"And I'm still kind of processing what happened, so at some point I'll talk about that shit. And it'll be serious and it'll be funny, but right now I'm going to tell some jokes."
Said Chris Rock last night, as he took the stage for his show at Boston's Wilbur Theater, CNN reports.
He said absolutely nothing more than the bare minimum. It was just on with the show. That's what he did on the Oscars stage too: On with the show.
"On with the show" is an old show business slogan. It's old-timey, so maybe you don't remember it. If you try to Google it, you'll get a first page full of Mottley Crue links. I know there's a way to exclude a term from the search, but I've forgotten how to do it and I've got the distracting prior question whether I need to use those fake umlauts. I see it's a Rolling Stones title too.
Ah, but there is another version of the slogan that gets me to a nice TV Tropes article: "The Show Must Go On":
[I]n live entertainment, the show must go on at all costs... This forces the characters into crazy improvisations, costume changes, awkward stealth to avoid further disrupting the show and any number of disparate things to keep the show going. It must also be remembered that for live entertainers, not only is it about making sure people get their money's worth or ensuring a production continues, performing is something they've dedicated their lives to. It's not something they do, it's who they are, and it's a point of professional pride that no matter what, the show must go on....
Ethel said it best (words by Irving Berlin):
And here's the crazy, over-the-top finale, with Marilyn:
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35 comments:
This is one of my favorites.
Lexis and Westlaw were using Boolean search terms decades ago. It's annoying that search engines still don't use them today. It makes it very hard to look for a word or phrase that has a popular use that isn't the use you are interested in.
Rock's right not to start speaking publicly too soon. People have already pointed out that this will follow him for the rest of his career. How he manages it will too.
Going on with the show demonstrate mastery of a skill. Top dog. The best.
Here a guitar player plays sighted, plays blind, and then breaks 3 strings -- listen to see if you can hear the difference between the changes. You likely can't. That was his point.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmwPm73C_ZY
"And oh what heights we'll hit... On with the show this is it!"
Minus before a word excludes it from search.
Chris Rock is showing professionalism. His behavior is the best thing from Oscar night in a long time.
Quayle said...
This is one of my favorites.
Wince said...
"And oh what heights we'll hit... On with the show this is it!"
Same but funnier.
You could argue that comedy has "gone too far" and there was bound to be a move back to some boundaries. And that Will Smith was just a part of the change. But there are individuals concerned. Will Smith was much bigger than Chris Rock in almost every way - physically larger and a more important star. So, he looked like a bully and afterward, by refusing to apologize to the person he hit and forcing the Academy to go along with his behavior, he looked even more like a mean guy you wouldn't want to be near. But perhaps Will Smith's behavior wasn't exactly Will Smith's fault because star status acts like those drugs floating about in Hollywood - confusing your mind and amping your emotions. And, thinking on those lines, there's one thing about Chris Rock - he was in control of himself and able to think about something larger than himself even when slapped in the face in front of millions - in that way he was, as Althouse, suggests the bigger man.
He could have set up a fun riff. "Boston, I heard you're helping out with the war by sending clam chowder to the Russians! That shit is disgusting!" Then some guy in a Red Sox cap storms the stage, slaps him, and yells in a Southie accent, "keep my soup's name outta your frickin' mouth!"
My respect for Chris Rock keeps growing.
My disdain for Will Smith keeps growing too. He was asked to leave, said no, and gave that BS speech.
I do hope Chris turns the incident unto some comedy gold. He could spend an entire show reviewing Will Smith's movies one by one, and it would sell out. He could turn Will Smith into a catch phrase, and ruin his career.
As for "the show must go on," Shakespeare in Love had fun with that trope, especially at the end of the movie.
I keep seeing that "I'm still processing" thing.
Are we all computers now?
"Whatever the traffic will allow..." is the line most struck me in the Smith/Rock context. (A typically brilliant Berlin appropriation of a business term.)
I imagine vaudevillians had to be sensitive to local boundaries, while always pushing the humor/sexy envelope. Audience violence was probably a greater concern than uniformed police shutting down a show.
"I'm still processing..."
He has a good opportunity to work out a show that is a Chappelle-type examination that goes deep. Maybe he can't think of something, but I like that he's holding it in reserve and planning to think it through.
After the second loud expletive request from Smith, Chris Rock said “I will” and then said something that sounded to me like “I could… “ and then can’t quite make out the rest.
Don't forget this masterpiece, recorded six weeks before Freddie Mercury died of AIDS, reflecting on his life and the band and show business.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t99KH0TR-J4
Rock is on the cusp of establishing himself as a mensch. I hope he doesn’t falter.
