Humor Mill

Martin Lawrence Guest Stars On The Season Final Of TV One’s ‘Rickey Smiley For Real’!

Rickey Smiley reunites with Martin Lawrence and other comedy legends for the critically acclaimed “Lit AF Tour” on the final episode of TV One’s RICKEY SMILEY FOR REAL, premiering Tuesday, December 18 at 8 p.m./7C.

Returning to his stand-up roots, Rickey hits the stage with a memorable set for a leg of the national tour and joins a killer lineup featuring Michael Blackson (Next Friday), DeRay Davis (Wild N’ Out), Benji Brown (1st Amendment Stand Up) and more. He pays homage to Martin Lawrence, the official “Lit AF Tour” host, for paving the way for upcoming comedians.

In true Rickey fashion, he finds the funny in tragedy – bridging little people and funerals in a hilarious routine that has members of the audience holding their stomachs. The routine hits close to home as Rickey’s grandfather succumbs to his illness during this season’s taping of RICKEY SMILEY FOR REAL.

Backstage the fun doesn’t stop as the funny men continue to throw comedic jabs at each other. Witty, swift and fearless – each comic brings their unique brand of funny.

“Who’s funnier- me.” DeRay boldly says to Martin. “He just gotta get his teeth fixed, you know what I’m saying? If he wants to go after the ladies and all that, he gotta get them fixed,” Martin shoots back.

Meanwhile, Brandon finally reconnects with his father Rickey on ways to perfect his craft as a budding comedian. Rickey offers his assistance but stresses the importance of Brandon prioritizing his health and sobriety over his career.

Also this week, Juicy unknowingly finds herself in the middle of a scandalous set-up between her new beau, Gary with da Tea and Lisa Wu. Caught off guard, Juicy erupts into a firestorm of fury when realizing just how far the two went meddling in her relationship with a male exotic dancer.

After a serious breach of trust, will Juicy and Gary’s friendship come to blows? Tune into the season finale of RICKEY SMILEY FOR REAL and find out if Juicy and Gary eventually kiss and make up or if their friendship is at the point of no return.

After each episode, check out Rickey Smiley’s “Cooking Up Comedy” digital series at 9/8C on TVOne.tv/CookingUpComedy and TV One’s social media platforms. Rickey will keep you laughing while he shares “how-to” tips on preparing his favorite mouthwatering recipes. Viewers can also join the conversation by connecting via social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@tvonetv) using the hashtag #RICKEYSMILEYFORREAL.

WATCH: Trailer of Jennifer Lopez In New Comedy Titled ‘Second Act’!

watch Jennifer Lopez in her new comedy film titled Second Act. The film is a comedy in the vein of Working Girl and Maid In Manhattan, as Lopez stars as Maya, a 40-year-old woman struggling with frustrations from unfulfilled dreams. Until, that is, she gets the chance to prove to Madison Avenue that street smarts are as valuable as book smarts, and that it is never too late for a Second Act.

In Theaters December 21, 2018

Watch the trailer here;

Cedric The Entertainer Officially Gets Street Named After Him In St. Louis!

Today, comedy history was made as Cedric The Entertainer (whose real name is Cedric Antonio Kyles) got a street named after him in his hometown of St. Louis, MO. The new name of the street is Cedric The ENtertainer Way.

Ced is currently on the new CBS hit sitcom The Neighborhood and he just currently wrapped touring with DL Hughley, Eddie Griffin, and George Lopez for The Comedy Get Down Tour. We here the tour will kick back off at the beginning of the year.

Pic by Kelvin Bland.

SNL’s Pete Davidson Posts Unsettling Message, Deletes Instagram

“Saturday Night Live” cast member Pete Davidson posted a disturbing message Saturday morning stating he doesn’t “want to be on this earth anymore,” then deleted his Instagram account.

In the post, Davidson wrote, “I’m doing my best to stay here for you but i actually don’t know how much longer i can last. all i’ve ever tried to do was help people. just remember i told you so.” See an image of the message below.

NBC confirmed to the NYPD that Davidson is accounted for and is at work at 30 Rockefeller, according to the New York Times.

Before his account was deleted, fans and followers had commented with messages of support, though some commenters urged the star to go through with it.

Davidson has been open about his diagnosis with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and the difficulties that poses. Roughly an hour earlier, he had shared a message on the platform praising Kanye West for speaking out about mental health.

Davidson split up with fiancee Ariana Grande in mid-October. Since, he’s posted about being bullied on social media, and at one point indicated he wouldn’t kill himself “no matter how hard the internet or anyone tries to make me.”

