The Morton Downey Jr. Show: AIDS (1988)

Guests include Morton's brother, Tony Downey who is an AIDS patient.

[@charlietriana9448]

Mort was a genius. His show may have been tabloid but it was provocative. It was touching and it was informative. It was ahead of its time. His brother was a courageous man.

[@randycunningham7318]

It was all BS.

[@charlietriana9448]

@@randycunningham7318 okay?

[@chocolatetownforever7537]

It was interesting TV. Very different from anything on at the time.

[@kingporter67]

Excellent AIDS topic on the Morton Downey Jr. Show!!

[@thatgirl9759]

Anthony Downey died 12/1/94, six years after this show aired. ❤

[@goldcanyon340.]

That is very sad. I was not aware know that was the date it happened. I’m proud to help carry on his legacy by posting this; he was a kind soul & had a lot to offer to all of us❤️

[@thatgirl9759]

@@goldcanyon340. Thanks for uploading these videos!!!

[@brooke8567]

Pole smoker

[@thatgirl9759]

@@brooke8567 Yes, your grandmother is.

[@mego73]

A lot longer than I would have believed..

[@BigBlack81]

Gold. Please keep posting.

[@pfcwar5150]

$1500 in 1988 is worth $3975 now

[@Jamestele1]

It should be criminal for an already existing drug like that.

[@nastarwarrior]

You gotta have a smoke while you're watching Mort.

[@BigBlack81]

And a drink.

[@goldcanyon340.]

So true, lol

[@chocolatetownforever7537]

Should be the highest rated comment for this video. Period.

[@claytonbouldin9381]

This show was tabloid tv, but did have moments that overcame that stigma.

[@DudemanSwede]

That moustsche dude knew his sh*t!

[@jaybae8056]

yezzo died of a heart attack 11 june 1998

[@CYOnTheBeat]

Thank you for the uploads

[@goldcanyon340.]

Absolutely!

[@maryannrobb6408]

I was going through a divorce from a cheating husband and I just had a baby. I watched Mort faithfully, and got me through the bad times...😎

[@johnbowen35]

At the end of the day, Morton Downey Jr was a good man, a husband, a father, and as we see here, a loving brother. I have nothing but respect for him. He truly stands by what he believes in, he's not acting. The man had integrity and compassion for others. I don't agree with the lifestyle of being gay, nor am I qualified or empowered to pass judgement on anyone, for anything, I hate to see these men and others suffer with this disease, and the effects it has on them and their families. And most importantly, this is Morton Downey, presenting a show, and a subject so taboo ot those times, all in an effort to try to save his brothers life, that's epic imo. I wasn't alive in the 80s, but as I watch this vid, it's clear that this show was a dramatic departure from Mortons other shows. He just loves his brother, and doesn't want him to die....

[@MrShobar]

To which one of his four wives was he a good husband?

[@624radicalham]

If you weren't alive in the 80s and are not from that generation, why do you call being a gay a "lifestyle"? And why don't you answer your responses?

[@caisearbhan4738]

Wow, this discussion featured some seriously honest dialogue. Both medical speakers offered truly insightful perspectives that are particularly impressive considering the era of panic and misinformation in which this was recorded.

[@goldcanyon340.]

So true. It is as relevant today, as it was then.

[@brandon1351]

Tony on the mega defensive with AZT can see the "oh $hit, I'm dead"

[@charlesfranklinlambeth3944]

Well those AIDS/HIV deniers, who did make fools of themselves, were right about AZT.

[@Clickclocklovelock]

Wow thanks so much for posting, didn't think I'd get to see this episode! Was this ever aired on public TV? I heard they decided not to broadcast this one.

[@goldcanyon340.]

No it wasn’t public tv, just regular syndication.

[@vincentmurphy9252]

Great show of course it was wild but 80s-90s were awesome

[@paktype]

The theme song was the best part of the show

[@donaldbermudez7771]

Props to the jersey/new york dude who pointed out the huge, still existing, AIDS problems in African that was really never a 'gay problem' like it was in America.

