5 Fantastic Sketches That Will Get You So Ready For The Return Of ‘In Living Color’

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Ever seen that flick with the TV infomercial thing; the BE EXCITED, BE, BE, EXCITED chant? Okay, so you only remember the ASS TO ASS bit at the end, but here’s why you should BE, BE, EXCITED: The seminal FOX sketch comedy show In Living Color is making a glorious return to television. Jim “Don’t call me James” Carrey won’t be there, and neither will the Wayans brothers (and sister) or David Allan Grier or Tommy Davidson or Jamie Fox or… you get the point.

But hey, it’ll still be good, right? Right? It has to be. If it turns out to be sour, I’ll never trust again, I’m afraid.

N E WAYZ,

Here are five of my favorite sketches from the original w/ some useless commentary provided by me:

1. Homey D. Clown (AKA Herman Simpson) is a testament to the infinite cruelty of our justice system. To his credit, he performs his duties as a clown hilariously, never letting his audience forget how much he resents them. His anger is our fuel, and his wrath couldn’t have been taken to a more deserving clientele. Those poor kids though!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QhuBIkPXn0&w=420&h=315]

See: The letter D, for yo Dumb ass Daddy. See also: “When Homey Met Sally” & “Homey’s One Stop Carnival”

2. The Homeboy Shopping/Shoplifting Network is a crack on those TV programs trying to sell you low-quality frivolity for—well, I won’t say high prices—but the shit adds up. Keeping in mind this is a twenty + year-old-sketch, at about 1:45 into the above clip, one gets this weird vibe we’re talking still about this shit today. Gaming the system is one thing; corporations and politicians do it more egregiously and efficiently than anyone. But it becomes depressing and distressing and not really funny at all once you get to the 2 minute mark.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYmVvVxP5g4&w=420&h=315]

3. Ah, yes, Booked on Phonics. Poor Oswald Bates! These really work better when placed in the context of their serialization. Instead of skipping to the punchline, which is deliciously subversive, I went with this one because it keeps with the theme of the first two I shared. “Undouche me! I can find my own damnation in tardy… completion.”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izpa9D7c77U&w=420&h=315]

4. You know, when I read comment sections online, I always imagine the MRA’s and White-is-the-new-minority types run crying to their rooms just like Carrey’s Kirk. I don’t know. I can’t hear them over my white guilt, anyway.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT5YRaulTzk&w=420&h=315]

5. I think if more television evangelists did this, I’d at least have a laugh.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRHBPa25odE&w=420&h=315]