I just pulled a chicken from the the freezer for dinner tomorrow night. Every year friends and I raise chickens in the summer. And then in the fall, after 3 months of living a life of grass-scratching and grub eating the chickens are killed, dipped, plucked and gutted. I would like to think that it was a happy life, but I don't know, I am not a chicken.
We dressed the chickens two weeks ago. That day dawned bright and beautiful. Cool, but not too cold. And later, warm, but not too hot. It was the kind of day that fooled the honeybees into coming out of their hives one last time before winter, only to learn one of lifes lessons: there is no nectar on a dead chicken carcass.
Today is a completely different kind of day. My patch of earth is covered in the slate grey of late November. It's the kind of day that reminds you that winter is coming. On days like this I often wonder what it is like to be an editor at media-centered gossip blog. Did they spend the last three months living the chicken life, scratching at the grass and eating the grubs that city life has to offer? Are they doing what they can to prepare for winter? Do they even know that winter is coming? Does Hamilton Nolan want one of my chickens?
I saw Tracy do stand up once, and at one point he was making fun of handicapped people. Little did he know there was a guy in the audience in a wheelchair who didn't take too kindly to the comments. The wheelchair guy screamed "Fuck you!" and left the room. Tracy was totally caught off guard.
After that, Tracy got so serious...started talking about how he had a brother (I think) who was handicapped, and how making jokes was his way of dealing with it and the other stuff he went through. It was really sad the way he explained it. Luckily this happened toward the end of his set, because it was downright uncomfortable...but it made me think of him in a whole new light. #tracymorgan
Folks, I was there. I bought a book and he signed it. It wasn’t a laugh fest but it wasn’t a 100% downer. I mean, the book might be a tad ghostwritten but it’s the story of his truly hard life. I mean, how can you make an upper out of sharing the fact you’re dad died of AIDS after being a heroin addict which started because his dad was a helicopter gunner in Vietnam?
And also where do you folks get the idea that comedians live happy lives and their bios will just be filled with wackiness? Most comedians have had horrible lives and are really miserable.
That said, Tracy Morgan is great because he was STILL funny. He was talking about comedy being a job to him and if that didn’t work out he’d get a soda delivery route or work for UPS. And when people laughed at that, you know what he talked about how you might think that’s funny, but that’s the truth and the truth is what comedy is about and that’s why he’s so funny.
And your reporter failed to mention how he hilariously ripped into the first questioner who grilled him on Rachel Dratch being replaced by Jane Krakowski on "30 Rock." First, ripped into the guy for falling for Internet rumors. Second, he grilled him on why he cared at all. If he liked comedy why didn’t this guy become a comedian? Went further to say the guy was limp enough to not even get to the level of observational comedy. So his career advice: Stop spreading Internet rumors and start telling poop jokes. A poop joke is more valid than what this guy is doing because at least everyone poops so there’s a good chance someone will laugh...
Blah, blah...
Tracy Morgan is/was great. And as far as pride goes, watching him tear up talking about his life was awesome. You know how rare it is to see that? The guy’s had a fucked up life but the fact he can be honest about it and him is pretty awesome. By that fact he’s already better adjusted than most of the miserable asshats in comedy nowadays. #tracymorgan
@SpyMagician: Thank you for your take on it. I've been wondering why people have this false expectation that all comedians are always funny, all the time. I'd be seriously concerned if he was laughing and making fart jokes about his dad dying of aids. #tracymorgan
@Pope John Peeps II: You’re a dink. Who said truth intself is funny? "Hey you have cancer!!! HAHHAHAH!" That’s not funny.
But having the skill to objectively look at something and even look at the ugliest things in the world and transform it into a joke: THAT is the essence of comedy. #tracymorgan
@SpyMagician: I've always have been of the mind set that behind every joke is a little bit of tragedy. Comedians develop their talent as a defense to deal with issues/life.
eatsshootsleaves promoted this comment
Edited by Christopher Chambers at 10/23/09 1:00 PM
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@ericacartman: I've never much liked Terri Gross, for just that sort of thing. She's incredibly condescending to anyone she doesn't consider an intellectual. #tracymorgan
@MissNormaDesmond: I don't like her because half of her questions are irritating as shit. She really pissed me off last night when she was commenting on Tracy Jordan's reactions and tone of voice. "Wow, you sound really upset." And when he replied he was just "passionate" she returned with words that sounded like she was saying, "OK, whatever you say. Just calm down." It was so incredibly inappropriate. Here is an authentic, interesting person telling some pretty crazy stories about his intense life, and she's got to pull the "whoa, calm down there buddy" lever? Fuck you Terri. Rude. Unprofessional. And again, irritating as fuck.