Just put a minus sign before the word you want to exclude. E.g. -Motley
That leaves you with a bunch of links to some musical from the 50s.
https://www.google.com/search?q=on+with+the+show+-motley
Rock is a pro's pro...
Lorne Michaels on Saturday Night Live: “The show doesn’t go on because it’s ready; it goes on because it’s 11:30.”
Nothing you can say will make me...
https://youtu.be/uDJsCE01LYI?t=122
Noel Coward has a few words on the subject
Ethel said it best
Pagliacci said it best.
Vesti la giubba
Act! While in delirium,
I no longer know what I say,
or what I do!
And yet it's necessary. Force yourself!
Bah! Are you even a man?
You are a clown!
Put on your costume and powder your face.
The people are paying, and they want to laugh here.
And if Harlequin steals away your Columbina,
laugh, clown, and all will applaud!
Turn your distress and tears into jokes,
your pain and sobs into a smirk, Ah!
Laugh, clown,
at your broken love!
Laugh at the grief that poisons your heart!
While Smith can't take a joke, Rock can take a punch (or least a hard slap).
Living in the loftiest layer of La La Land, Smith has lost touch with common reality. Rock is very much in touch with what's happening.
@ Lem
No question that Rock had more than one comebacks that he was considering. Hell, I immediately thought of an obvious one given the open marriage, and I'm not a professional comedian. And if Rock had been a concert or a nightclub and Smith was just an unknown heckler, I've no doubt that Rock would have fired back.
But Rock was composed enough to be smart and quick thinking. Any comeback would have made the situation more awkward and likely made Rock look bad and Smith and Jada sympathetic, not to mention the potential of being assaulted again (Smith was looking and acting out of control) with no hope that Security would do anything given who Smith was and that it was live TV.
So Rock signaled that he could have but choose not to, and rightly moved on.
Andrew said...
My respect for Chris Rock keeps growing.
Mine too, because a) I've always liked Chris Rock and b) he could have followed Smith's mouthing off with a few choice remarks that would have kicked off a riot, but he restrained himself.
My disdain for Will Smith keeps growing too. He was asked to leave, said no, and gave that BS speech.
I call bullshit on that. AMPAS is just trying to do CYA. There was no way they'd have asked him to leave; they weren't going to spoil the Best Actor award.
I hope that Rock declines to address the incident and remains silent, including in his act. Let Smith twist in the wind. If there's to be a public redemption arch for Smith, let it have to happen without Rock's acceptance of that PR-written apology issued under Smith's name 20 hours later, I'm sure after multiple drafts, reviews and negotiations among Smith's family and professional team, maybe some external reviews and negotiations with external stakeholders and advisors (including Academy members who could advocate for Smith within the Board of Governors and the larger Academy). If I were Rock, the sincerity would always be a question given Smith's apologies to everyone but me when he got his Oscar.
And please, don't have a joint appearance/award presentation at next year's Oscars. The Academy would love that, and I'm not sure why Rock would even consider doing them that favor.
If Oprah wants to give Smith absolution via one of those cringey special interviews where Smith has to cry, let the two of them put on that show. Or three, if Jada gets involved for a little screen time
If Will Smith was asked to leave it would been on video. At least I haven't seen anyone on video approach the Oscar winning thug.
"Amexpat said...
While Smith can't take a joke, Rock can take a punch (or least a hard slap)."
Hard slap? These are hard slaps.
@ Curious George
OK, after looking at the link you posted, I'll modify my statement to "a relatively hard slap".
BTW, slap fighting is one dumb ass sport.
If Will Smith was asked to leave it would been on video. At least I haven't seen anyone on video approach the Oscar winning thug.
There is video of Denzel and Tyler Perry speaking with Smith during the commercial break.
"BTW, slap fighting is one dumb ass sport."
They're Russian. Crazy mothers.
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Wow, that clip from the finale. Even if you're not a big fan of musicals (and I'm not), the conception, design, costume, set, choreography, cinematography just to pull of the shot is impressive. For audiences back then watching on the big screen it must have been dazzling.
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"I'm sorry to say G.I. Jane 2 is probably not going to happen."
MM. Monroe was perhaps not as "Grand" as some Hollywood girls.
What Michael said.
As for La Monroe, a longtime university functionary left his personal papers to the archives, and among the old files was an original backboard from the 1955 pinup calendar.
She was something. May the scholars and researchers of the future admire.
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