Richard Alva Cavett is an American television personality, comedian and former talk show host notable for his conversational style and in-depth discussions. He appeared regularly on nationally broadcast television in the United States in five consecutive decades, the 1960s through the 2000s.
In later years, Cavett wrote a column for the online New York Times, promoted DVDs of his former shows as well as a book of his Times columns, and hosted replays of his TV interviews with Salvador Dalí, Groucho Marx, Katharine Hepburn, Judy Garland, Marlon Brando, Ingmar Bergman, Jean-Luc Godard, John Lennon, Richard Burton and others on Turner Classic Movies.
Wikipedia
“But as long as people will accept crap, it will be financially profitable to dispense it.”
"Playboy Interview: Dick Cavett", Playboy, March 1971, vol. 18, no. 3, p. 70
Context: I don't think you could say now that ABC is crasser than the other two networks. But as long as people will accept crap, it will be financially profitable to dispense it. It becomes an ever-descending spiral.
“Why don't you fold it five ways and put it where the moon don't shine.”
In response to Norman Mailer's remark: "Why don't you just read the next question on your card there?" — on The Dick Cavett Show (2 December 1971) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8m9vDRe8fw
“It's a wonderful job for people who have never had a nervous breakdown but always wanted one.”
On hosting a talk show, "Playboy Interview: Dick Cavett", Playboy, March 1971, vol. 18, no. 3, p. 72
Cavett http://books.google.com/books?id=CE4NAQAAMAAJ&q=%22You+can+after+all+reduce+the+reasons+for+watching+TV+to+but+two+to+be+lulled+and+to+be+stimulated+Some+people+do+one+sometimes+the+other+sometimes+Some+people+do+all+of+one+or+all+of+the+other%22&pg=PA331#v=onepage, co-authored with Christopher Porterfield (1974)
Excerpted in New York magazine July 22, 1974 http://books.google.com/books?id=kekCAAAAMBAJ&q=%22You+can+after+all+reduce+the+reasons+for+watching+TV+to%22+%22two+to+be+lulled+and+to+be+stimulated+Some+people+do+one+sometimes+the+other+sometimes+Some+people+do+all+of+one+or+all+of+the+other%22&pg=PA34#v=onepage
“There's so much comedy on television. Does that cause comedy in the streets?”
Mocking the TV-violence debate, as quoted in Life, Vol. 18 (1995), p. 8 http://books.google.com/books?id=bNcxAQAAIAAJ&q=%22There's+so+much+comedy+on+television.+Does+that+cause+comedy+in+the+streets?%22&dq=%22There's+so+much+comedy+on+television.+Does+that+cause+comedy+in+the+streets?%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=I23qTvzhLsWgtwfNmJCUCg&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAA
