Trama

Johnny suggests ideas to conserve water. Suzanne Pleshette (The Bob Newhart Show (1972)); Dr. Paul Ehrlich (book "The Race Bomb"); Tom Snyder (The Tomorrow Show (1973)).

Johnny discusses the pinched nerve that kept him off the show for two weeks, and all the unsolicited medical advice he received. He then reads suggestions for water conservation from an ad that appeared in local newspapers, and also provides some additional ideas. Suzanne Pleshette talks about falling off a ladder in her kitchen, which kept her at home for several days, and she and Johnny discuss their daytime viewing habits; she goes on to the topic of her usual avoidance of the kitchen, and her husband's very basic tastes, which leads Johnny to discuss his steadfast dislike of liver and broccoli. She says that because her husband doesn't like flying, they once took a train from New York to Chicago to avoid a series of connecting flights. During the ride there was a tornado warning which unnerved her, and they spent the night in a Chicago hotel during a thunderstorm without their luggage, which had been sent ahead, and had to order room service wearing their raincoats. Johnny then comments on her habit of sketching and writing down her daily observations. Tom Snyder, host of the Tomorrow Show, in the same studio, talks about the dream he had about coming on the Tonight Show. In the dream, Johnny had asked whether Tom had his car there, because he wanted to do the interview in the car - a 1956 Ford convertible. Johnny then talks about typical dreams that performers have about being in the wrong play or having nothing to say. Snyder comments on moving his show back from New York, and responds to criticisms of his style and demeanor, and an urban myth about a past on-air flub. He also comments on the fact that his show's offices aren't on the studio lot due to lack of space, and talks about his interview with Governor Jerry Brown the previous night. Stanford professor Dr. Paul Ehrlich discusses his new book "The Race Bomb", and topics including population control and racial biases; he notes that racial classifications in Brazil are largely dependent upon economic status, regardless of skin color. Johnny notes Andrew Young's recent suggestion that the last four presidents were racist, which he later amended, and comments on the impact of charges of racism. Ehrlich comments on the history of ethnic biases regarding intelligence on immigration policy, and the inaccuracy of IQ tests in measuring intelligence and other positive qualities. Johnny then jokes about being irritated by the phrase "why Johnny can't read" and similar variations, and Ehrlich reads two hypothetical cultural questions for an IQ test that would stump white test subjects.