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forthegothicheroine · 3 years

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The King in Yellow, 1949

Much of this story is true. Warnings in the tags.

When I had pneumonia in my early teens, my mother brought home an armful of VHS tapes from the library to alleviate my misery. Knowing my snobbish preferences, she had grabbed copies of whatever she found in black and white. I remember something musical that I suspect was Busby Berkeley, I remember Mildred Pierce (a bad choice, as it turned out- the plot includes a young girl dying of pneumonia), and I remember a period piece called The King. I faded in and out of consciousness while I watched it, but it soothed me while I was awake and filled my fever dreams with sparkling images. I could never find it at the library again, nor at Hollywood Video or even early Netflix (once my father got the subscription service where you could order practically every DVD.) It was a bit odd that it seemed to be so obscure, given that it starred old Hollywood legend Ingrid Bergman (and, although I initially forgot it, Marlene Dietrich.) But even big stars make films that fall by the wayside in public memory, and it seemed that this was one of them. Google was no help, and at the time that was that.

I didn’t see the film again until I was watching Turner Classic Movies at my grandparents’ house. I loved watching that channel with them while filling out the crossword puzzle that came in their little TCM catalogue (all of it based on movie trivia, the only kind of crossword puzzle I’ve ever been any good at.) I recognized a certain scene where Bergman stood on a balcony, looking sadly at the moon. Her face had an expression of unutterable melancholy, and the crescent moon reflected in each of her eyes, giving the impression of two moons in one sky. I had very little time to catch up on what I’d missed before we had to go meet my cousins at the local Italian restaurant. I knew logically that the movie would be long over by the time we returned, but I turned on the channel anyway. Of course it had moved on to the lesser known Alfred Hitchcock film Stage Fright, but then I heard Marlene Dietrich sing before I could reach the remote to turn the tv off in disappointment. I knew that I had heard her sing before, and I knew it had been in The King.

Dietrich’s singing often comes across as somewhat campy today, with its Rs pronounced as Ws and it’s up-and-down tone. Madeline Kahn parodied it brilliantly in Blazing Saddles, such that it was a bit of a disappointment when I finally saw Dietrich’s western Destry Rides Again and found it to be lifeless and inconsistent next to the parody. Still, we remember her voice for a reason, and when I remembered it that night, I knew that its sardonic loneliness had rung through The King and made me shiver in my dreams.

The TCM schedule didn’t list The King in its time slot, but something else. If I had taken down the name, maybe it would have helped me find it. Sometimes the same movie runs under multiple names.

I didn’t see the film all the way through for many years, after I graduated college. I had found a web page that listed public domain film noir, including one called The Masked Guest. The website described it as a costume noir, and I curiously clicked on the link. Once I took in the credits running on the youtube window, my eyes grew wide and I did not move from my place on the bed until the movie had run its course.

The credits did indeed list it as The Masked Guest, but I recognized the strange repeating design on the title cards. They told me that in addition to starring Dietrich and Bergman, it was directed by Fritz Lang, and a character called The King was credited to “???” (I hadn’t seen that kind of credit since the first Karloff Frankenstein.) When the King finally appears on screen, though, it is unmistakably Orson Welles’s voice that booms out from behind his elaborate costume.

Here are the things I understand about The King, or The Masked Guest, or The Man in Yellow, or any other title I’ve found for it on public domain archive searches. Dietrich and Bergman play princesses named Cassilda and Camilla, respectively. Though Dietrich’s accent is German and Bergman’s is Swedish, they blend together to give the film the impression of being set somewhere on the map that I can’t quite find. The scenery and camera angles are very Freudian, with a great deal of archways and pillars.

The first act of The King involves frankly dull romantic plotlines, and the only thing that really saved it was the feeling that the suitors were supposed to be insipid, a suspicion lended credence by the fact that the love interests were listed so low on the credits. Dietrich is the scandalous sister and Bergman is the responsible one, though each takes on aspects of the other as the film goes on. Dietrich sings her song at a party, dressed in a fake 17th century gown and leaning against a piano. Although just a moment ago she had been laughing and joking with her gentleman friends, her song takes an abruptly serious tone (not seductive, not sentimental) as she tells the story of a city lost to time and memory. Bergman slips away from the party and onto the balcony, where we see that wonderful shot of the moon in her eyes. Is she mourning? Is she longing?

Dietrich cuts off the song by abruptly screaming “Not on us, King! Not on us!” She flees the party weeping and shaking, and from there on the film goes mad.

Though uncommon, it is not unknown for movies to switch between black and white and color, done most famously in The Wizard of Oz. The film The King recalls here is the silent Phantom of the Opera, which had a masqued ball scene tinted in shades of red and green that tried to provide a whole spectrum of color. The effect is even odder in the masqued ball scene in The King- the only color that appears is yellow, highlighting things like candlelight, Dietrich’s hair, a passing gown, a vase of tulips. It also highlights one particular masked figure, whose expressionless mask was decorated with a black pattern against a sickening yellow canvas- the same pattern I had seen in the opening credits. The color of his costume causes him to stand out from the crown even when he is far off in the background, just one head among many others. It must have taken long and painstaking hours of work to color in every frame.

Dietrich still seems broken up days after her song, though Bergman tries to coax her into joining the dance. Finally, at midnight, Dietrich goes out to face the party, but only to demand that every guest remove their mask. The yellow man with a voice that once warned America about a Martian invasion tells her that he wears no mask. Bergman reacts with disbelief, but Dietrich starts laughing like a woman unhinged. As she laughs, the yellow hue seeps out of the King’s clothing and face- if that really is his face- and begins to color the entire ballroom crowd. I think that what follows is bloodshed, but if there is any carnage (doubtful under the Production Code censorship), the blood must be tainted yellow and splashed across the camera like daubs of paint. Dietrich’s laughing face is doubled and tripled on screen until it dissipates, but even when it has faded offscreen, it feels as if her ghost continues to watch the proceedings.

By the end of the scene (filled with German Expressionist camera angles and mad violin screeching), only Bergman remains alive, cowering behind a grandfather clock. It does not hide her for long. The King steps towards her and extends his hand. Reluctantly, but with a fatalistic expression, Bergman takes his hand. They walk away together hand in hand. The screen shifts back into black and white, and then the credits roll before we can get a good look at all the bodies in the scene. The credits say it was based on a play called The King in Yellow, although Raymond Chandler of all people apparently had a hand in the screenplay.

