Pimp down, for real.
Katt Williams – our favorite miniature perm-rocking pimp-like comedian – is becoming the joke. And considering the severity of this new round of his very public breakdown, I’m not entirely sure it’s a laughing matter.
Williams, originally from Cincinnati, has been making some pretty provocative headlines these last few months for these crazy, bizarre performances. Last month, he was released by Oakland authorities for an onstage meltdown. Last week, he pulled a repeat at a Friday night show (naturally, Too $hort was there too) because he got pissed with someone at the show. Audience members reported to various news outlets that he started taking off his shirt and was sweating like an animal while verbally attacking his heckler.
For real, son? What part of the game is that?
The San Jose Mercury News snagged an interview with one of the event’s security guards who seemed to pretty much echo what everyone else in the arena was thinking.
“It was the weirdest thing I've ever seen in my life,” said Erick Lucero, who was working on the arena floor as a security guard. “The whole show went really well (before Williams' main set). … It was a packed house, and everyone was really satisfied with the show" up to that point.
And then chaos.
It’s a scene that we’ve all read about or experience live and up close before. And we’ve all laughed publicly. It was kinda funny when you think about it: An odd-duck comedian, who can’t handle a heckler or two, fires off tirades against his live audience.
Last summer we saw him get into it with a heckler of Mexican descent.
He shouted out at dude: “…so if you love Mexico, bitch, get the fu*k over there!”
Williams later said in an interview: “If a person starts their heckling with 'f' America, then that gives me the right to defend my country. I don't think I need to apologize for being pro-American.”
He later did apologize.
And then, more of the same.
In one of his incidents this month, he jumped off the stage and into the audience to get face-to-face with his challenger. He also was arrested last week on charges of suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly beating an 18-year-old guy who was on his tour bus.
This is the kind of screenplay that Hollywood has yet to write.
Last week, Saturday Night Live hit a high note when they had Jay Pharoah turn up as part of Seth Myers’ Weekend Update segment. Pharoah donned a bob-cut wig and transformed himself into all the things that we love about Williams: a slick, high-pitched-voiced, smooth-operating playa with a sharp tongue.
And as much as we laughed about it last week – and social media chatter suggests that we laughed pretty damn hard – there was this bittersweet element to the segment.
Pharoah essentially held a mirror up to what Williams has now become.
“I didn't even know audiences came in white,” Pharoah said in character as Williams.
Bloggers are suggesting that Williams is on drugs – most likely cocaine, I’ve read – and that his most recent profanity-laced rant is a direct result of the narcotics.
That makes sense, but I’m not sure I can laugh at this anymore, y'all.
Get off the stage, Katt, and slip onto a couch.
Because what’s happening now ain’t pimping, pimpin’.