[@displayfireworks]

If what I read is correct his brother died 8 years later in December 1994 at age 59

[@Mr.Majestic77]

I always thought that the late Morton Downey Jr. and Robert Downey Jr. were related.

[@nzelver559]

Nope

[@goldcanyon340.]

I myself actually wondered that too. Until i came to the realization that Robert’s father was Robert Downey Sr & Morton’s father was Morton Downey Sr lol

[@brooke8567]

The fact that each one has a Jr at the end of their name suggests otherwise. Jr. means they are named after their father. Get it?😂

[@MrShobar]

No.

[@daverindone655]

No, it's Morton Salt.

[@knowpassword]

Talk about a trip back in time..

[@baberuth2863]

love mort

[@johnercalisanga5300]

This is a great Video for self-awareness for people who were into Sexual activities and yet this video is gold and an Icon, but truthfully this is sad for people who have experienced this disease, especially for the Gay people must be aware of this too🙁😐.

[@goldcanyon340.]

Well said. Thanks for watching!

[@ryanrose1565]

Does morton downey jr ever stop smoking. How unprofessional. I have ben hiv for over forty years.

[@MikeTrujillo-fd2fn]

Morton smoked 🚬 too much! 💀

[@MikeTrujillo-fd2fn]

These 2 brothers are both gone? 💀💀

[@goldcanyon340.]

Unfortunately that is true.

[@JohnSanJuan-zp1ed]

A lots of People died of AIDS! I remembered that epidemic! Silent one!

[@JohnSanJuan-zp1ed]

It was Sad Reality.

[@chocolatetownforever7537]

I once pitched while Tony caught it back in 1983. Thankfully I made it.

[@spokentruth5909]

Huh

[@ChrisOhMy]

@@spokentruth5909 This guy says he banged Tony

[@thatgirl9759]

Peter Duesberg contributed to helping lead a lot of people go to an early grave. Horrible person!

[@dickvandickweed]

💯

[@spokentruth5909]

He’s still alive too

[@RyanKeriger-qt2pq]

I don't know if anyone else here was in Grade school like me in the late 80s, but I remember everyone was scared of it, (the parents and society I mean us kids didn't really give two shits about it, besides teasing or name calling someone like, "That you stink/ there dirty and have AIDS for example) I'm mean AIDS panic was a thing, and because of it directly, (my poor teacher Ms Allen said so because she was constantly being harassed by parents as to why she was teaching 9 and 10 year olds about sex) I remember we were taught the majority of sex education at 4th grade, when normally the curriculum is for 6th and 7th graders

[@ronfroehlich4697]

I was still in grade school in the late 80's and I remember the fear mongering ramping up to it's peak in the early 90's. By the mid 90's it was becoming noticable that heterosexuals who didn't shoot drugs with needles or have sex with needle using drug abusers didn't get HIV. People my age were a thousand times more afraid of accidental pregnancy than they were of HIV/AIDS when we became sexually active.

[@robertsquared2916]

I was 11 yrs old in 1985, Gay guy on my block was the first person to have AIDS in my town, he went on ABC news to talk about it. He had to go to the Hospital EMS showed up in Haz Mat suits, Police shut the whole block down we were so scared, crazy times.

[@konstantinkoverchenko9587]

I wonder what Mort would say about Magic’s fake hiv?

[@goldcanyon340.]

Right! It’s too bad Morton’s show was already cancelled by then.

[@OctavioDelgado-ft8rd]

Whatever happened to this guy

[@nazur72]

He died of Lung Cancer.

[@snapperhead273]

audio is too low.

[@bhall4996]

Sorry. Digital recording wasnt invented yet on vhs

[@DeadBeatShitHead]

Everyone should look up Dr Robert Willner . Deadly deception is the name of the book.

[@c.d.8975]

Mort did a great job hiding the fact he was bisexual

The host looks like he was in the Rat Pack

[@DavidGibson-vt6rk]

Morton and Tony's father was a famous opera singer and actor in the 30's with Warner Bros/ Vitaphone short subjects

[@Stereostupid]

I grew up with Morton!