As I said, that’s what I think I understand. It’s an oddly experimental art film for the era, and it may be awaiting rediscovery by the film festival crowd. I feel as if I alone know about it, though that obviously isn’t true. It is my little secret; I tell myself that my husband doesn’t need me to show it to him, it would be too odd for his taste. I’ve rewatched it many times, even if it seems like each time I search for it I have to find a different video platform or torrent. Naturally, no subscription site has it available. Maybe I am the last person who will ever watch it. Maybe no one will ever think to look for it again after me, and it will be completely forgotten.

When I was hospitalized, they let me use my laptop at night before I went to sleep (no power cord, though, in case I tried to hang myself.) I found a youtube link for The Man in Yellow, and I watched it every night. It wasn’t a soothing sort of movie, but having it in my mind all day and then watching it in the evening allowed me to think as opposed to crying endlessly while the other patients shot me awkward looks. I clutched the childhood stuffed animals my mother brought me when she visited, and I always held them extra tight when the masquerade scene started.

I watched the movie when I had to move away from my beloved San Francisco. I watched the movie when I lost the last of my grandparents. I watched the movie when a doctor unwisely took me off my medication and I couldn’t manage to eat for a month. I watched the movie when the whole world got sick and we all locked ourselves away from each other. I don’t mind that I don’t entirely know what it means. I don’t mind the nightmares. In the hospital they kept telling us about mindfulness exercises, and maybe the fact that I can focus on every aspect of the film so closely that all else falls away is the reason I keep coming back to it. I’m being mindful. I’m not letting any stray thoughts invade my head. I’m just watching and waiting for the next beat of every scene, leading inexorably to that yellow-stained bloodbath.

Streaming media doesn’t last forever, and each time I find The King, I worry that it will be the last time I ever can find it. My efforts to download it have so far been unsuccessful, odd considering that it is in the public domain.

When I watch The King, I am once again a child in my bedroom being cared for in the throes of agonizing sickness. I am once again sitting on the couch with my grandparents in front of the tv, both of them alive and lucid again. I am once again in the hospital, all alone except for my stuffed animals and the staff trying to keep me alive. The film reflects in my eyes like the crescent moon in Ingrid Bergman’s gaze. It sings to me.

I am determined to find a way to obtain The King under any name so that I never have to worry about losing it. During some of the worst times in my life, it is the only thing that has kept me sane.

#the king in yellow #cw mental illness #cw disordered eating #cw institutionalization #cw suicide

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kevrocksicehouse · 3 years

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Marlene Dietrich, protean Femme Fatale, would have been 119 today. A few of her films:

Lola Lola in The Blue Angel. D: Josef von Sternberg (1930). A strict professor (Emil Jannings) at a German prep school, enraged that his students are frequenting a nightclub to see an erotic cabaret performer goes to the club to catch them only to find himself intrigued, then attracted to, and finally insanely obsessed with, a coarse, unsentimental beauty singing “Falling in Love Again” as though romance and longing were jokes the heart played on itself. It is the downfall of a respectable man and the rise of a star who disdained respectability itself.

Frenchy in Destry Rides Again. D: George Marshall (1939). Dietrich sent up her femme fatale image as a saloon singer and card cheat (a man who literally bets, than loses his clothes, says “Frenchy, think of my position.I’ve met every king in Europe!” “Now you’ve met two aces in Bottleneck. Off with your pants.”) in this semi-satiric Western set in a town where the main industry is in starting bar fights. She sings “See What the Boys in the Back Room Will Have,” gets into an epic catfight with Mr. Panstless’s wife, and engages in repartee and romance with the new sherriff’s deputy (Jimmy Stewart, who’s pretty droll himself). When thirty-three years later, Mel Brooks and Madeline Kahn wanted to send up this movie, they had to turn it into a Borscht Belt routine.

Tanya in Touch of Evil. D: Orson Welles (1958). Welles used Dietrich as a magic assistant on USO tours and her presence as a fortune telling madam in this jazzy noir classic was obviously meant as a friendly expanded cameo. That her scenes have some of the most quotable lines (“You’re a mess baby” she tells his fat, corrupt and ruined cop “You’ve been eating too much candy”) and are the most casually moving in the movie, is what we talk about when we talk about star quality.

#marlene dietrich #the blue angel #destry rides again #touch of evil #kevrock

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maybeginny · 5 years

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TeamStarKid Descriptions

TeamStarKid: a bunch of thirty-ish year olds acting like children by making fun of other franchises but they're on a stage and they’re hilarious

Members (not all, but a lot, of them):

Nico Ager, Julia Albain, Rachael D. Albert, Chris Allen, Nick Anderson, Joel Arnold, Julie Ballard, Clark Baxtresser, Jaime Lyn Beatty, Jeff Blim, Mary Clare Blake Booth, Michael Bou-Maroun, Pat Brady, Cory Braun, Adam Brunetti, Tyler Brunsman, Mike Burke, Jamie Burns, Richard Campbell, Joe Carroll, Phil Chester, Amalea Chininis, Kavin Chung, Britney Coleman, Mason Cormie, Brant Cox, Darren Criss, Sam Crittenden, Matt Dahan, Corey Davis, Drew DeFour, Kevin DeKimpe, Denise Donovan, Corey Dorris, Jess Dumbroff, Ilana Elroi, Jason Emmendorfer, Erdem Ertal, Max Evarard, Mariah Rose Faith, Elona Finlay, Justin Fischer, Josh Fleury, Andrew Fox, Scott Fussey, Paul Gabriel, Nick Gage, Matt Glenn, Arielle Goldman, Ali Gordon, Gordon Granger, Lisa Griebel, Hayley Hanway, Samara Harand, Michael Hart, Andrew Hill, Jeff Himes, Brian Holden, AJ Holmes, Justin Hong, Jade Ingardona, Sam Johnides, Marta Johnson, Nick Kabat, Eric Kahn Gale, Max Kaufman, Proma Kholsa, Jon Jackson, Bob Joles, Craig Kidwell, Bruce Kiesling, Angela F. Kiessel, Justin Kono, Mike LaFond, Justin LaForte, Scott Lamps, Jen Lang, Matt Lang, Nick Lang, Mark LeGrand, Lauren Lopez, Chris Lorentz, Corey Lubowich, Evanna Lynch, Devin Lytle, Robert Manion, Jon Matteson, Lily Marks, Ryan McDiarmid, Lana McKinnon, Jama McMahon, Kaley McMahon, Curt Mega, Alle-Faye Monka, Joe Moses, Yonit Olshan, David Orlicz, Lauren Pais, Alex Paul, Devon Perry, Sarah Petty, Eric Pidluski, Tony Pisaneschi, Madeline Platt, Amy Plouff, Jim Povolo, Ryan Proch, Carolyn Reich, Corey Richardson, Joey Richter, Molly Rife, Claire Roche, Josh Romero, Brian Rosenthal, Cami Ross, June Saito, Jacob Saleh, Lena Sands, Dylan Saunders, Matt Script, Pierce Siebers, Christopher Smith, Teia Smith, Bonnie Socha (née Gruesen), Rachael Soglin, Miles Spagnola, Katie Spelman, Mike Sportiello, Meredith Stepien, Taylor Stanton, Jack Stratton, Nicholas Joseph Strauss-Matathia, Emily Stromberg, Ruby Summers, Jade Svenson, Mark Swiderski, Sango Tajima, Emily Thomas, James Tolbert, Anna Troiano, Ronnie Vail, Carlos Valdes, Meryl Waldo, Joe Walker, Lauren Walker, Russ Walko, Andy Warren, Kim Whalen, Liam White, Tiffany Williams, Clara Wong, & Marguerite Woodward