“I’m trying to understand how when something happens to a guy the whole entire world just trashes him without any facts or frame of reference,” he wrote on Instagram Dec. 3. “Especially in today’s climate where everyone loves to be offended and upset it is truly mind boggling. I’ve been getting online bullied and in public by people for 9 months.”

“I’ve spoken about BPD and being suicidal publicly only in the hopes that it will help bring awareness and help kids like myself who don’t want to be on this earth,” he continued. “I just want you guys to know. No matter how hard the internet or anyone tries to make me kill myself. I won’t. I’m upset I even have to say this.”

Source: Variety

Nancy Wilson, Grammy Winning Singer, Dies At 81

Nancy Wilson, the Grammy-winning “song stylist” and torch singer whose polished pop-jazz vocals made her a platinum artist and top concert performer, has died.

Wilson, who retired from touring in 2011, died after a long illness at her home in Pioneertown, a California desert community near Joshua Tree National Park, her manager and publicist Devra Hall Levy told The Associated Press late Thursday night. She was 81.

Influenced by Dinah Washington, Nat “King” Cole and other stars, Wilson covered everything from jazz standards to “Little Green Apples” and in the 1960s alone released eight albums that reached the top 20 on Billboard’s pop charts. Sometimes elegant and understated, or quick and conversational and a little naughty, she was best known for such songs as her breakthrough “Guess Who I Saw Today” and the 1964 hit ”(You Don’t Know) How Glad I Am,” which drew upon Broadway, pop and jazz.

She resisted being identified with a single category, especially jazz, and referred to herself as a “song stylist.”

“The music that I sing today was the pop music of the 1960s,” she told The San Francisco Chronicle in 2010. “I just never considered myself a jazz singer. I do not do runs and — you know. I take a lyric and make it mine. I consider myself an interpreter of the lyric.”

Wilson’s dozens of albums included a celebrated collaboration with Cannonball Adderley, “Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley,” a small group setting which understandably could be called jazz; “Broadway — My Way”; “Lush Life”; and “The Nancy Wilson Show!” a best-selling concert recording. “How Glad I Am” brought her a Grammy in 1965 for best R&B performance, and she later won Grammys for best jazz vocal album in 2005 for the intimate “R.S.V.P (Rare Songs, Very Personal)” and in 2007 for “Turned to Blue,” a showcase for the relaxed, confident swing she mastered later in life. The National Endowment for the Arts awarded her a “Jazz Masters Fellowship” in 2004 for lifetime achievement.

Wilson also had a busy career on television, film and radio, her credits including “Hawaii Five-O,” ″Police Story,” the Robert Townsend spoof “Meteor Man” and years hosting NPR’s “Jazz Profiles” series. Active in the civil rights movement, including the Selma march of 1965, she received an NAACP Image Award in 1998.

Wilson was married twice — to drummer Kenny Dennis, whom she divorced in 1970; and to Wiley Burton, who died in 2008. She had three children.

Born in Chillicothe, Ohio, the eldest of six children of an iron foundry worker and a maid, Wilson sang in church as a girl and by age 4 had decided on her profession. She was in high school when she won a talent contest sponsored by a local TV station and was given her own program. After briefly attending Central State College, she toured Ohio with the Rusty Bryant’s Carolyn Club Big Band and met such jazz artists as Adderley, who encouraged her to move to New York.

She soon had a regular gig at The Blue Morocco, and got in touch with Adderley’s manager, John Levy.

“He set up a session to record a demo,” Wilson later observed during an interview for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. “Ray Bryant and I went in and recorded ‘Guess Who I Saw Today,’ ‘Sometimes I’m Happy,’ and two other songs. We sent them to Capitol and within five days the phone rang. Within six weeks I had all the things I wanted.”

Her first album, “Like in Love!”, came out in 1959, and she had her greatest commercial success over the following decade despite contending at times with the latest sounds. Gamely, she covered Beatles songs (“And I Love Her” became “And I Love Him”), Stevie Wonder’s “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)” and “Son of a Preacher Man,” on which she strained to mimic Aretha Franklin’s fiery gospel style. She was so outside the contemporary music scene an interviewer once stumped her by asking about Cream, the million-selling rock trio featuring Eric Clapton.

“It took me years to know what that question was about. Remember, I was constantly working or I was traveling to perform. The ’60s for me were about work,” she told JazzWax in 2010.

