It’s September 16, 1968. The United States is basically a pressure cooker about to blow its lid. Between the Vietnam War protests and the fallout from a truly brutal Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the country is exhausted. Then, right in the middle of NBC’s smash-hit variety show, Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, a man appears on screen. He isn’t a hippie. He isn’t a comedian. It’s Richard Nixon, the Republican presidential nominee, looking stiff as a board in a grey-blue suit.
He looks at the camera. He pauses. Then, with a delivery so awkward it almost feels like a cry for help, he asks: “Sock it to me?”
That was it. Five seconds. But honestly, those five seconds might have been the reason he moved into the White House a few months later.
Why Richard Nixon on Laugh-In Was a Total Risk
Back in the late sixties, politicians didn't really "do" comedy. They did somber press conferences. They did stiff debates. They definitely didn't show up on psychedelic, joke-a-minute sketch shows known for "mod" girls dancing in body paint. Nixon’s team was, predictably, terrified. Most of his aides thought the show was way too liberal and weird. They worried he’d look like a fool.
But Nixon had a problem. He had this reputation for being "Tricky Dick"—cold, humorless, and a bit of a plastic man. He was still haunted by the 1960 debate against JFK, where he looked sweaty and nervous while Kennedy looked like a movie star. He needed to prove he was a human being.
Enter Paul Keyes.
Keyes was a head writer for Laugh-In and, weirdly enough, a close friend of Nixon’s. He was the one who whispered in Nixon’s ear that this was the move. Keyes knew the show was reaching nearly a third of all American households. It was the biggest platform on the planet.
The Secret Behind the "Sock It To Me" Line
The show’s producer, George Schlatter, wanted Nixon to say something even weirder. He initially suggested the catchphrase "You bet your sweet bippy." Nixon, being Nixon, was suspicious. He reportedly asked his advisors what a "bippy" was, fearing it might be something dirty or "naughty."
They settled on "Sock it to me," a phrase usually reserved for Judy Carne getting doused with a bucket of water.
It took six takes. Six.
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Nixon kept saying it too aggressively, or too angrily. He couldn't quite grasp the "fun" of it. Finally, he landed on that stilted, rising inflection that sounded more like a question than a statement. Schlatter loved it. He actually ran out of the studio with the film canisters, terrified that Nixon’s campaign handlers would realize what they’d just done and try to seize the footage.
The Humphrey Blunder
Here is the part where Hubert Humphrey, Nixon’s opponent, probably messed up his own destiny. The Laugh-In producers offered Humphrey the exact same opportunity. Equal time. A chance to show he had a sense of humor.
Humphrey said no.
He thought it was undignified. He thought a future president shouldn't be engaging in "silliness." While Nixon was being "cool" (or as cool as a guy like Nixon could be), Humphrey stayed in the old world of politics. It’s widely believed that this contrast helped Nixon bridge the gap with younger voters who found him terrifyingly "establishment."
Did Five Seconds Actually Elect a President?
George Schlatter certainly thinks so. He’s gone on record multiple times saying, "It elected Richard Nixon."
Is that an exaggeration? Maybe. But Nixon won the 1968 election by an incredibly thin margin—about 510,000 votes out of 73 million cast. When the race is that close, every tiny bit of "relatability" counts. For a few seconds, the man who would eventually be known for Watergate and "I am not a crook" looked like a guy who could take a joke.
It broke the "fourth wall" of politics. Before this, the presidency was a sacred, distant thing. After Richard Nixon on Laugh-In, the floodgates opened. It paved the way for Bill Clinton playing the saxophone on The Arsenio Hall Show and every modern candidate trying to go viral on TikTok.
The Weird Aftermath
Ten years later, in 1977, Schlatter tried to get Nixon back for a reunion special. This was post-resignation, post-disgrace. The proposed line for Nixon was: “Ten years ago I appeared on Laugh-In and invited the American people to sock it to me. You can stop now.”
Nixon didn't respond. Guess he’d had enough of the "bippy" lifestyle by then.
Takeaways from the "Sock It To Me" Moment
If you’re looking at this from a media or branding perspective, there are some pretty heavy lessons here:
- Risk vs. Reward: Nixon’s appearance was a massive gamble that could have ended his career if it went wrong. Instead, it softened his image just enough to win.
- Know Your Medium: Nixon didn't try to be a comedian; he played the "straight man" in a comedy environment. It worked because it was authentic to his awkwardness.
- The Power of Friends in High Places: Without Paul Keyes, this never happens. Relationships often dictate the biggest shifts in culture.
- Adapt or Die: Humphrey’s refusal to participate made him look out of touch. In a changing media landscape, being "dignified" can sometimes look like being "irrelevant."
The next time you see a politician doing a goofy skit or a late-night "mean tweets" segment, remember that it all started with a sweaty man in a grey suit wondering what a bippy was.
Actionable Insight: If you're managing a brand or a public persona, don't be afraid of the "weird" platforms. The key isn't to change who you are to fit the platform, but to find a way for your authentic self to exist within that space. Sometimes, being the "stiff" person in a "loose" room is exactly the kind of contrast that grabs attention.
Check out the original footage of the 1968 season premiere. It’s a time capsule of a moment where the line between Hollywood and Washington D.C. didn't just blur—it vanished entirely.