I think Ed was a spokesman for an insurance company at the time. The big selling point was you cannot be turned down for any reason. The blond turned him down for one reason. I liked the wiping of the flop sweat at the end. It even happens to the best of them.
Penn Life...Now I remember lol. Problem was Ed was promoting so many things it just went over every ones head. Did not matter, Johnny was the King of bad joke reponse.
He always had the ability to turn a bombed joke into a joke itself lol Never an awkward moment, just poked fun at the failure and moved on like a professional.
OK everyone here's what the joke means: Ed McMahon used to shill for everything, and one of the things he did commercials for was some insurance company. It's the same thing you see Alex Trebek doing today (it may even be the same company). Anyway in the commercial, Ed would always say "and you can't be turned down for any reason". So in this picture the lady is telling Ed that he CAN be turned down for one reason.
That would be Colonial Penn and yes Alex Trebek was a spokesperson for them as well. Like most, I did not get the joke until you explained it. I think the reason that most people did not get it and that it bombed is that people see the girl and Ed and were anticipating some sexual innuendo in the joke.
Thanks, that's the second time I've watched this and now understand the joke. But it was too sophisticated except for people glued to their TV and up on all the spots. But the gem in all of this is the reaction of Johnny. Never flustered, always the professional. What we have on TV today are rank amateurs. Paid off corporate shill rank amateurs, it that makes them any better.
@@lawrencetaylor4101 actually it's just that joke is dated .if you weren't Alive at that time and watching The Tonight Show you wouldn't get it in 2021
He had David Copperfield on and performed a bit with a cup and a coin as close up magic. David watched the trick and said that he knew there would be a coin underneath the cup and lifted it up. He was shocked to find a stack of coins underneath and praised Johnny. He knew the trick, he was watching sitting next to him and Johnny still palmed a whole stack instead of one coin. I wish I could find that clip.
To be fair I was still waiting for the punchline, if that was the punchline then clearly I never understood the joke. But his reaction to bomb was funny.
@@jamespfitz Were you alive and very familiar with the pop culture at that time, 30 years ago? If not, you're not qualified to make that call. Right now it's too old, and out of context to be judged at face value.
There was one of these bits, maybe not this exact one, where every time they came back from commercial Johnny thanked the LA public library for the pictures
I really understand why Conan looks very Carson-y. Mannerism and their improv was similar, despite Conan's exaggerating bits and always wins with the audiences, while Carson looks more confident but also human if the jokes are bomb. Well, those two are the rare jewels, and also there's Letterman with his own style.
0:10 - My God, the silence from the audience was like the silence of a forgotten tomb. I bet you the writer who wrote this got a severe yelling at my Carson once taping was done.
No, he taps the microphone, because the dead silence from the studio audience makes Johnny think his microphone is broken so he taps it to check. This is a bit he does when jokes bomb on the show, he pretends it is not the bad joke, but it could be a broken microphone. The audience here simply had no idea of the joke.
@@johnking5174ohhhhh now I understand, thank you! I thought there was more to the joke that got cut off somehow, but nope that was it! I guess that goes to show how bad the joke really was 😅
@@CheeseHater-ty1fz I think Ed McMahon used to do a commercial for an insurance company where the tag line was they wouldn't be turned down for any reason. Johnny's writers probably thought the audience would remember this and understand. Boy they didn't, and the silence said it all.
But the joke was still to unspecific. Turned down why? Because of Ed's old age compared to the young lady, because incest is not legal if in real life it was his niece. Or because of what? The joke is poorly constructed, period. But Johnny's reaction was hilarious as always 😂😂
Ed McMahon used to do commercials for Colonial Penn Life insurance, and the tagline was: “You can’t be turned down for any reason”.
And she was holding up the one finger!
Thank you for saying that!! Now I get the joke!!😂
I feel like I'm seeing the ancient ancestor to Norm's blue card jokes
I feel like there’s a yak on my chest
Johnny was so good, that he got more laughs for his bad jokes, than many comedians get for their best ones.
The second “Hello” got me.
Ed's laugh was epic!
His laugh made the audience and the viewer feel they were in on the joke
Johnny's improv ability was second to none. If anything, he seems to shine in moments when most would shrink.
When things went south was when he was funniest.
By this time he was 28 years in. You got to love your job to stay that long.
Remember when a joke would bomb like that and Johnny would say " Bombooo" lol.
I think Ed was a spokesman for an insurance company at the time.
The big selling point was you cannot be turned down for any reason.
The blond turned him down for one reason.
I liked the wiping of the flop sweat at the end. It even happens to the best of them.
Penn Life...Now I remember lol. Problem was Ed was promoting so many things it just went over every ones head. Did not matter, Johnny was the King of bad joke reponse.
@@mwilliams1330 at least he didn't have the hankersizer. That was a disaster for me.
It's an okay gag, I would have written it as "he expected he couldn't be turned down for any reason, and she thought of one" or something like that.
czcams.com/video/rvoCg-8S2gs/video.html
@@Voice_of_Saturn he's being turned down by a woman, see, it's a little insult on his attractiveness.
His bad jokes were the best and doc, Ed n Tommy were brilliant as foils
I adore this man!
And, as usual, the "bombed: bit leads to the superb hilarity that Carson was/is known for. RIP Johnny. Truly, you'll never be topped.
He always had the ability to turn a bombed joke into a joke itself lol Never an awkward moment, just poked fun at the failure and moved on like a professional.
James Corden already topped him
@@wspencerwatkins
LoL In terms of *ASININITY*
Completely true for both YOU and HE!!!
OK everyone here's what the joke means: Ed McMahon used to shill for everything, and one of the things he did commercials for was some insurance company. It's the same thing you see Alex Trebek doing today (it may even be the same company). Anyway in the commercial, Ed would always say "and you can't be turned down for any reason". So in this picture the lady is telling Ed that he CAN be turned down for one reason.