In the 1970s and after, she continued to record regularly and perform worldwide, at home in nightclubs, concert halls and open-air settings, singing at jazz festivals from Newport to Tokyo. She officially stopped touring with a show at Ohio University in September 2011, but had been thinking of stepping back for years. When she turned 70, in 2007, she was guest of honor at a Carnegie Hall gala. The show ended with Wilson performing such favorites as “Never, Never Will I Marry,” ″I Can’t Make You Love Me” and the Gershwin classic “How Long Has This Been Going On?”

“After 55 years of doing what I do professionally, I have a right to ask how long? I’m trying to retire, people,” she said with a laugh before leaving the stage to a standing ovation.

In accordance with Wilson’s wishes, there will be no funeral service, a family statement said. A celebration of her life will be held most likely in February, the month of her birth.

She is survived by her son, Kacy Dennis; daughters Samantha Burton and Sheryl Burton; sisters Karen Davis and Brenda Vann and five grandchildren.

Source: Associated Press

Erika Alexander Out Of ‘Last Man Standing’- Replaced By Tisha Campbell To Recur On Fox Series

A popular recurring character from the original Last Man Standing on ABC will be making a return on the Fox revival with a twist. My Wife and Kids and Martin alumna Tisha Campbell has been tapped to recur on the Fox series as Chuck Larabee’s (Jonathan Adams) wife Carol Larabee.

The role was played by Erika Alexander during LMS‘ run on ABC. It has been recast with sitcom pro Campbell as Alexander was not available due to scheduling issues. Alexander currently recurs on two series, the CW drama Black Lightning, which films in Atlanta, and HBO comedy Insecure, which shoots in Los Angeles.

Created by Jack Burditt, Last Man Standing stars Tim Allen as Mike Baxter, a happily married father of three daughters, who finds himself the odd man out as he tries to maintain his manliness in a home dominated by women.

Carol, the wife of Mike’s neighbor and co-worker Chuck, was introduced in the second season ofLast Man Standing and became best friend to Mike’s wife Vanessa (Nancy Travis). In Season 6, LMS‘ last on ABC, Carol accepted a year-long job in California, leaving Chuck behind in Denver.

In addition to Allen, Travis and Adams, the series stars Amanda Fuller as Mike and Vanessa’s oldest daughter, Kristin; Molly McCook as their free-spirited second daughter, Mandy; Christoph Sanders as Mike’s charmingly naïve co-worker and Mandy’s husband, Kyle Anderson; Jordan Masterson as Kristin’s husband, Ryan Vogelson; Jet Jurgensmeyer as Kristin and Ryan’s young son, Boyd; and Hector Elizondo as owner of Outdoor Man, Ed Alzate.

Mandy also was recast as Molly Ephraim, who played the role on the original series, opted not to return for the Fox revival.

The Last Man Standing follow-up has been a ratings success for Fox, regularly ranking No. 1 on Fridays in the key 18-49 demo. It is the network’s most-watched entertainment series in Live+Same Day.

Last Man Standing is produced by 20th Century Fox Television. Kevin Abbott, Matt Berry, Kevin Hench, Ed Yeagher, Allen, Marty Adelstein, Shawn Levy, Becky Clements, Richard Baker and Rick Messina are executive producers. Abbott also serves as showrunner.

Campbell is best known for her starring roles on two long-running multi-camera comedy series, My Wife and Kids opposite Damon Wayans and Martin opposite Martin Lawrence, earning multiple NAACP Image Awards for her work on the shows, which are syndicated globally. She has been recurring on Fox drama Empire and was recently seen in indie Blindspotting opposite Daveed Diggs. Campbell is repped by Tracy Christian at TCA.

Source: Deadline

Katt Williams To Join The ‘Black-ish’ Cast For Upcoming Season!

The Katt’s out of the bag! After a series of legal issues, comedian Katt Williams is ready to get his life and career back on track. ABC exclusively confirmed to In Touch that Katt is slated to join the cast of their hit primetime sitcom Black-ish, and sources close to the actor tell us this could be his chance to finally make a great comeback to comedy.

Katt is confirmed to be appearing in a one-episode role as Perry, the father of new character Kyra (Quvenzhané Wallis). Kyra is Dre’s young cousin, who will be spending time with the family as her mom can’t take care of her. Perry is estranged from his daughter, but will pop in for an unexpected visit.

“It’s Katt’s big chance, maybe his last chance at a real comeback!” the source exclusively tells In Touch. An insider at ABC says Katt was hired to appear on the hit family series and the most surprising thing new update about the comic — who is known for his infamous drug-fueled escapades, fights, and feuds — is that “he’s sober, he’s on his best behavior and the cast loves him,” the insider added.

