Politically Correct in 1957

April 4, 2014 — Arizona, Chiracahua Apache, Groucho Marx, Niño Cochise

I grew up in the 1950’s watching You Bet Your Life on our big black and white TV.  When I see this episode I am shocked that Chiricahua Apache Chief, Niño Cochise was a contestant on the show.  The jokes made at his expense by Groucho were equalled later in the show with his comments to an overweight woman in the contest.  Our prejudices may have remained active, but nobody would publicly joke in such racist and chauvinist ways in 2014.  Niño Cochise used sit at the Wilcox visitor center and to greet tourists when I moved to Arizona in the 1970’s.  He is buried in Tombstone in the old cemetery.  It is odd to see him in a business suit answering quiz questions while he is the Chief of the tribe.  Times have changed.