That would be Colonial Penn and yes Alex Trebek was a spokesperson for them as well. Like most, I did not get the joke until you explained it. I think the reason that most people did not get it and that it bombed is that people see the girl and Ed and were anticipating some sexual innuendo in the joke.
Thanks, that's the second time I've watched this and now understand the joke. But it was too sophisticated except for people glued to their TV and up on all the spots. But the gem in all of this is the reaction of Johnny. Never flustered, always the professional. What we have on TV today are rank amateurs. Paid off corporate shill rank amateurs, it that makes them any better.
@@lawrencetaylor4101 actually it's just that joke is dated .if you weren't Alive at that time and watching The Tonight Show you wouldn't get it in 2021
Terrible joke. The reference is too arcane given the set-up involves Ed's niece. Ed didn't get it either.
Yes, amd she was his niece..so THAT is the reason for torning down. In my opinion :D
Johnny bombing was ten times funnier than most comedians who killed it the first time.
Remember when Johnny finally gave in and performed his card tricks and he was fantastic.
He had David Copperfield on and performed a bit with a cup and a coin as close up magic. David watched the trick and said that he knew there would be a coin underneath the cup and lifted it up. He was shocked to find a stack of coins underneath and praised Johnny. He knew the trick, he was watching sitting next to him and Johnny still palmed a whole stack instead of one coin. I wish I could find that clip.
Love to see him bomb!!
To be fair I was still waiting for the punchline, if that was the punchline then clearly I never understood the joke. But his reaction to bomb was funny.
I didn't get it either (I still don't, lol). But the reaction was funny.
It's not funny
@@AlainHubert Ed did Life Insurance commercials where you couldn't be turned down for any reason. That's the joke
Thank you for explaining the joke! God Bless you. :D Johnny was the best ever.
@@jamespfitz Were you alive and very familiar with the pop culture at that time, 30 years ago? If not, you're not qualified to make that call. Right now it's too old, and out of context to be judged at face value.
Carson was at his best when he "bombed", no one could recover better....
Watched this 100 times
PURE GOLD✅
Oh my gosh this is so funny. How I miss Johnny, Ed and the Tonight Show. Never see the likes again.
I love when comedians turn their bombing into the punchline.
There was one of these bits, maybe not this exact one, where every time they came back from commercial Johnny thanked the LA public library for the pictures
D.P. ...............thanks for the memories !!!!!!! I'm priming the algo's too !!!!!
Hahahahaha even when Johnny Carson's jokes bomb they are still funnier than late night talk show hosts today in the 21st century on their best days.
Even for an all-time great talk show host like Johnny Carson, he would have a joke that would bomb once in a while. But hey, love ya Johnny :)
Carson understood that vulnerability was acceptable. Pompous dictate was not.
I really understand why Conan looks very Carson-y. Mannerism and their improv was similar, despite Conan's exaggerating bits and always wins with the audiences, while Carson looks more confident but also human if the jokes are bomb. Well, those two are the rare jewels, and also there's Letterman with his own style.
While Letterman was overall better than Conan, Conan was the genuine successor to Carson.
Nobody bombed like Johnny.
Muffy Barber........
That's MUFFY BARBER!!!!!!!!!!!!
No one can save a bombed joke like Johnny.
Johnny could paint a fly on a pumpkin.
Send out a search team. There's definatally a missing joke here.
Maybe you should send the bomb squad too. Whew.
MUFFY BARBER.........
Mmmmmm bombo
It wasn't just singular jokes; I'd seen monologues that completely crashed and burned.
Fucking brilliant!
I was waiting for what comes after "he can be turned down for one reason". But alas, nothing came afterward.
0:10 - My God, the silence from the audience was like the silence of a forgotten tomb. I bet you the writer who wrote this got a severe yelling at my Carson once taping was done.
I don’t think Johnny minded. He turned the bomb into comedy gold. The audience was always on his side.
@@Strangenstein I love the bit where he taps the microphone to see if it was working. A simple act of comedy which had me burst out laughing.
@@johnking5174 How about the times when doing the monologue he’d reach for the boom microphone and say “Attention KMart shoppers…”
It's an anti-joke...those are always hard to pull off lol.
I thought there was still another part to that joke. Maybe the audience did to. Johnny shined even when he was not doing well with a joke.
Johnny shined especially when he was not doing well with a joke ;
One reason. HAW HAW HAW HAW!
Muffy Barber
Was "Muffy Barber" part of the joke? Or just a made-up name? Just like the joke, the reference would have to go back some 30+ years.
I think the joke is that she has her finger up like the number one.
I’m confused, did the microphone stop working or was the punchline not on the back of the card?
No, he taps the microphone, because the dead silence from the studio audience makes Johnny think his microphone is broken so he taps it to check. This is a bit he does when jokes bomb on the show, he pretends it is not the bad joke, but it could be a broken microphone. The audience here simply had no idea of the joke.
@@johnking5174ohhhhh now I understand, thank you! I thought there was more to the joke that got cut off somehow, but nope that was it! I guess that goes to show how bad the joke really was 😅
@@CheeseHater-ty1fz I think Ed McMahon used to do a commercial for an insurance company where the tag line was they wouldn't be turned down for any reason. Johnny's writers probably thought the audience would remember this and understand. Boy they didn't, and the silence said it all.
He was the best! Hands down, the best!
Still better than Jimmy Fallon.....
So what was the "1 reason" ? lol
But the joke was still to unspecific. Turned down why? Because of Ed's old age compared to the young lady, because incest is not legal if in real life it was his niece. Or because of what? The joke is poorly constructed, period.
But Johnny's reaction was hilarious as always 😂😂