Pat Paulsen
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Pat Paulsen
Biography
Every Presidential election from the end of Lyndon B. Johnson's terms to the beginning of Bill Clinton's second, the country could count on one thing: Comedian Pat Paulsen would run for office. Like certain real candidates, Paulsen peppered his speeches with meaningless falderal and brouhaha, his takes on the days' issues were short and pithy. When asked about the health care problem, Paulsen replied, "I don't think we need to care for healthy people." On the burgeoning national debt, he said, "Let the kids pay it: They still owe us rent and gas money."Paulsen was born in South Bend, WA, but moved with his family to Point Bonita in northern California where his father was stationed with the Coast Guard. Following his high school gradation, Paulsen served with the Marines during WWII, guarding Japanese prisoners in China following the A-bombing of Japan. Upon his discharge, Paulsen took various odd jobs until enrolling in San Francisco City College to study forestry. He was not there long before he discovered acting and enrolled in drama classes and appeared in college productions. Paulsen embarked on various comic enterprises with his brother, Lorin. During the '60s, the two went separate ways and Paulsen found success writing and performing comical folk songs and doing standup on the coffeehouse circuit. It was fellow funny folk artists, the Smothers Brothers, who provided Paulsen with his break into modest fame. Paulsen sold them one or two songs. In 1967, when the brothers launched their groundbreaking Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, they made a place for Paulsen, who would comment on newsworthy topics and issues. The following year, Paulsen won an Emmy for his shtick. It was the Smothers who suggested Paulsen launch a satirical presidential campaign. Paulsen made his feature-film debut in Hymn Averback's Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? (1968). His subsequent film appearances were rare. Though he never actually won any real-life elections, Paulsen did get to play the president in Bloodsuckers From Outerspace (1986). Following the end of the Smothers Brothers program, Paulsen became a popular nightclub act and performed at conventions and in theaters. For years he annually trekked to Muskegon, MI, to produce and star in plays at the Cherry County Playhouse. Paulsen died in April 1997, in Mexico of pneumonia and kidney failure. In the mid-'90s, he received the International Platform Association's coveted Mark Twain Award for his outstanding contributions to topical humor. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
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Pat Paulsen
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Pat Paulsen
- Genres: Spoken Word
Biography
A tongue-in-jowl approach to American politics made Pat Paulsen one of the most influential comedians of the 1960s and '70s. Best known for his zany editorializing on the humorous late-'60s television variety show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, Paulsen was a five-time candidate for the presidency on the Straight Talkin' American Government (STAG) party.Born in a small fishing village in South Bend, WA, Paulsen moved, at the age of ten, with his family to Point Bonita, CA, a rocky promontory across the bay from San Francisco. After graduating from Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, Paulsen spent three years in the Marine Corps. Although World War Two ended before he was shipped overseas, he guarded Japanese prisoners of war in China. Following his discharge in 1946, he worked a variety of jobs including driving a truck, operating a photostat machine, selling Fuller brushes door to door, and working in a gypsum mine.
Enrolling in San Francisco City College, Paulsen planned to study forestry. His plans changed after attending a rehearsal for a school play; he transferred to the drama department. In addition to performing in college productions of The Man Who Came to Dinner, The Vagabond King, and Twelfth Night, Paulsen became involved with a comic acting troupe, the Ric-Y-Tic Players, in Santa Rosa, CA.
Although he worked for a while in a comedy act with his brother, Lorin, he made his greatest strides after going solo and performing at folk clubs as a humorous guitar player. While performing at the Purple Onion in San Francisco, Paulsen met the Smothers Brothers, selling them two original songs for forty dollars.
When the Smothers Brothers launched their comedy show, in 1967, Paulsen was hired as a cast member. His off-the-wall political commentaries quickly became an important part of the show. At the suggestion of Tom Smothers, Paulsen announced his candidacy for the presidency in late 1967, explaining that he was motivated to seek the office because "it has a good pension plan." Paulsen's campaign, which inspired 200,000 write-in votes, resulted in his winning an Emmy award in 1968. Following the show's cancellation, in 1970, Paulsen hosted his own comedy show on ABC. The same year, he and his wife moved to Cloverdale, CA and opened a winery. They continued to operate the business until their divorce in 1992.
