Talk:Flip Wilson

Photo request
I'm disappointed the article has virtually no information about the subject from 1975-1985. Aren't there any article-writers out there who know the story of Flip Wilson? I thought I heard there was a major family issue in his life that was the prime factor in the abrupt drop-off in his career, but I have forgotten the facts of the story. I had hoped to read it at wikipedia. Flip was television's #1 personality in 1970 with the nation's hottest show, one that temporarily left programming chiefs at other networks with an hour every week for which they had no idea how to program. By 1975, Flip Wilson was invisible. Something happened. Unlike a Nicole Richie-type or other out-of-nowhere celebrity, for whom complete disappearance from the public stage within a few years after 15 minutes of fame could be completely believable, Flip Wilson had, as the article pointed out, a high-profile career before his TV variety show. When it finally wore out it's welcome, the evolution of Flip Wilson into a non-celebrity was a surprise. One would imagine there might be a story behind that. 76.209.175.14 19:34, 10 February 2007 (UTC)


 * It does finish up like "and then he lost his TV show, and no one cared, and later he died." I'm sure someone could expand on this.PurpleChez 15:16, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

I read an interview with him which gave the impression he didn't want to be in show business any more. I don't remember the year, and it may be he simply wanted to take a break, be out of the public eye for a while, then decided to come back a few years later. Then maybe he wanted to take a break out of the public eye for a few more years, then came back briefly. Wanting to be with his family, and his cancer, seem like adequate reasons. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.9.112.31 (talk) 17:06, 9 July 2012 (UTC)

Categories
Shouldn't this be included in the "African American comedians" category? As a white kid growing up in rural Indiana, I see Flip Wilson being one of the key bridges between Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor. I'm not an expert on comedy, but I'm just giving my impression as a boomer laughing my way through the conflicts of the 50s, 60s, and 70s through the lens of TV. Mulp (talk) 17:35, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Custody Date Mistake
Must be a mistake about the date he won custody of his children. Should presumably be after the divorce, not in the same year as the marriage. Shanen (talk) 02:21, 26 November 2010 (UTC)

Flip Wilson's TV Show needs correction
Flip Wilson was one of the best comedians of all time in my opinion. Everything he did was so much fun and he did it without a lot of vulgarity. He was not, however, the first African American to host his own variety show. That would have been Nat King Cole back in the mid 50s. Says so right on his wikipedia page. Both shows and both men were fantastic entertainers and my props to them. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.46.96.42 (talk) 15:32, 4 February 2011 (UTC)

In Popular Culture...
The term "What You See is WHat Get" was also used by the R&B group "The Dramatics" as the title and the theme of their hit single in 1971A.D. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.86.111.161 (talk) 12:14, 31 March 2012 (UTC)

Cocaine????
He made headlines in 1981 when he was dropped from a Seven-Up advertising campaign after he was arrested and charged with possession of a small amount of cocaine. He returned to television in 1984 as the host of a revival of the old Art Linkletter show, People Are Funny and, in 1985, he costarred with Gladys Knight in a situation comedy for CBS calledCharlie and Company. Neither show matched the success of his earlier program. ttp://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/26/nyregion/flip-wilson-64-over-the-top-comic-and-tv-host-dies.html?pagewanted=3&src=pm Should it be included??? While think he only paid a fine on the bust, his glowing obit concedes his career too a hit.User:JCHeverly 17:16, 13 September 2013 (UTC)

Freemasonry
"In several photographs, Flip Wilson is seen wearing a Masonic ring. He was definitely a Freemason."

Correction - he was definitely wearing a Masonic ring. Beyond that, proof of membership is lacking. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 162.157.161.177 (talk) 01:39, 21 April 2014 (UTC)
 * That material has been removed from the article, as it is unsourced original research BMK (talk) 02:13, 21 April 2014 (UTC)

filmography
Can this article get a proper Flip Wilson filmography? NotPeterParker (talk) 00:21, 26 September 2023 (UTC)