The Mid Century Vault

Currently Playing: 081 How "Sock It To Me" Changed History: The Chaos of Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In

In 1968, the world was spinning off its axis—but at 8 PM on Monday nights, all hell broke loose from "Beautiful Downtown Burbank." Welcome back to The Mid-Century Vault. Today, host Philip Mershon revisits the frantic, psychedelic heartbeat of the late sixties: Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. Before SNL or The Daily Show, there was this kaleidoscopic blur of go-go boots, trap doors, and "Sock it to me!" In this episode, we explore: The Nixon Moment: How five seconds of Richard Nixon asking "Sock it to me?" changed the collision of politics and pop culture forever. The Star-Makers: From Goldie Hawn’s "ditzy blonde" to Lily Tomlin’s iconic Ernestine. The Style: How the show’s rapid-fire editing predicted the MTV era years early. The Catchphrases: "You bet your sweet bippy!" and the "Flying Fickle Finger of Fate." Support The Vault: If you love these mid-century deep dives, hit the Super Thanks button or visit my "Buy Me a Coffee" page: https://coff.ee/philipmershon Who was your favorite cast member from the Joke Wall? Let’s talk in the comments! #LaughIn #1960sTV #RichardNixon #GoldieHawn #Lily Tomlin #TheMidCenturyVault #TVHistory #PopCulture #SockItToMe