*this list most likely does not include all of the StarKids

Productions:

Little White Lie: a YouTube show about bands but Duder's a spy

A Very Potter Musical: Harry Potter but Harry is an ass, Ron is a jerk in love, Hermione is bullied, and Voldemort is hot and in love in Quirrel

Me and My Dick: Joey Richter plays a sex-crazed version of himself but it's a musical with singing dicks and vaginas

A Very Potter Sequel: Harry Potter but they go back in time and the actor who played Voldemort in the first one plays a chubby little fuck but is still hot

Starship: the little mermaid but with bugs and in space

Holy Musical B@man!: Batman but Dylan Saunders' voice fucking slays and instead of the Joker they have Sweet Tooth who makes a lot of candy puns

A Very Potter Senior Year: Harry Potter but Harry is even more of an ass, Voldemort is even hotter, and you will cry

Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier: Wicked but for Ja'far and Aladdin is a dick

ANI: A Parody: Star Wars but the villains are the heroes, Darth Vador is not threatening, Tarkin is in love with a stormtrooper, Jar Jar is lovable, and they pod race again

The Trail to Oregon!: the game but the characters are named by the audience and they are all idiots

Firebringer: cave people but with revolutions, love, and fucking awesome choreography

The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals: a musical about a guy who doesn't like musicals but a meteor crashes in his town that turns everything into a musical

Black Friday: a horror comedy commentary about capitalism and corruption but Dylan Saunders is BACK and fucking bops (i will add everyone who worked on this incredible musical to the list of StarKids as soon as i have time, sorry)

*this list does not include tours, concerts, reunions, The Harder They Fall, Hobbit, Hobbit 2, Yes, I am Afraid of the Dark!, 1 Night 2 Last 3 Ever, Airport for Birds, Movies, Musicals, & Me or their YouTube Short Comedy Sketches for the sake of simplicity

Tin Can Bros: a separate but similar theater company created by a few StarKids but they are still StarKids

Members:

Corey Lubowich, Joey Richter, Brian Rosenthal

Productions:

Spies are Forever: a musical about spies but they say the word spies way too many times and the plot twist will smack you and call you a bitch

The Solve It Squad Returns: Scooby Doo but they avoid copy-right infringement by changing all of the names and they are aged-up and depressed

*this list does not include Alive! On Stage!, Seriously Not a Joke, We Didn’t Plan to Kill Our Guest, Idle Worship, Flop Stoppers, Wayward Guide, Choose Our Destiny, or their YouTube Short Comedy Sketches for the sake of simplicity

If I forgot or am wrong about something, please let me know so I can fix it

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justanothercinemaniac · 6 years

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Epic Movie (Re)Watch #239 - The Muppet Movie

Spoilers Below

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: No.

Format: DVD

1) The prologue.

How this film opens - with an assortment of Muppet characters getting together for a private viewing of The Muppet Movie - does well to establish tone. It’s pretty much the filmmakers telling the audience, “You don’t need to take this too seriously, it’s just a fun movie.” It reintroduces us to The Muppets who we know but in a way where this could be someone’s first Muppet film and you understand the role of each character. Not only that, but Kermit’s response to Robin’s question of if this is how the Muppets actually met enhances the meta tone.

Kermit: “Well it’s sort of approximately how it happened.”

2) “Rainbow Connection”

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“Rainbow Connection” might be up there with “It’s Not Easy Being Green” as the song most associated with The Muppets, and there’s a reason for it. The song is timeless, fitting in during any era (much like the characters themselves). It is a beautiful, optimistic, and imaginative song that not only sets up Kermit’s character well but the theme of the film. It has that daydreamer element that The Muppets are essentially founded on. If you haven’t heard it before I recommend taking a listen.

3) When I was young I had no idea who all these celebrities were or that they were celebrities. Now that I’m older I can notice them in what I call “Cameo Watch!” Like this first cameo. CAMEO WATCH: Dom Deluise

4) This film has an incredibly sharp wit to it shown through its dialogue, humor, and characters.

Dom Deluise: “I have lost my sense of direction.” Kermit: “Have you tried Harry Krishna?”

5) Kermit the Frog as a character.

Okay, let me just say, it feels really weird to talk about The Muppets as characters. Because it’s hard to think of them as characters being written. They’re The Muppets! They’re Kermit and Fozzie and Ms. Piggy and they just are themselves. This mere challenge speaks wonders to the consistency of writing and performance given by the Muppeteers. Kermit for example: Kermit is totally unselfish. His entire motivation for going to Hollywood isn’t fame/fortune on its own but the opportunity to make, “millions of people happy.” He’s a pretty down to earth, reasonable frog who tags along with a bunch of nut cases and does his best to reign in the insanity. He’s lovable, he’s sharp, he’s funny, he’s Kermit the Frog. I don’t know what else to say.

6) With the film’s budget Jim Henson wanted to really push the limitations of puppeteering. One of the most difficult effects (whose deceptively simple appearance speaks well to the talent of the filmmakers) is Kermit the Frog riding a bike. I don’t even know how they did that.

7) The El Sleazo Cafe is Kermit’s first stop on his road trip/odyssey of sorts. It’s an environment which A) he is not used to and B) kind of is his contrast. Yeah he’s from a dirty swamp but this is a different kind of dirty. This is mean people who like to fight, not Kermit. Seeing this frog out of water creates a nice energy to the scene and a first good stop on the film.

8) Cameo Watch: James Coburn, Madeline Kahn, Telly Salva, Carol Kane and Paul Williams all appear in the El Sleazo scene.

9) I feel like sometimes I’m Kermit.

Kermit [about Fozzie]: “This guy's lost.” Waiter: “Maybe he should try Hare Krishna.” Kermit: “Good grief, it’s a running gag.”

10) Fozzie Bear.

