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My Real Life Encounter with Tom Smothers


Well it wasnt an encounter, but this is what happened.

Tom Smothers was scheduled to appear at a college simply to discuss his career to date ...this was the mid 70s after the big times and controversial tv show in the 60s.

I was on line with others waiting for the doors to open.

About 3 people ahead of me, a guy was pretty much dissing Tom Smothers saying things like "the Smothers Brothers were big but their times but they arent that big now," and "I dunno, I never thought Tom Smothers was that funny."

And..Tom Smothers..himself...was STANDING RIGHT BEHIND this guy!

A small group of us on line managed to stay deadpan and not laugh as this guy dissed Smothers while Smothers silently made comical faces at him. (Mercifully, Smothers didnt look upset or sad, he made fun of the guy.)

Eventually the guy wondered why we were silently smiling and turned around to see Smothers smiling at HIM.

The guy was embarrassed..."oh ...uh..sorry" but Smothers laughed and eventually the doors opened.

But I wondered: why was Tom Smothers standing outside in line waiting to get into his OWN show?

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Terrific. Hope that's true. It's cool he wanted to get first hand flavor of himself. Likely surrounded by yes men by that point.

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Ive no way to prove it, i guess, but it is minor enough that it sounds true, right. It happened. I will add that we didnt have to pay to go in. So Tom didnt have to pay either!

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