#15 From my list of Things I Don’t Like
RIP Mr. McMahon
Ed McMahon’s death couldn’t have come at a worse time. Sounds kind of odd, but it was such a shame that he didn’t get more recognition than he did. Combine one of Charley’s Angels being called home with the passing of the King of Pop, and what you get is no one paying any attention to Mr. Ed McMahon.
Foundations
Ed McMahon led a fairly incredible life, and was in part responsible for shaping our current popular culture. Ed McMahon was:
- Born 1923
- Started work as a carnival barker
- At 15 a bingo caller
- 1940 started at Boston College
- 1942 Fought in WWII as a United States Marine Corps Fighter Pilot
- 1946 discharged and began studies again at Catholic University of America
- 1949 graduated with a Bachelors of Arts degree
- Marries Alyce Ferrill has 4 children divorced in 1976
- During college worked as a pitchman selling vegetable slicers on the boardwalk in Atlantic City
- Having remained in the Reserves, sent to Korea in 1952 (again as a pilot)
- 1957 Announcer on Who Can You Trust, a daytime gameshow (Johnny Carson was the host)
- 1962 Ed & Johnny leave to do the Tonight Show
- 1966 Retires from the Marine Corps as a Colonel
- Commissioned by the California Air National Guard as a Brigadier General
- 1967-2008 CoHost & Guest on the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon
- 1976 Marries Victoria Valentine has 1 child divorced in 1989
- 1982-1998 TVs Bloopers & Practical Jokes
- 1983-1995 Star Search
- 1992 Marries Pam Hurn adopts her son and was married until his death.
& More
From coverage of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, a film career spanning four decades, countless commercials, to being the face of the American Family Publishers Sweepstakes, McMahon’s accomplishments go on and on.
Impact
From Bloopers came Punk’d, Jackass, Scare Tactics, and America’s Funniest Home Videos. Star Search brought us names like Ray Romano, Aaliyah, Christina Aguilera, Drew Carey, Dave Chappelle, Destiny’s Child, (as Girls Tyme), Adam Sandler, Rosie O’Donnell, Kevin James, Martin Lawrence, Norm MacDonald, Carlos Mencia, Dennis Miller, Alanis Morissette, Jenny Jones, LeAnn Rimes, Jessica Simpson, Sinbad, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Usher. The Tonight Show forever changed American television. Leno, Letterman, O’Brien, Daily and the rest have people like Ed McMahon to thank for their good fortune.
Thank you
I haven’t met a person yet who ever stared longingly at a poster of you on their bedroom wall. To the best of my knowledge you never started any fashion trends, or intentionally moonwalked. Nevertheless, thank you Mr. McMahon. Thank you for serving your country in two wars. Thank you for introducing us to so many talented people. Thank you for helping shape what we now call entertainment.
—RJ
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