The Costello to Kermit’s Abbott, I struggle to talk about Fozzie in much the same way I did with Kermit. Because what is there to say? He’s a bit of a dork but a funny, good hearted/good natured one. He’s funny, his relationship with Kermit is one of the things that keeps the franchise going as strong as it does, I don’t know what else to say. He’s Fozzie Bear.

11) Something I will say it is a testament to these performers that each Muppet feels so naturally alive. You never look at any of them and think, “That’s a lifeless bit of felt.” Not only do the likes of Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, and the other Muppeteers do well at creating an individual character but distinguishing characters. These performers are working as multiple characters in a production and while older audiences might recognize the similarities in voices you don’t look at Rowlf the Dog and think, “Yep, that’s Kermit,” or at Miss Piggy and think, “Yep, that’s Fozzie.” They’re legends and it’s no mystery why.

12) Doc Hopper is actually an excellent villain for The Muppets to face off against.

The reason Doc Hopper is so effective is because he’s the total antithesis of The Muppets. He’s a greedy, conniving, insincere, manipulative sellout of a man. His dreams don’t involve making people happy they involve making himself rich and anything he can’t have he’ll destroy. Henson and crew - despite the success of The Muppets - were never doing anything because of the mainstream appeal. They had a ton of bizarre, unique, and wonderful flops under their belts (see: Labyrinth). It’s almost like Doc Hopper represents mainstream showbiz wanting them to sellout and the journey is about staying true to your dream. I love that.

13) “Movin’ Right Along”

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There’s not really a bad song in the film (although there is one I really just hate but that doesn’t mean it’s bad per say, more on that later). Although none are as praised as “Rainbow Connection”, “Movin’ Right Along” is an excellent second number. It has the same amount of hope and optimism to it that infects the film, with the idea of progress and moving forward at the heart of it. It’s a great buddy song for Kermit and Fozzie, with the same amount of wit and heart that the film prides itself on.

13.1) I’d be remised if I didn’t mention two of my favorite gags in the film. The fork in the road…

And a very special cameo.

14) Not that he cares, but wouldn’t Doc Hopper using Kermit’s likeness on a billboard without his permission illegal?

15) I’m a sucker for any movie that has a moment where a character reads the script for the movie.

16) “Can You Picture That?”

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In my opinion, this could possibly be the most underrated song in the Muppets’ musical canon. It stands up well against “Movin’ Right Along” and “Rainbow Connection” with its energy and positivity. Basically it’s a song about challenging your imagine and even though the lyrics can feel nonsensical that’s sort of the point. It’s about thinking of things, picturing unique things that might not make sense. But just because something doesn’t make sense doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it.

17) And disguising the car worked for a grand total of 7 seconds.

Max [after being told to look out for a frog and a bear in a brown colored Studebaker]: “Gee Doc, all I see are a frog and a bear in a rainbow colored Studebaker.”

18) Gonzo the Great.

It is like each character you meet in this film is increasingly crazy. Kermit, then Fozzie, then Dr. Teeth and his band, and now the personification of Muppet weirdness times ten: Gonzo! Gonzo is fun, funny, insane, and just perfectly random enough to give the group an extra oomph. There’s a chance this weirdo might be my favorite Muppet character! Maybe, maybe not. It’s hard to pick a favorite.

(GIF originally posted by @nostalgicgifs)

19) Cameo Watch: Milton Berle.

20) Cameo Watch: Elliott Gould.

Okay, I thought I remembered all the cameos but I 100% forgot about Gould’s appearance. It actually made me jump.

21) Cameo Watch: Ed Bergen.

This scene was shot shortly before the legendary puppeteer’s death in 1978. His appearance in the movie held particular weight for Jim Henson, as Bergen and his wooden sidekick (Charlie McCarthy) influenced his interest in puppetry. The film is dedicated in Bergen’s memory.

22) I low-key love that Miss Piggy wins a beauty pageant and no one really bats an eye at it. Take that conventional standards of feminine beauty!

23) “Never Before, Never Again”

God I hate this song. I usually skip it. It’s just so awkward and uncomfortable for me to watch, but I think that’s the point. I think it’s supposed to be funny, Frank Oz singing this sweeping love ballad as Miss Piggy. And it taking itself seriously is part of the joke but it is part of that seriousness which makes me hate it. I actually wrote in my notes, “Wake me when it’s over.” I think it’s objectively a good song and good part of the film, I just flat out don’t like it. The one weak link for me in this excellent picture.

24) Wait, is Ms. Piggy meant to be the Yoko Ono of The Muppets in this movie?

25) Cameo Watch: Bob Hope and Richard Pryor both show up at the county fair.

26) The scene where The Muppets chase down Gonzo on his balloons is a fun bit of fast pacing “action” to add to the film. It’s hard for a Muppet movie to have non-musical related set pieces but the balloon chase feels appropriately Muppety while being different enough to add some variety to the story.

27) Miss Piggy.

Miss Piggy is such a larger than life character and perhaps the character with the most to do in the series. She is a diva with aspirations of being famous, but she also knows characters and any time The Muppets need a fight scene they bring in Miss Piggy! As mentioned above, Frank Oz does a great job not only breathing life into the character but making her so different from Fozzie.

28) Cameo Watch: Steven Martin.

Steve Martin might do the most with his cameo. He is an over the top frustrated waiter, something anyone who’s ever worked in food service can relate to. Steve Martin is pretty much great in anything though.

29) The dinner date between Kermit and Miss Piggy is actually really nice, makes me understand why they date.

30) Rowlf the Dog.

Possibly the most interesting thing about Rowlf is how people have noted his personality matches Jim Henson’s the closest out of all of Henson’s characters. In recognition of this, Rowl didn’t speak in his film appearances for a while after Henson passed away. He’s a fun character already, but I think this detail adds a nice layer of heart to it.

31) “I Hope That Something Better Comes Along”

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In typical Muppet fashion, something as relatable and common as heartache is turned into an upbeat bar tune. It’s one of the nicest songs in the film and a real ear worm. It is also essentially Jim Henson singing with himself so take a moment to let that set in.

32) Cameo Watch: Mel Brooks.

Okay, Mel Brooks might do the most with HIS cameo. Brooks commits to the comedy and insanity of the performance just as he would in any of his own films (Blazing Saddles, Spaceballs) and it really adds a shot of energy to the scene. Brooks is so active, he does so many little things to add to his character/performance/comedy. I wonder how much of it was improv.

33) So I feel like the filmmakers didn’t know how to get from Miss Piggy ditching Kermit for a gig to Miss Piggy rejoining the group on the road, so they literally decided to stop the movie and let the audience breathe for a moment. I love that.

