Luv, Brits Dump on American Culture, Valentine's Day
Airdate:
Monday - February 14, 1966
WOR Show Original Airing
First Line After Theme Ends
This is nervous day for many people. . .
Show Description
Valentine's Day is nervous day in USA. Americans are so hung up on love, he figures Americans invented "LUV". He thinks it should read "In love we trust".
"Dynamic begging" is the most virulent form of love. National symbol should be a loveable cocker spaniel. It says "Please love me". The theme of eternal love is in all our art forms such as songs and plays.
Only U.S. could have invented "Dear Abby", a love confessionalist, or Edgar A. Guest.
Peace is just a schtick. Americans like war and violence too. Love and war: The Peace Mace represents the best of all possible worlds.
America is the country of prepackaged messages of love (Valentine's cards), for those who are primarily illiterate. Actually some people save Valentine's cards, even from people they hate. This gets Shep on a British theme that lasts the rest of the show.
He uses the Beatles an example of British slobism. British actors get a pass in America just because they are British, taking over American theater. It is so bad it affects the economics of theatre. Seems to be a real sore point.
As usual, he uses commercials to go off topic a bit. Talks about the Luden head hunter religion that was created by Shepherd when Shep handed out Luden T shirts with a big red "L" to a tribe in the upper Amazon. Evelyn Wood demos are a great show and good for a cheap date. Actually improves on the commercial this time. A good example of Shepherdian hyperbole: Rovers are so durable that there are still some around from before cars were invented.
Americans can love any country but ourselves. Same way with our own search for identity in novels and plays. On the whole, America is not nearly as chauvinistic compared to English or France or Australians.
Cites foreigners coming to America, and criticizing America on radio interviews. We are the world's patsy because we take all the criticism.
Tells of a NY actor who knocked around for 9 years with nothing, who went to England, changed his name and came back as a successful actor.
English secretaries are being hired by the boatload too, for their accents. This is because we have a cultural feeling of inferiority.
Even college kids at Harvard, Yale try to pick up an accent. Harvard accent is pseudo-British.
The British mechanic visits America and travels all over, for months and wrote major English newspaper articles about how great it is for the average working guy here, which caused a great national controversy.
It was pointed out that most of the people that come to America to be critics of America are from privileged classes. They want first class.
Privileged classes of Britain do not like real democracy. They don't like to wait in line and expect to be treated according to their "station". For example there is no 1st, 2nd class travel on trains.
Western Union has 38 love messages( e.g. "I'm in Reno. Expect to hear from my lawyer. Be my Valentine." There are lots of ways to express love.
"Keep your knees loose and be careful. It's starting to come up around the knees here, by george."
Notes
Shepherd's Beatle interview for Playboy" was published in the Feb.1965 issue.
Shepherd's Beatle interview for Playboy" was published in the Feb.1965 issue.
