“The Extreme Lack of Propriety and Good Taste”
Bob Hope’s satires over his long career reflected his audience’s changing sensitivities and standards of propriety. When he broadcast a satirical radio sketch in 1949 that portrayed President Truman (1884–1972) and his wife Bess (1885–1982) as hosts of a breakfast radio show, listeners complained of his lack of respect for the presidency. In response, Hope confessed, “Probably we were a little silly in going too far in the liberties of free speech which we Americans enjoy.” In 1970, Hope’s satirical depiction of a takeover of the television network by the women’s liberation movement offended many feminists.
Bob Hope’s satires over his long career reflected his audience’s changing sensitivities and standards of propriety. When he broadcast a satirical radio sketch in 1949 that portrayed President Truman (1884–1972) and his wife Bess (1885–1982) as hosts of a breakfast radio show, listeners complained of his lack of respect for the presidency. In response, Hope confessed, “Probably we were a little silly in going too far in the liberties of free speech which we Americans enjoy.” In 1970, Hope’s satirical depiction of a takeover of the television network by the women’s liberation movement offended many feminists.