34) “I’m Going To Go Back There Someday”

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This is such a beautiful and bittersweet melody. It comes at the film’s low point, when the group thinks their dreams are done for. But the song is just so lovely it makes my heart warm. The lyrics are wonderful and I think it’s an amazing ballad. I love it.

35) Life lessons from Kermit the Frog.

Kermit: “I can’t spend my whole life running away from a bully.”

36) Oh quick, the film is almost over! Let’s get Bunsen and Beaker in at the end!

37) Kermit’s heartfelt plea, of choosing happiness over money and finding family/friends, is great. But Doc Hopper’s response to it is so sad.

Kermit: “If what I'm saying doesn't make any sense, well then... go ahead and kill me.” Doc Hopper [after a moment to think, reluctantly]: “All right boys. Kill him.”

38) Deus Ex Animal.

39) Cameo Watch: Cloris Leachmen.

40) Cameo Watch: Orson Welles.

Welles’ character’s name Lew Lord is actually a reference to real-life Producer Sir Lew Grade. When Jim Henson was trying to find a producer to make The Muppet Show, no American network was interested in the concept. Grade recognized the potential in the idea and helped make the show happen.

41) Ah, if only it were this easy.

Lew Lord: “Prepare the standard ‘Rich & Famous’ contract.”

42) The finale of this film, “Magic Store,” is a fun final number. It shows The Muppets have made it, they’re doing what they love. It’s the culmination of everything up to this point and even when things don’t go as they plan they’ll roll with it. And we’re given a great final message.

Kermit: “Life’s like a movie, write your own ending…” Muppets: “Keep believing, keep pretending; we've done just what we've set out to do, thanks to the lovers, the dreamers, and you!”

The Muppet Movie might still very well be the best film to feature the classic characters. It has their trademark heart, humor, and imagination all in top form. You can watch it at any time, it ages very well. So whether it’s your first or last time putting it in, I’d say give The Muppet Movie a watch.

#The Muppet Movie #The Muppets #Kermit the Frog #Jim Henson #Ms Piggy #Epic Movie (Re)Watch #The More You Know #Movie #Film #GIF

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thecineastes-blog · 7 years

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Grand Prix RPDR RuView: Material Gurlz (S06E06)

Dust off your vintage cone bra from the closet! For Grand Prix RPDR RuView, we’ll be giving you the overview of each episode, top moments of each episode, the shadiest moment of each episode, our favorite queen of the each episode, our least favorite queen of each episode, best looks on the runway, and our predictions for next week.

So the episode begins on a rather somber note. For the first time this season the lipstick farewell message was read aloud, Eureka’s was especially heartfelt. But all these warm feelings were cut short when Farrah asks Nina Bo’Nina a rather pointed question, “Do you even want to be here?” But before things could really get heated Shea defused the situation. Farrah’s question, however inappropriate for the moment is very valid. All we have heard from Nina is how she thinks people are trying to sabotage her.

One of the best moments of this season is Peppermint coming out as a Transgender Woman. I think Peppermint will be a great advocate for the Trans community. I am so happy she felt comfortable enough to live in her truth. Unlike instances in other seasons where a contestant has come out as Trans, this was taken more seriously and less for dramatic effect. Peppermint is a trans woman of color, who performs as a Drag Queen. She has spoken about how some Trans people are against Drag Queens and how some Drag Queens are combative with Trans people.

Now let’s get to what we have been waiting for this ENTIRE season (and no I don’t mean my intervention…) SNATCH GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! American Horror Story’s Dennis O’Hare and Drag legend Candis Cayne were the contestants on the show. I’m glad they chose some more animated guests, because the supermodels from last season were so boring.

Now I’ll just say this, Snatch Game has become the be all to end all for RPDR; this challenge separates the tops for the bottoms of the season. And most importantly, BE FUNNY! BUT just because someone bombs Snatch Game does not mean they will no win (Tyra Sanchez) and just because someone wins Snatch Game, does not mean they will even make it to top three (Tatianna and Stacy Layne Matthews).

So the queens (from best to worst):

Alexis Michelle as Liza Minnelli

I’m actually surprised that no one had never impersonated Liza before in all 9 nine seasons (and 2 All Stars Seasons) of the shows; though Mrs. Kasha Davis has said she would have done Liza for Snatch Game had she made it that far. Classically Liza is one of the major Gay icons that is rather shocking no one did yet (I’m still waiting for Judy Garland, Bette Midler, and Barbra Streisand). Alexis was definitely able to capture Liza’s funny manic personality. She was definitely one of the saving graces of the episode. I also recommend watching Liza Minnelli’s appearance on HSN from a few years that’s on YouTube.

Shea Couleé as Naomi Campbell

I was really hoping Shea was going to be Grace Jones. But Naomi is just as good! She was quick with the quips and had a great British accent. I just wished she threw that cellphone at someone! Now I want her and Raja (as Tyra Banks) to do some videos together.

Nina Bo’nina Brown as Jasmine Masters

It was rather fitting that Nina decided on RPDR alum Jasmine Masters. Nina was able to embody Jasmine’s dissonance and cold indifference. I hope the judges were able to see Nina in a different light after this episode.

Sashsa Velour as Marlene Dietrich

Sasha was very strong as Dietrich; she was able to give a funny, phony German accent (reminiscent of Madeline Kahn in Blazing Saddles). It would have nice to have some have some jokes about Marlene never having a German sausage she did not enjoy. And it is true, Teutonic Bisexuals do make the most forceful and unforgettable lovers.

Trinity Taylor as Amanda Lepore

Trinity did a good job as Amanda, but it was nothing groundbreaking. She asked where were Cynthia’s jokes...I wanted to ask Trinity the same thing.

Valentina as Miss Colombia

Valentina was humorous, even though the character was rather one note.

Aja as Alyssa Edwards

This was a swing and a miss. This seems to be the big unwritten rule of RPDR, DO NOT impersonate an alumni unless it is HILARIOUS; I think it was especially jarring since Nina as Jasmine Masters was so much more entertaining. I was hoping that Aja would have done Rosie Perez, or with the way, her makeup could have been Telenovela star, Itatí Cantoral. Itatí Cantoral would have been even that more overly dramatic and hilarious. Also, Aja’s second choice was Crystal LaBeija.

That would have been a great history lesson for everyone who is not aware of LaBeija, and how modern Ballroom culture owes so much to her.

Farrah Moan as Gigi Gorgeous

I had NO idea who Gigi was prior to this episode...and unfortunately, Farrah was dry as month old toast. There were no zingers, just a lot of her smiling and throwing makeup around.