Paulsen spent most of his summers producing and starring in more than 25 plays at the Cherry County Playhouse in Traverse City, MI.
Diagnosed with colon and brain cancer in 1995, Paulsen underwent alternative therapy in Tijuana, Mexico. He died there of pneumonia and kidney failure in 1997. An album of Paulsen's comic routines and songs was released the following year. ~ Craig Harris, Rovi
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Pat Paulsen
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2008) |
| Pat Paulsen | |
|---|---|
 Pat Paulsen's 1967 guest appearance in The Monkees episode "Monkees Watch Their Feet" |
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| Born | Patrick Layton Paulsen July 6, 1927 South Bend, Washington |
| Died | April 24, 1997 (aged 69) Tijuana, Mexico |
| Spouse | Noma Paulsen |
| Website | |
| http://www.paulsen.com/ | |
Patrick Layton "Pat" Paulsen (July 6, 1927 – April 24, 1997) was an American comedian and satirist notable for his roles on several of the Smothers Brothers TV shows, and for his campaigns for President of the United States in 1968, 1972, 1980, 1988, 1992, and 1996, which had primarily comedic rather than political objectives, although his campaigns generated some protest votes for him.
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Early life and education
Paulsen was born in South Bend, Washington, a small fishing town in Pacific County. He was the son of Beulah Inez (née Fadden) and Norman Inge Paulsen, a Norwegian immigrant who worked for the Coast Guard.[1][2][3] When he was 10, the family moved to California.
After graduating from Tamalpais High School, in Mill Valley, Paulsen immediately joined the United States Marines during World War II. Paulsen returned home after the war and worked several jobs, including working as a posting clerk, truck driver, hod carrier, selling Fuller brushes, toiling in a gypsum mine. Later, he was employed as a photostat operator for several years. After attending San Francisco City College, Paulsen joined an acting group called "The Ric-y-tic Players" and formed a comedy trio which included his brother Lorin.
Career in comedy
Paulsen went on to become a single act appearing as a comedic guitarist in various clubs on the west coast and in New York City. During one of his appearances in San Francisco, he met the Smothers Brothers.
In 1967, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour premiered. Paulsen said he was hired because he sold them cheap songs and would run errands. At first he was cast as their editorialist, and his deadpan, double-talk comments on the issues of the day propelled him into the national consciousness. (His deadpan work was nearly flawless: on one isolated occasion, in a talk about Hawaii, he defined a "wahine" as something you put on a bu-hun with lots of mu-hustard. His composure started to crack, but he recovered.) His work on The Smothers Brothers' Comedy Hour earned Paulsen an Emmy in 1968.[4] Early in 1970, Paulsen headlined his own series, Pat Paulsen's Half a Comedy Hour, which ran 13 weeks on ABC. Guests on the first show were former Vice President of the United States Hubert Humphrey and an animated Daffy Duck, the latter of whom was interviewed by Paulsen.
The comedian was approached by the Smothers Brothers with the idea of running for President in 1968. His reply, he was later to recount, was: "Why not? I can't dance – besides, the job has a good pension plan and I'll get a lot of money when I retire."
In addition to his work with the Smothers Brothers, Paulsen made a memorable guest appearance on The Monkees, appearing in the 1967 episode "Monkees Watch Their Feet", playing the secretary of National Defense.
During the Sesame Street inaugural season (1969–1970), he often recited the alphabet in one of the comical early skits – fumbling on a few of the letters.
Paulsen's campaign that year, and in succeeding years, was grounded in comedy, while not bereft of serious commentary. He ran the supposed campaigns using obvious lies, double talk, and tongue-in-cheek attacks on the major candidates, and responded to all criticism with his catchphrase "Picky, picky, picky". His campaign slogan was "Just a common, ordinary, simple savior of America's destiny."