I know people have complained about some of his cringe-worthy bits in his act, but fuck, who's perfect? I thought he was one of the most interesting people I've heard on NPR in a long time. Next to Maurice Sendak, who has killed every time he's interviewed. But back to Tracy ... raw, real, and obviously still processing his stuff. TMI or fantastic insight into a fellow human - either way, I felt alive listening to that. #tracymorgan
Someone should tell him to watch 30 Rock. They've got this great character named Tracy Jordan who is a laugh riot. Ought to cheer him right up. #tracymorgan
Awww, you can tell Momma Capehart was working herself into some "my son is not your Steppin Fetchit" type of argument, and the more Ratigan talked to her like she was just whimsical and out-of-touch, the less she was amused.
I, however, wanted to crawl under a table on poor Jon's behalf. I could completely see my Gamma doing something like that.
Yesterday on Glenn Beck's show he mentioned that we could save a lot of money in this country if we: "just go ahead and kill Charlie Manson." Is there no accountability anymore in this country?
11/23/09
We dressed the chickens two weeks ago. That day dawned bright and beautiful. Cool, but not too cold. And later, warm, but not too hot. It was the kind of day that fooled the honeybees into coming out of their hives one last time before winter, only to learn one of lifes lessons: there is no nectar on a dead chicken carcass.
Today is a completely different kind of day. My patch of earth is covered in the slate grey of late November. It's the kind of day that reminds you that winter is coming. On days like this I often wonder what it is like to be an editor at media-centered gossip blog. Did they spend the last three months living the chicken life, scratching at the grass and eating the grubs that city life has to offer? Are they doing what they can to prepare for winter? Do they even know that winter is coming? Does Hamilton Nolan want one of my chickens?
11/23/09
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10/23/09
After that, Tracy got so serious...started talking about how he had a brother (I think) who was handicapped, and how making jokes was his way of dealing with it and the other stuff he went through. It was really sad the way he explained it. Luckily this happened toward the end of his set, because it was downright uncomfortable...but it made me think of him in a whole new light. #tracymorgan
10/23/09
10/23/09
10/23/09
And also where do you folks get the idea that comedians live happy lives and their bios will just be filled with wackiness? Most comedians have had horrible lives and are really miserable.
That said, Tracy Morgan is great because he was STILL funny. He was talking about comedy being a job to him and if that didn’t work out he’d get a soda delivery route or work for UPS. And when people laughed at that, you know what he talked about how you might think that’s funny, but that’s the truth and the truth is what comedy is about and that’s why he’s so funny.
And your reporter failed to mention how he hilariously ripped into the first questioner who grilled him on Rachel Dratch being replaced by Jane Krakowski on "30 Rock." First, ripped into the guy for falling for Internet rumors. Second, he grilled him on why he cared at all. If he liked comedy why didn’t this guy become a comedian? Went further to say the guy was limp enough to not even get to the level of observational comedy. So his career advice: Stop spreading Internet rumors and start telling poop jokes. A poop joke is more valid than what this guy is doing because at least everyone poops so there’s a good chance someone will laugh...
Blah, blah...
Tracy Morgan is/was great. And as far as pride goes, watching him tear up talking about his life was awesome. You know how rare it is to see that? The guy’s had a fucked up life but the fact he can be honest about it and him is pretty awesome. By that fact he’s already better adjusted than most of the miserable asshats in comedy nowadays. #tracymorgan
10/23/09
10/23/09
This is what people say, but comedy's not really about the truth. Anyone can say the truth. Not everyone is funny. #tracymorgan
10/23/09
But having the skill to objectively look at something and even look at the ugliest things in the world and transform it into a joke: THAT is the essence of comedy. #tracymorgan
10/23/09
10/23/09
10/23/09
Hmm... not the best choice of words.
10/23/09
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10/24/09
I know people have complained about some of his cringe-worthy bits in his act, but fuck, who's perfect? I thought he was one of the most interesting people I've heard on NPR in a long time. Next to Maurice Sendak, who has killed every time he's interviewed. But back to Tracy ... raw, real, and obviously still processing his stuff. TMI or fantastic insight into a fellow human - either way, I felt alive listening to that. #tracymorgan
10/23/09
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10/24/09
10/23/09
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08/06/09
I, however, wanted to crawl under a table on poor Jon's behalf. I could completely see my Gamma doing something like that.
08/06/09
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08/06/09
@NowAvailableinExtraStrength: We've reverted back to when the yellow sheets were kings.
08/06/09
08/06/09