Peppermint as Nene Leakes

As much as I love Peppermint, this was so hard to watch! Like in the earlier acting challenge, Pepper kept flubbing her lines. And We barely got ANY of Nene’s quips. This was a definite Xanadont.

Cynthia Lee Fontaine as Sofia Vergara

This is arguably the WORST Snatch Game performance in the show’s herstory. Cynthia was so scatterbrained; her long tangents were not funny, just torturous. I’m glad she was not called on much.

Fashion Over-Ru:

Category is Night of a 1,000 Madonnas-the sequel. I'm so glad they decided to do this runway again after #KimonoGate of the last season-although they technically had a celebrity inspired look in episode 1 with Lady Gaga. First up on the runway was Aja, in a look inspired by Madge’s Who’s That Gir Tour. It was kind of just a basic look, it lacked a lot of refinement and detail.

Also, I get that Aja doesn't (or rarely) pads or breasts, but I feel like she needed something to fill out the top portion of the dress-it looked a bit saggy and sad. Next up, Alexis Michelle as Breathless Mahoney from ‘Dick Tracey’. This look was flawless. Alexis can construct for the body, and she really looked identical to Madonna in that movie.

Twinsies? Next up was Peppermint as Madonna in ‘Material Girl’. I liked Peppermint’s gown and felt it was really true to the source material, but the hair made it too Marilyn Monroe. I would've gone for dirty blonde wig.

Next up was Shea Coulee...in the exact same look. Granted, Shea’s was more Shea- the black gloves and the jewels were different, also another platinum blonde Marilyn wig. These two looks were just okay. The next set of twins? Trinity and Nina Bo’Nina Brown Joan Hart, as Madonna a la the Met Gala circa 2013.

The pageboy dominatrix plaid no pants look (it was The Met Gala) was well executed by Trinity, very Tailored, although her bangs could've been an inch and a half longer (insert Trinity’s eye roll here). Nina’s look was more Nina, it was less structured and looser, with Nina’s signature breast plate and padding. I preferred Trinity’s but Nina’s was a B+ for me.

Sasha’s ‘Erotica’ look was well done but could've used a little finessing, had she added the tie and did a bra w/ padding than black pasties it would translated better.

Farrah’s SuperBowl 2012 look was spot on. It looked practically identical to Madonna’s. This look was, in my opinion, enough to compensate for her lackluster Snatch Game performance to at least save her from lip syncing.

Cynthia Lee Fontaine’s matador homage to Madonna’s Brit Awards 2015 look was good. Even her intentional slip and fall was spot on (even if it did make her look like runway roadkill). The only thing “wrong” with the look was her face, she contoured so darkly it read ‘beard’ on the runway.

Last up was Valentina as M on the cover of the Sex Book. It was naked to say the least, save for two black strips for censorship bars. This look was kind of genius, although according to the cut scenes, it looked like Valentina had a little, ahem, trouble with her lady bits.

So Peppermint and Cynthia are in the bottom two, and Peppermint shows her exceptional lip synching skills. She went in for the kill, and Cynthia was sent home packing. The best thing about Untucked, was seeing Nina’s mom.

Jonny’s Favorite Moments:

To Thine Own Self Be True: i’m really glad that Peppermint felt safe enough to tell everyone that she was Trans, and that everyone was so accepting. I really think she can the bridge that helps connect the Drag and Trans worlds.

It Takes a Village: In one of the deleted scenes pretty much everyone was trying to convince Aja to be Crystal LaBeija. I wish she had listened.

Jonny’s Favorite Shadiest Moments:

Make ‘em Laugh?: Trinity pretty much summed up this lackluster episode of Snatch Game, “Where are the jokes?!”

Dopplegangerland: WHY did this have to happen two years in a row? You should not have any duplicate looks on the mainstage! The producers should have made sure that all 13 contestants did not do the same Madonna look, even if they did not make to the Snatch Game episode. It’s Madonna, she has a million looks. I also tired of seeing these esoteric outfits she’s worn. Why has no one done “Like a Virgin” Madonna in a bridal gown?

Jonny’s Favorite Queen:

Alexis Michelle: her Liza was flawless and her Breathless Mahoney was even better. I would have also said Shea, but her and Peppermint going dutch on the same costume was unforgivable.

Jonny’s Least Favorite Queen:

Cynthia. These last few episodes, she’s been barely coasting. She was not suited for season 9.

Predictions:

Something else?

Anais’ Favorite Moments:

Original Sin: if another Queen has done a character in Snatch Game justice, don't do the same character. It was really a missed opportunity for Aja to do Alyssa when it had already been done (pretty well, I might add) by Violet Chachki when she could've done Crystal LaBeija. Also I was kind of bummed Charlie and Jaymes didn't make it Snatch Game so we could see their Joan Rivers and Rebel Wilson

How does this still happen?: Contestants should bring an extra look for runways like these just in case. (Also apparently Peppermint did? Why didn't you wear it, Pep???) There's really no excuse for two sets of identical queens with someone who has hundreds of iconic looks like Madonna. I could feel Michelle seething through the television.

Anais’s Favorite Shadiest Moments:

Laugh In: Trinity’s confessional spiel about “where are the jokes”- was the cherry on top of Cynthia’s Snatch Game train wreck.

All T, all shade: the PA’s and editors literally act as an extra shady queen. By grouping the two sets of twins to the added sound effects-I live for them.

Anais’s Favorite Queen:

Sasha Velour. I totally thought she was going to bomb Marlene Dietrich, but she was surprisingly funny.

Anais’s Least Favorite Queen:

Cynthia Lee Fontaine. I think she’s lovely and very nice but I feel like she's a queen that doesn't translate well to drag race.

Predictions:

No more celebrity runways! PLEASE.

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starstuffandalotofcoffee · 7 years

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I Know Because I Was There

One of my not really resolutions is to write more. I miss it and I’ve been thinking a lot about my college days recently (tbh I’ll probably write about that! I am very very navel-gaze-y in my writing because my default is the essay, I’ve never been great with writing fiction nor have I liked it, but anyway), and I wrote much more in college. So expect to see more of these.

I know because I was there

I first watched Clue in college.

I first played Clue in oh, must have been elementary school, because I remember we were in the sunken living room (the house had been constructed in the 70s. There was still red shag carpet in the den). But maybe I’m making it up - I remember the friends we were playing with so maybe we were at their house as we were so many sunny Saturday afternoons. It was a long time ago. But I’m pretty sure it was the living room, with its goldenrod carpet. I once hid a slice of American cheese in the corner and forgot about it because it blended in and came back to find it all hard. That was probably before we played Clue but I couldn’t tell you for certain.

No one solved Clue because someone accidentally mixed up the cards and so there were two weapons and no culprit. People don’t kill Mr. Boddy. A wrench and a rope do.

