

One of the best shows. 3:27 "Evel Knievel is a crashing bore"

[rake922]

steve is this all legit