These Are The Jokes Comedians Told In 1976
1976 had things to laugh about, like any other year. The bicentennial was underway in a big way, but the stains over Vietnam and Watergate were not even close to washed off. Comedy of the time seems to go one of two ways: self-deprecating or societal deprecation and observation. Old-school comics like Henny Youngman continued to do their well-honed acts in the first category while emerging talents like Richard Pryor and George Carlin pushed the second forward. It was a classic changing of the old guard with the new.
With all that in mind, here are the jokes comedians told in 1976.
From The Tonight Show
A sharp comment from someone who featured many birds on his show.
Fashion Icon
George Carlin wouldn't wear a suit with a tie like most comedians at the time, and that made him special.
Brooks Method
Listen to the master when he speaks.
Neurotic Allen
In the middle of his anxious and neurotic era.
Relatable Humor
Carlin knew how to talk about the big things in life without losing the audience.
Not so Young Man
This is still true today.
Cultural Differences
Richard Pryor's humor leaned heavily on race while many other white comedians were still making racist bits.
The Legend
Women's humor was all about love, relationships, and awful husbands.
Paradigm Shift
While most comedians were releasing comedy albums, Youngman was still popular with his books.
King of Banter
No one like him to put someone on their place.
King of Ugly
Vintage Rodney
Timeless
You can see some of this humor in today's leftist comics.
Ugly Jokes
They never fail.
TV Sensation
Everyone was watching comedy shows at night in the '70s.
Muppet Visit
Phyllis Diller visited The Muppets in 1976 to deliver one-liners like the best.