Kentucky Cock Fight; George Ade Story
Airdate:
Friday - February 11, 1966
WOR Show Original Airing
First Line After Theme Ends
We begin tonights proceedings with the heavy hints and kinks dept. . .
Show Description
Sings a Shepherdian version of "My Bonny Lies Over The Ocean", puts down WOR.
Hints and Kinks: Reads news article about what to do if you are too fat.
Plays "Suwannee River" on the Kazoo in Shepherdesque style.
Reads article about the busting of a Union City, NJ cockfighting ring.
Then he tells a story about being invited by his friend Hal, to a time-of-your-life activity. After work he meets Hal and friends "Black Bart and Big Jack Slag" with $15-20 in his pocket and starts a mysterious trip into Kentucky over a bridge (1), into Covington and Newport, then into the outskirts. They were barreling along, three hillbillies and Shep in a Pontiac station wagon. Then they turn onto an unmarked gravel road.
They go around a pond into an empty field with about 75 cars from many states. They go into a barn. In the barn is an amazing little horseshoe grandstand with a sunken pit lined with green cloth. He saw cages at the open end where you can see "creatures". Hal introduces him to the gauntlet of alternately beefy or skinny, squinty eyes patrons as a friend. Fakes his Indiana accent and spits. He does some spitting and scratching to try to fit in. Describes the scene
in a mild southern accent. Talks about the conversations and the smells. They get stared with an introduction of the owners and the cocks, then the betting started furiously. Describes the combatants and the start of the fight, the fury and the hollering for blood.
Shameless plug for his show at the Limelight, threatening to "say it" and to do his underwater ballet. Goes to other commercials and completely sabotages an Evelyn Wood speed reading commercial.
A subversive bit: Talks about the new popularity of being a dropout, and the silly anti-dropout commercials. The promise of graduation is a better job, but most people thinking about dropping out are not interested in jobs.
He mentions drinking courses, another fine idea from Harvard. "Candy" is required reading in a high school, according to one letter writer.
Plays more "Suwannee River".
Reads subversive fable by George Ade(2) regarding Learning Versus Learning How. Moral: "The longest way around is the shortest way to the university degree."
"He'll get his" is a delusion whose truth is that they *will* get their riches and power.
"Keep your ol' knees loose, just keep your hands ready and supple."
Notes
(1)undoubtedly over the "Suspension Bridge" re: 8/12/65 program
(2)Shepherd edited and introduced "The America of George Ade" in 1960.