In third grade there was a Clue-themed mystery book you could read, like Encyclopedia Brown but a little … my instinct is to say ‘sexier’ and I don’t mean that in the sense of there being anything remotely sexual about it, but Encyclopedia Brown was in small town idyllic America and dealt primarily with obnoxious preteens who wore weird crown-like hats to signify they were the bad kids and committed misdemeanors. Clue was at a dinner party in a mansion. There was murder involved. Come on.

(I looked up those hats just now and while Encyclopedia Brown was written in the early 60s, those hats hadn’t been popular for years. The author took a memory of his childhood and superimposed it on the current world.)

I first watched Clue in college. I was in a co-ed program house in college which meant there was a sense of camaraderie among students of different ages, but also this kind of institutional memory that led upperclassmen to forget that younger students didn’t know members who’d graduated a year or two ago. Sometimes around finals we’d have informal movie nights. There was one guy who’d graduated before my time who (allegedly) knew most of Clue by heart and would scream along with Madeline Kahn’s famous line at the end (flames….flames...on the sides of my face) which in retrospect is funny because her delivery is...flawless but not screaming, not at all. It’s as if she’s so furious but calm about it that her mind is shutting down as she tries to convey the enormity of her vast feelings of betrayal.

It may not sound like it from the last line but Clue is a cult comedy.

Clue is a cult comedy and a goofy one at that. Once this past summer as I was walking home along a busy Manhattan street I swear I heard someone blasting Sh Boom Sh Boom and I burst out laughing there, in front of a barber shop, across from the indie coffee shop I like but don’t love as much as the other indie coffee shop.

(I just looked up to confirm that yes, the street I walk on with some regularity does feature those two businesses in that configuration).

Clue is a lot of things - a murder mystery, a cult comedy, social satire, a film adaptation of a board game, and a Tim Curry vehicle.

When Clue was shown in the theaters - you probably know this if you’ve read this much about Clue - only one of the three endings was shown. So people would go and presumably say “Oh my god, and how it ended!” to their friends who’d seen it separately, and then they’d say “yeah, can you believe it was ______?” and the friends would say “What? No! That’s not how it ended at all!”

I first saw Clue on DVD where they give us all three endings, which is good because you get to experience and get all the jokes.

Clue is very quotable but I take my title from one of my favorites. It’s from the scene that leads up to this triple-denouement, with Tim Curry hamming it up as few can as he recounts the events of the evening before he reveals the murderer. He, as Wadsworth, pauses his motor-mouthed explanation for just a beat to say as an aside, “I know because I was there.”

It’s so absolutely perfect (Kahn’s line is probably the only one that’s as perfect in the same way) and yet it’s something that’s taken on a lot more meaning for me than the writers probably ever intended.

I’ve found myself recently explaining why I hold my political beliefs or have the fears I do. I’ve explained why I think the casting in movies matters, why certain news sites are not to be trusted, why people are dangerous. And usually I’m either preaching to the choir, or preaching to the opposite of that (the damned? The tone-deaf?).

When it comes to the opposite of the choir, I make arguments. I find people who fall between us in terms of beliefs in an attempt to nudge them along. I point out how these hypothetical policies may affect me, or try to illustrate how minorities or women may feel, and they fall on tone-deaf ears. At some point people are not interested in hearing your argument and they will write it off.

And I want to scream that line. Not flames on the sides of my face though I feel that too, a lot. But the other one. I KNOW. BECAUSE I WAS THERE. I sometimes think about adding the line YOU GASLIGHTING FUCK but unlike Kahn or Curry I’m not much of an improviser so I should probably stick to the script.

Wadsworth isn’t asked how he knows (though truthfully is there time for anyone else to draw breath to interrupt), he just offers it. I’m thinking about doing that. I’m not terribly optimistic that someone who ignores my concerns about the likely hypothetical will give a damn about my actual, real experience, but at least it gives me a phrase to lean back on, to remind me that yes, yes, yes, I fucking know. I was there.

I don’t have anything going on neurologically or psychologically that really plays with my memory, fortunately, and I’ve always had a pretty good one too - the cosmetic details may erode or even be incorrect (I still don’t know whether I played Clue at my house or my friend’s house or how it relates chronologically to that cheese incident) but it’s something I am usually confident in. I will place bets on my memory. I trust my experience. But it’s been a rough couple of months and this isn’t an argument with my friend over whether our college put on a particular play our junior or senior year, or whether or not I’ve met someone who graduated when I was a freshman, or the location of a barbershop I never go to. This is life or death.

I will take a fraction of a second. I will not scream nor will I shut down. I will look them in the eye before they even ask and tell them, “I know, because I was there.”

#i know because i was there #my writing #essay #clue

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yellowlily123-blog · 7 years

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Bill Cosby

This man is legend! He can get anyone laughing! William Henry Cosby Jr. (Bill) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 12, 1937. Otherwise known as Bill Cosby, after his father, he was born into a good home, with a father present and a mother there to guide him on his life journey, but when Bill was old enough to remember things, he remembered his parents fighting, they were yelling and screaming about how his father spent his paycheck at the bar, so the rest of the family didn’t get much money. A couple months thereafter, Bill’s father decided to join the Navy, and Bill rarely ever saw him. While his father was in the military, Bill’s mother was collecting the pay that his father was making while in the military. Bill lived with his mother and his younger three brothers until he too, joined the Navy. He was very smart, but he didn’t take his schooling very seriously, he would pass the tests and get amazing scores, but he would never turn in his assignments. His mother wanted him to be successful with school but she could never encourage him enough to motivate him to do his school work, until Bill reached the fifth grade. Bill had heard that there would be a new fifth grade teacher, Ms. Forchic.

He had told his mother before hand, and she said she recognized the name. She knew this teacher from when she was in school, they were best friends. Ms. Forchic always talked about how she wanted to become a teacher. Bill’s mother remembered her as Mary Forchic. Ms. Forchic had a chat with Bill’s mother and told her she would try her best at keeping Bill’s grades up. That was the first year that he had gotten straight A’s. Bill didn’t know of his mother and his teachers talking, he was just excited he got A’s. Ms. Forchic stated on his report card that he is a superb student but she was afraid that once he started sixth grade, he wouldn’t get the grades she knows he can get. And Ms. Forchic was right, up until the eleventh grade, where Bill was placed in a gifted and talented High School, Bill was barely passing, he had to take eleventh grade twice before he just completely dropped out of High School, and joined the military.

