The Carpenters in Interview (1977)

[3bhui]

The Carpenters performed for Nixon at the White House, something that really goes against the grain of Tommy Smothers.

[mrshinyshoes]

The Carpenters were so classy here despite Smothers' idiotic comments. I never found the Smothers Brothers funny at all.

[mrshinyshoes]

The Captain and Tennille??? OMG!!! What an injustice to compare The Carpenters, America's greatest pop group of the 1970s, to Captain and Tennille! The only song that came out of The Captain and Tennille that I remember was "Love Will Keep Us Together". Other than that one song, there's not much to remember about the Captain and Tennille!  On the other hand, The Carpenters gave us so many wonderful, memorable hits, hits that have become timeless classics.

[willerm]

@mrshinyshoes "Do that to me one more time" too

[mrshinyshoes]

@willerm I barely remember that one.  Lol.

[rbsvy91368]

@mrshinyshoes actually the Carpenters and Captain and Tennille were friends as well. Both worked for A & M records. I like both groups. They were talented. Today's groups I cannot think of any great ones. No talent much for today's "music".

[WhydontyouLikMyAss]

Steve Martin said Karen Carpenter could suck the chrome off of a ball hitch.But he loved taking her out to dinner because all she would order would be a glass of water and a cracker.

[1LHPrincess]

@WhydontyouLikMyAss lmbo wow! Could you please show me that transcript or video! Please!

[leofilm]

SO FUNNY. anyone unfamiliar with tommy smothers' humor needs to look up smothers brothers clips on youtube and enjoy them. i grew up with their humor, and this is EXACTLY how tommy always did comedy - based on making himself seem a little naive and creating awkward moments - kind of like lou costello or stan laurel. THAT was the joke - watching tommy dig deeper and make it worse. and his brother dickie was very good at playing against that. you can see how much karen's charmed by it.

[redlightmax]

@leofilm So this Smothers guy was like the Ricky Gervais of his time, just douchier.

[leofilm]

@redlightmax no, he was part of a standup duo, with one exasperated, smart brother (dickie) and tommy was the younger, slower brother. so, a better analogy would be ricky gervais' friend with the round head. he's not saying mean things because he's mean or clever. his character is just stuck at around age 12. and especially back in the 60s that's how they got away with a lot of political commentary. tomok97 has a SmoBro video that perfectly illustrates their style.

[redlightmax]

@leofilm OK, that does make things clearer, thank you.

I still say that, in character or not, he was being douchey to KC and RC.

[leofilm]

@redlightmax ...ALSO...a little historical perspective -- tommy smothers gave steve martin his break as a young comedy writer on the original Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, so martin was very much aware of tommy's style.

[ChrissyFinne]

Very bad footage quality!

[improvguru]

Karen was, as always, the smartest and cleverest person in the room.

[squitzy]

This is Tom Smothers. He was always an idiot. His mentioning Captain and Tenille was obviously meant as a slight to the Carpenters. Karen reacted in a nice way.

Noticed that a lot of comments about this vid are wondering who the heck Dick Smothers is. There you go. Smothers Brothers were considered cool for awhile but their fame was ever so fleeting because they actually were not that good. As for Steve Martin, who I have always liked- He looks like a totally clueless host here.

[improvguru]

Steve Martin dated Karen briefly, probably around this time. She and he combine for a great one-two punch of Tommy Smothers. Steve feeds Karen the chicken line and she hits it out of the park. Just another moment of brilliance from KC.

[leslie1503]

Excuse me but that's Tommy!

[lancemckellar]

I think that attempt at humor was flat as a tack. Karen put silly Dickie Smothers right back in his place!

[Macnavor]

I'm glad they have their moment the perfect time for her debut!!!

[onixya1969]

"You guys sing good", man, someone missed a few English classes back in school.

[rouselonline]

hahah,Karen was really smart...she'll know what's the next words to say at this moment...and she was so funny...yah, It's really funny when she said that her pet chicken "had a hat"! hahah!

[abbett]

this clip has always bugged me - it wasn't funny - it was kinda mean. but then i never liked the smothers brothers or their humor anyway - the pet chicken and the hat is funny! i don't think the audience knew when to laugh anymore!

[no1cfielder]

This interview is from the brief period when the Smothers brothers weren't getting along; that's why Tom is kidding Richard that he could fill in for his brother "Dickie".

[patton303]

Steve Martin used to sub for Johnny Carson once in a while.

[NostalgiaBob]

The guy on the right is Steve Martin! He opened the show for their then-current tour. He also dated Karen for a short time.

[LazyLizardProduction]

i dont get what theyare saying but from 0:44 - 0:50 it looks kinda awkward. then the guy on the all the way on the right asked for a backrub? what a pork!!

[BestKacFan]

It's called Comedy. It's was an "Unfunny" moment they improvised.

[amaraca]

She had a pet chicken, who had a hat! So weird, I love them. They handled the moment well!

[Doggchop]

I thought Karen said she ate chicken, then threw-up.

[Inuyashabuddha]

the carpenters-kick ass singers subpare comedians

[Phlipper12]

Duh. That awkward man is Dickie Smothers of the Smothers brothers. That is why you had to know that to get this vide.

[Evelsbro]

Tommy Smothers, who actually had a brother named Dickey.

[rosetta1960]

The guy was one of the Smothers Brothers-who also had their own show!

[NostalgiaBob]

The Carpenters handled that little moment quite well.

[MrSteveUtah]

It said the clip was meant to be with Steve Martin ,But it was some guy I have never seen before

[FruityMcGayMan]

that awkward man IS steve martin

[CrescentNoon]

LOL the funniest part of the clip was Karen saying that her pet chicken "had a hat".