One hullabaloo of a shindig!

Back in the days of three television networks, music programs featuring pop acts were all over the place. The networks had Shindig, Hullabaloo, American Bandstand, and there were many syndicated programs like The Lloyd Thaxton Show popping up on local stations all over the U.S.

My brother and I, and the crowd we hung out with, especially liked Shindig and Hullabaloo when they featured groups like the Byrds, the Stones, or any and all longhaired blues rockers or British invaders. Ed Sullivan’s often cornball variety show, even Saturday night's Hollywood Palace, were on our must-see list when our favorite groups were scheduled to appear.

If you see a black screen above it’s because YouTube removed the video, probably for some complaint about copyright. Sorry! But it isn’t my fault.

We didn't think of it at the time, but the shows were produced by people of our parents’ generation, and to them the music was a commodity, not a lifestyle as it was for us. We were just grateful to see it.

Likewise, Mad magazine, which was at the height of its popularity, was written and drawn by men born the same time as our dads and moms. They saw through the fads. It was their job to dissect and find the silliness in all of it, then give it back to us. When I spoke of my sarcastic attitude in my last posting, I didn't mention that the guys who produced Mad had something to do with my attitude, tainting my worldview with their skewed reflections of authority, society and popular culture. All worldly cynicism aside, my brother and I were beside ourselves with joy when our favorite cartoonist, Jack Davis, did the artwork for this Mad slam at our favorite shows. We didn't even mind Mad blaspheming the rock gods. We loved it anyway.