Fans of 70s-era game shows will remember Richard Dawson, the original host of “Family Feud.” In addition to being the quintessential game show host, Dawson was also famous for giving all of his female contestants a smooch smack-dab on the lips. Every single one of them. In a new book, “Outrageous: A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars,” author Kliph Nesteroff says all this kissing didn’t happen without hygiene and safety being taken into consideration. Nesteroff says his research shows that each contestant on “Family Feud,” male and female, had to undergo a “mouth test with a magnifying glass,” or a “herpes test,” to make sure the beloved host wasn’t going to get an infection from one of them…and, in turn, pass it along to someone else.
Source: NY Post