In a message dated 8/11/06 2:16:03 PM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> Why did Andy let that stay in the script? In Atlanta, all soft drinks were > called "Coke", whether they were or not. > I should probably step in and point out that "Coke" is a trademark and that's probably why we didn't hear it casually mentioned on the show. For some reason, mentioning brand names suddenly became taboo in the late '50s and early '60s. I'm not sure but I think it may have had something to do with the radio DJ payola scandals of the late 1950s. Up until then it was more common. For instance, I heard the line "Put the Cokes in that tub of ice, Peavey" on radio's "The Great Gildersleeve." I've seen tapes and DVDs where the Coca-Cola logo appeared prominently on machines and fountains, in movie theatre and bowling alley sets, on a number of 1950s shows including "Mr Peepers," "Dragnet" and a "Colgate Comedy Hour" sketch with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, and Coca-Cola didn't sponsor any of those shows. (Ricky and David are also occasionally mentioned as getting a few Cokes for parties on "Ozzie and Harriet," but Coca-Cola *was* one of their sponsors.) So the decision not to call soft drinks "Cokes" was probably the result of a memo from the CBS standards and practices department. Incidentally just before we began discussing this, someone sent me an email listing signs you're from Alabama. One of them is that you've had the following conversation: "What would you like to drink?" "A Coke." "What kind?" "Oh, Dr Pepper." It struck me even then how hilarious it would have been if Goober and Floyd ever had that conversation. Then again we'd never that colorful dialogue about Nectarine Crush or Huckleberry Smash. Dixon _______________________________________________ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://mail.wbmutbb.com/mailman/listinfo/wbmutbb_wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
