Although I was born in 1969 while "Laugh In" was in full swing, I grew up with Rowan and Martin's wonderful, anarchic sense of humor about the world through half hour syndication editions of the show. Dan Rowan, who passed on in 1987, was the debonair straight man to the lecherous Dick Martin. Dan would set it up and Dickie would bat it out of the park. Dick Martin was a true master of the "Wink Wink" style of Hippie humor that was all so ubiquitous in the late 1960's. Even if something wasn't dirty, he could make allusions that would turn it on it's head and make it so ("You bet your sweet Bippy!", "Look that up in your Funk & Wagnals!").
You could say that Dick Martin's sly sense of double entendre shaped my young sardonic psyche. He was the ultimate swinger and ended up marrying a Playboy Playmate; the lovely Dolly Reed. That's called living the American Dream, my friends.
86 years ain't a bad run, but you never want to hear that your heroes have died. Rest in peace, Dickie. This Fickle Finger of Fate is for you.
Speaking of Bippies, isn't it time for TCM to air "The Maltese Bippy"; the theatrical spin off of the "Laugh-In" TV series?
