I Was A Mere Toddler When This Talk Show First Aired

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This episode of

THE DICK CAVETT SHOW

first aired on

December 15, 1971

 

 The air date was less than two months

after my parents' death:

qualifying me

as a freshly minted

Adult Orphan

 

Mailer 

expressed great admiration for

Muhammed Ali

and quoted the philosopher

Soren Kierkegaard

__________________

___________

 

Suffice it to say

this was a brilliant

—and controversial —

example of Late Night TV

 

It was talked about

(and quoted)

for many years

 

BUT NO ONE 

mentioned the censorship

that happened 

before air-time

 

Someone seated 

in the nosebleed section

applauded 

when Kierkegaard's name 

was mentioned

 

That someone was me

who stayed up

 past midnight 

to hear himself 

clapping hands

 

BUT

my applause 

got bleeped

 

!!!  

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