Being old I watched that show and saw the segment in the OP.
The 5 Most Epic Backfires in the History of Bad Jokes | Cracked.com
The 5 Most Epic Backfires in the History of Bad Jokes
#1. Johnny Carson Jokes About a Toilet Paper Shortage, Inadvertently Causes One
In December 1973, Wisconsin Congressman Harold Froehlich made headlines by publicly complaining that the United States was falling behind on bids to supply toilet paper. OK, so it wasn't exactly Watergate, but it was a relevant national issue nevertheless. Newsworthy or not, however, the nation's most beloved television personality saw in the story an opportunity to steal a laugh, so Johnny Carson used it, sarcastically, in the following setup for what would normally be just a routine Tonight Show joke:
"You know what's disappearing from the supermarket shelves? Toilet paper. There's an acute shortage of toilet paper in the United States."
Now, this is a great example of how bull**** spreads. A politician exaggerates a problem for political purposes. A comedian exaggerates the claim even further for comedy purposes. And then people accept it as absolute fact.
The Toilet Paper Shortage of 1973 - YouTube
Johnny Carson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In December 1973, Carson joked on Tonight about an alleged shortage of toilet paper. Panic buying and hoarding ensued across the United States as consumers emptied stores,[20] causing a real shortage that lasted for weeks. Stores and toilet paper manufacturers had to ration supplies until the panic ended.[21][22] Carson apologized in January 1974[23] for the incident, which became what The New York Times called a "classic study" of how rumors spread.[24]
The 5 Most Epic Backfires in the History of Bad Jokes | Cracked.com
The 5 Most Epic Backfires in the History of Bad Jokes
#1. Johnny Carson Jokes About a Toilet Paper Shortage, Inadvertently Causes One
In December 1973, Wisconsin Congressman Harold Froehlich made headlines by publicly complaining that the United States was falling behind on bids to supply toilet paper. OK, so it wasn't exactly Watergate, but it was a relevant national issue nevertheless. Newsworthy or not, however, the nation's most beloved television personality saw in the story an opportunity to steal a laugh, so Johnny Carson used it, sarcastically, in the following setup for what would normally be just a routine Tonight Show joke:
"You know what's disappearing from the supermarket shelves? Toilet paper. There's an acute shortage of toilet paper in the United States."
Now, this is a great example of how bull**** spreads. A politician exaggerates a problem for political purposes. A comedian exaggerates the claim even further for comedy purposes. And then people accept it as absolute fact.
The Toilet Paper Shortage of 1973 - YouTube
Johnny Carson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In December 1973, Carson joked on Tonight about an alleged shortage of toilet paper. Panic buying and hoarding ensued across the United States as consumers emptied stores,[20] causing a real shortage that lasted for weeks. Stores and toilet paper manufacturers had to ration supplies until the panic ended.[21][22] Carson apologized in January 1974[23] for the incident, which became what The New York Times called a "classic study" of how rumors spread.[24]
