Wacky Wednesday Comedy Showcase: Stuck Straws on Candid Camera Gold

Candid Camera was a popular and long-running American hidden camera reality television series. Versions of the show appeared on television from 1948 until 2014. Originally created and produced by Allen Funt, it often featured practical jokes, and initially began on radio as The Candid Microphone on June 28, 1947. 

The show involved concealed cameras filming ordinary people being confronted with unusual situations, sometimes involving trick props, such as a desk with drawers that pop open when one is closed or a car with a hidden extra gas tank. When the joke was revealed, victims were told the show's catchphrase, "Smile, you're on Candid Camera." The catchphrase became a song with music and lyrics by Sid Ramin.

In 1962 the Candid Camera team decided to have some fun at a lunch counter in Manhattan. They tampered with the straws provided when customers ordered a soda and placed a plug in the middle of each straw. Then they just watched the fun as customers struggled to enjoy their drinks.

Enjoy!