Hey there, fellow night owls and Carson fanatics! You're in for a treat today. Remember that good ol' Johnny Carson video where he jokingly mentioned a toilet paper shortage, and the nation went wild stocking up on TP? Ah, those were the days! The airdate was December 19, 1973, and boy, do I have some memories to share with you.
Richard Nixon was our President, and we were right in the middle of the Watergate scandal. Those were some wild times, huh? Can you believe a gallon of milk cost just $1.31, and a loaf of bread was a mere 27 cents? A new car would set you back around $4,000, and the average cost of a house was about $32,500. Let's remember the average monthly mortgage payment, which was just $300. It's crazy to think about how much has changed since then!
We were all humming tunes like "Killing Me Softly" by Roberta Flack and "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" by Jim Croce. Meanwhile, we were watching classics like "The Exorcist" in theaters and tuning in to TV shows like "MAS*H" and "All in the Family." Those were the days, my friend!
Do you remember settling in front of the TV each night, eager to watch Johnny Carson work his magic? We laughed, cried, and always had something to discuss the next day. The anticipation of his monologue, wondering who the next guest would be, and sharing those moments with friends and family made the whole experience unforgettable.
Now, about that infamous toilet paper joke – it's one for the ages! Johnny had us all in stitches when he talked about the "acute shortage" of toilet paper in the United States. That line about needing to "quit writing on it" still cracks me up! And who could forget the hilarious imagery of Mrs. Olson from the Folgers commercials offering up her shopping bag instead of coffee? The audience roared with laughter, and so did we!
Isn't it amazing how a single joke could create such a frenzy? People rushed to their local supermarkets and cleared the shelves of toilet paper, all because of Johnny's wit and charm. We truly lived through some incredible times.
So grab your favorite snack, settle in, and get ready to laugh like it's 1973 all over again. Happy reminiscing!
Johnny Carson still holds up. You can find a lot of it on Amazon. Buying through us puts a few cents our way, which the cats and I appreciate.