Paulsen's name appeared on the ballot in New Hampshire for the Democratic Primary several times. In 1996, he received 921 votes (1%) to finish second to President Bill Clinton (76,754 votes); this was actually ahead of real politicians such as Buffalo mayor James D. Griffin. In 1992, he came in second to George Bush in the North Dakota Republican Primary. In the 1992 Republican Party primaries he received 10,984 votes total.
During later years, Paulsen appeared in nightclubs, theaters, and conventions throughout the country. He also appeared each summer in Traverse City, Michigan, at the Cherry County Playhouse where he produced and starred in some 25 different plays, including The Fantasticks, The Odd Couple, Harvey, and The Sunshine Boys.
Death
Paulsen was suffering from colon and brain cancer when he died from complications of pneumonia in Tijuana, Mexico, on April 25, 1997.
Discography
- Pat Paulsen for President (1968)
- Live at the Ice House (1970)
- Unzipped (1998).
Quotes
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This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability. |
"All the problems we face in the United States today can be traced to an unenlightened immigration policy on the part of the American Indian."
"I don’t want to say too much about illegal immigration. I’m afraid my views will be reported on the Cinco O’Clock News"[5]
On the Miranda warning: "Why should we tell kidnappers, murderers, and embezzlers their rights? If they don't know their rights, they shouldn't be in the business."
"A good many people feel that our present draft laws are unjust. These people are called soldiers."
"Sex doesn't have to be taught. It's something most of us are born with."
When originally "denying" he was running, borrowing from General William Sherman in 1884: "I will not run if nominated, and if elected I will not serve."
Presidential campaign slogan: "I've upped my standards. Now, up yours."
Presidential campaign slogan: "If elected, I will win."
Campaign supporters' rallying cry: "We can't stand Pat!"
"We have nothing to fear but fear itself...and of course the boogieman."
"I am neither left wing nor right wing. I am middle-of-the-bird."
"If either the right wing or the left wing gained control of the country, it would probably fly around in circles."
"Marijuana should be licensed and kept out of the hands of teenagers. It's too good for them."
When asked if he believed in the right to bear arms: "No, I believe in the right to arm bears."
On network censorship: "I feel proud to be living in a country where people are not afraid to laugh at themselves and where political satire is tolerated by the government, if not the television network."
On network censorship: "Censorship does not interfere with the constitutional rights of every American to sit alone in a dark room in the nude and cuss. There are realistic taboos, especially regarding political comments. Our leaders were not elected to be tittered at. For example, we're allowed to say Ronald Reagan is a lousy actor, but we're not allowed to say he's a lousy governor – which is ridiculous. We know he's a good actor. And we're not allowed to make fun of President Johnston[sic][6], but if we praise him, who would believe it?"
On his political affiliation: "I belong to the Straight Talking American Government Party, or STAG Party for short."
See also
References
- ^ http://www.paulsen.com/bio1.html
- ^ Armstrong, Alice Catt (1997). Who's who in California, Volume 26. Who's Who Historical Society. pp. 363. I.
- ^ Paulsen to perform at ActivePaper Archive
- ^ Grimes, William (April 26, 1997). "Pat Paulsen, 69, a Parodist Of Presidential Doubletalk". New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9402E2D61631F935A15757C0A961958260. Retrieved 2008-04-03.
- ^ – Retrieved on 2008-07-29
- ^ [1]
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Mentioned in
Monkees Watch Their Feet: The Monkees (TV Episode)
(1968 Comedy TV Episode)
And If I'm Elected (TV Episode)
(1984 Comedy TV Episode)
Auntie Lee's Meat Pies
(1992 Comedy Film)
Bloodsuckers from Outer Space
(1986 Comedy Film)
Harper Valley P.T.A.
(1978 Comedy Film)
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