In the military he served as medical aid on ships and hospitals. After the medical job from the Navy, he joined the Navy’s track team. And excelled in the high jump event. He earned his High School equivalency diploma while in the Navy and after leaving the Navy, he went to Temple University with a track scholarship. While in college, he landed a job as a bartender at a coffee house and found interest in the comedians that would perform their stand up comedy on the stage. And he found extra work filling in for the house comedian. He also did warm up acts on his cousins radio show, after that he began performing at a place in New York City. He found inspiration through older comedians and his new career was a huge hit. He became a stand up comedian. Before Cosby became a comedian, he had literally tried everything while in High school, one of hi teachers tried to convince him to become a lawyer, but Bill whined about how much work it would be. He had tried to do good in school, but with his side jobs and his sports, he couldn’t get homework done. Cosby was frustrated with the fact that he couldn’t graduate, so he went through all the options for the american services. He went through all the stations, and thought that the best way to die was underwater, drowning wouldn’t be so bad, compared to hiding in a ditch and getting shot while your trying to eat your canned dinner. So Cosby, not telling anyone, went to the services and enrolled in the Navy. Because his friends were all graduated and out of the little town they grew up in, Bill just wanted to get out of the neighborhood. When the attendant asked Bill if he was joining the Navy to travel around the world, Bill turned him down and said he just wanted to get out of town. Cosby’s jokes are and were mostly about his family life, he never told racial jokes and he was making everybody laugh. His comedian job hit off and it showed better results than finishing college. So he left Temple University, for the Navy and his new career choice. He was not very fond of the Navy, but inside him there was always this thought that he should be better than his father while he was in the Navy. Although Bill didn’t really like the drill sergeant, or the cleaning he had to do, he tried. He became trained in the medical department and was sent to a place he could never find on a map. He was sent there to be the doc for the war and he thought for sure that he was going to die military style. In the middle of a battle. He made friends but he missed being back home with his family. He eventually graduated with the military high school diploma. He noticed, since he had gotten into High school, this is the first time his mother has seen him succeed. He felt good about himself.

Cosby’s first night on Tonight Show led to a Warner Bros. Record contract that produced six top-selling comedy albums. He was in many movies, his first was I Spy. He partnered with Robert Culp, they acted as secret agents that traveled around the world disguised as tennis players. I Spy won Cosby three Emmy’s the first one he won was shared with his wife, Camille. Cosby married her while she was in college, nineteen years of age.

For Bill’s first sitcom he got to play as a high school gym teacher, while he was playing this act, his life with Camille was sailing. Daughters Erika and Erinn were born they moved to Massachusetts. Sesame Street asked for Bill Cosby and offered him a part of their show for a specific week. Cosby accepted and was an early guest on the Sesame Street. He worked with Morgan Freeman during The Electric Company, along side with Rita Moreno. Not that far after Bill started his new educational morning cartoon. Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids. During the seventies Cosby co-starred in three movies featuring black casts.

Bill supported his family performing stand-up in Las Vegas and around the country and building a new increasingly lucrative sideline as an advertising pitchman. His first advertisement was for Sugar Free Jello. When Cosby was 40 he collected a doctoral degree from the University of Massachusetts. He celebrated the occasion with his mother who was overjoyed with the fact that her son had finally graduated college. By 1977 Cosby had five children and was known as the family man. He turned the idea into a comedy. Years later, the routines became a basis for the Huxtables, the new TV show The Cosby Show.The Cosby Show’s character, Cliff Huxtable was famous for his quirky sweaters and portrait of a stable, affectionate black marriage. The show protruded the recognizable “loving war between parents and children.” which was shown in the episode Denise’s Friend. Cosby used the show to celebrate black culture. From the paintings on the wall to the musicians, including jazz great Dizzy Gillespie and Stevie Wonder, whose appearances introduced future hip-hop innovators, like Sammy Davis Jr. for one of his last performances and Alicia Keys for one of her first roles.

In the late eighties a record windfall from syndication had made Cosby America’s highest paid entertainer. Cosby and Camille donated $20 million of their growing fortune to Spelman College, while quietly putting hundreds of African American students through college. He did this for many other students. A remake of the game show You Bet Your Life flopped during the nineties. But William Morris offered to start up a new sitcom Cosby. This sitcom reunited Cosby with old friend and co-star Phylicia Rashad and paired him with a new comedian, Madeline Kahn.

One of Bill’s sons had dyslexia, Ennis Cosby. He was pursuing a doctorate in education when he was murdered in L.A. Two whole months later Bill and his wife sought relief from their pain by traveling to South Africa to meet Nelson Mandela. When 2004 came rolling around Cosby sparked controversy with a fiery speech about responsibility in the black community, and then spread his message in a series of “callout” tours. In 2008, the president, Barack Obama echoed some of those same themes, as pundits credited “the Cosby effect” with paving the way for the first African American president.

Bill Cosby received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2009, and hi daughters, Erinn, Ensa, Evin were there with Cosby’s wife and his brother Russell. Five years later, in his mid-seventies, Bill was still on the road performing more than sixty concerts a year. At his concerts he likes to wear his quirky sweaters he used for Cliff Huxtable, a character from his seven season running show, The Cosby Show.

While Cosby is performing he only has one prop on the stage with himself, a chair. He sits on it and performs his stand up comedy. Cosby has too many sketches for his comedy to count, he has been in the business for a very long time. He was first founded by Carl Reiner who heard him doing a fill in for the local comedian at a coffeehouse. He got him a record and Bill was a sensation from then on. He didn’t really stay with the job, he did it often but he did other things in-between and came back to when he wasn’t busy. When he started his family he leaned a bit on comedy but when his children got older and moved out he jumped on the comedy train.

When Bill was younger, he was obsessed with music. He learned to play the drums, and could play to any track that he, himself owned. He had a job and he wanted to buy a drum set, so he saved up just enough to get a used drum set good enough to practice on. Once he learned how to play those he looked for another instrument to save up for. Bill found a red keyboard and started to save up for that. He is self taught. While he was in the Navy, serving in the medical section, a recruit came in and heard him playing the drums, he came in and began to play the piano, the two men played a duet of the same song, exchanged names afterward and became best friends. The were inseparable. Bill and his new friend had the same track of everything, they could sing songs of off one note. They knew every jazz song that existed at the time.

Bill has been charged for sexaul assault but refuses to let that bring his spirits down. He has been very successful with his work and he himself costs $400 million. Bill Cosby started from the bottom, telling “your mom” jokes, and failing school, to the most wanted comedian in American Humor. He is extremely successful and has a fabulous living style. Even though he is rich, Bill Cosby is just a normal human being, like everybody else. He lived an adventurous life and will continue to live a compelling life, with his wife Camille, and his four daughters. Bill is a remarkable human being and has amazing things ahead of himself.

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