Phil Silvers slapping Rocky Marciano in the face.

Rocky chose to be part of that, it was his own show after all, Rocky liked the dollar and the public acclaim, the show was him fulfilling that, he does not need we keyboard warriors defending him, in fact i see it showing the great that he was, he had no need to exude the demeanour of prime Liston, Foreman or Tyson.

Marciano cultivated a man of the people persona, it served him well, let us be honest how many other fighters could ignore the rules of boxing as he did, yet still be viewed as the good all American dream guy.

Marciano was no dumb pug, so Bilkos behaviour was fine with Rocky, all part of his being a good sport to fit with his persona.

If Rocky were to get offended, i am sure the offender would have known about it, a 'playful' tap from Rocky, to the ribs or even arm might look innocuous, but would leave the person with a reminder for a long while after the incident.

 

I thought the Phil Silvers one was pretty okay. In the beginning part of their interview Silvers says Rocky Graziano is his show's casting director (Sgt Bilko I guess) and mentions a lot of fighters guesting on their show. Seems a genuine fan. Then Rocky tells that story about him and the other soldiers enjoying Silvers' show years ago. So by the time they launch into the shtick which is supposed to be galling that this little worm of a man would slap the HW champ, it feels more fun and mutual (I like when Rocky "digress"es to another point and how Silvers takes credit for it). It's dated humor but it looked like fun for Rocky being in a skit with someone he watched and liked from before he was famous. It'd be like if Urkel or Gary Coleman jokingly slapped Evander Holyfield in a skit - I don't think it'd make the champ look bad.

The Jerry Lewis one with Ali-Clay OTOH Oh My God that is so awful to watch. Lewis is so disrespectful and so far up his own ass, rambling on making some pedestrian point and shushing Clay. Then this other guy coming up talking about you lost to Doug Jones. Is there supposed to be a joke there? Clay was super cool and took it all in stride.

Great little piece of television history, both clips.

 

Walter Cartier, who fought Bobo Olson, Kid Gavilan and Joey Giardello, played a member of Bilko's platoon.

Not sure why people are upset by the sketch. It was clearly pre-rehearsed, Silvers was doing his Bilko routine and Rocky was secure enough to go along with it, in the vein of Jack Dempsey getting KO'd by Charlie Chaplin.

 

Rocky managed to absorb the moment even though I felt his instinctive reaction while his face was down ... I don't see any late thirties version of Dempsey reacting with the same poise ... Dempsey was less domesticated for a long time .. we see the older gent in his 60's and 70's and forget he slowly eased into that ... cannot imagine that putz doing the same to Liston at the time time period ...