re: The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts didn't age well

quote:

---

White people taking shots at black people in humor and vice versa would actually be a good sign of mutual acceptance and understanding. It's wild how many don't understand that

---

Those were the times back then, on the heels of the civil rights movement I think and all. You could make jokes about the races and no one would erupt like they do today, I was a small kid in the 70's. I actually prefer those days than this era with all of the anger, hostility, racism, terrorism and all. Sammy laughed because he was making money, but he laughed and played along with it too. Sammy had a relationship with Kim Novak that was highly publicized because she was a beautiful young White woman who was a star in Hollywood at that time. Sammy was in love with her and wanted to marry her, but had to stop seeing her when he was threatened with losing his other eye by Novak's mgr. who had Mafia type figures working for him I think.

Needless to say and sadly Novak's career went downhill, and the poor woman to this day just insists that her and Sammy were just friends even though she admitted to being in love with him. She was totally afraid because of those times.