“It’s definitely a comeback for Katt. This is a big deal. He was on Atlanta, but this is a mainstream, family-friendly, network series. If Katt f–ks this up, he’s never getting another shot. Everyone is rooting for him, especially stars Tracee Ellis Ross and Anthony Anderson.”

The last time fans saw Katt, 47, on TV was on an episode of the hit FX comedy-drama series Atlanta, created by Donald Glover who also stars in the series. But the actor and comedian is more well-known for his roles in the hit films Friday After Next and Norbit.

In his personal life, Katt struggled with a slew of legal issues dating back to 2006, when he was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport after a stolen gun was found in his briefcase. Katt also has a handful of assault and battery charges on his record, and the most recent one happened in October 2018 when he was arrested in Portland. According to local newspaper, Katt allegedly assaulted the driver of a town car while they were en route to the private Atlantic Aviation airport after they had an argument over transporting Katt with his dog. Hopefully, he’s truly turned over a new leaf this time!

Source: InTouch, ABC

Issa Rae’s Production Company Signs Major Production Deal With Columbia Pictures!

Issa Rae’s production company, ColorCreative, has signed a multi-picture production deal with Columbia Pictures. The pact is unique in that under the agreement, ColorCreative will work with and back projects from emerging, diverse screenwriters.

The move comes as the entertainment industry is under pressure to develop films and shows that feature underrepresented talent both in front of and behind the camera. There’s a lot of room for improvement. Films such as “Black Panther” and “Crazy Rich Asians” have demonstrated the commercial appeal of movies with minority leads, but they remain the exception, not the rule. A recent USC study found that only 29.3% of characters in the 100 top grossing movies of 2017 were from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.

Rae is best known for creating, co-writing, and starring in the HBO series “Insecure.” Selected participants, to be announced in the spring of 2019, will work with Rae and the studio to develop and write features based on their original ideas.

“Issa is a force of nature, and a magnet for talented people,” said Sanford Panitch, president of Columbia Pictures, in a statement. “We couldn’t be more excited to join her in her mission to pave the way for fresh and authentic voices.”

Columbia, which is owned by Sony, has backed several projects with minority or female-leads, including the upcoming “Miss Bala,” an action film with a cast and crew that is 95% Latinx, and “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” an animated film that features Miles Morales, a superhero with an African American father and a Puerto Rican mother.

Rae was discovered via her self-produced web series “Awkward Black Girl,” which inspired “Insecure.”

Bryan Smiley, VP of production at Columbia Pictures shepherded the deal and will oversee production and development with ColorCreative for the motion picture group. Sara Rastogi, recently appointed as VP of production for ColorCreative will also help guide the deal for the company along with Deniese Davis, COO of ColorCreative.

“Working with Bryan Smiley and Columbia Pictures to further the mission ColorCreative set out to achieve four years ago in creating access for underrepresented writers, has been a dream come true,” Rae said in a statement. “All of the projects we are working on are fresh and promising and we can’t wait to continue the work. We hope to set a precedent and inspire the industry at large to invest in undiscovered talent, original IP, and fresh stories and perspectives.”

“Sara’s commitment to discovering and elevating budding voices along with her out-of-the-box thinking has made her a perfect and insightful addition to our team,” said Rae.

Source: Variety

Comedian Tarome “Coolaide” Wright Passes Away After Long Battle With Cancer

Last weekend one of Detroit’s finest comedians, Tarome “Coolaide” Wright lost his long battle with cancer. As many will tell you, Coolaide never let the battle shake his spirits as he battled the disease. We discovered that he had been fighting the disease for so long that many never knew he had it until he could keep it a secret no longer. One of Detroit’s finest, Coolaide was very approachable and always made many people laugh and was known as a comedian’s comedian.

Condolences to him and his family.

The funeral information is below:

Nick Cannon Stands Up for Kevin Hart by Posting Homophobic Tweets From Schumer, Silverman

Nick Cannon is sticking up for Kevin Hart after the comedian stepped down from hosting the 2019 Academy Awards. Hart was announced as Oscars host on December 4, but soon afterward controversial jokes featuring LGBTQ slurs from Hart’s past began to resurface. After initially refusing to apologize, Hart eventually said he was sorry and confirmed he would not be hosting as to “not be a distraction” to the show at large.

Cannon showed support for Hart on Twitter by re-posting old tweets from female comics Amy Schumer, Sarah Silverman, and Chelsea Handler that, similar to Hart, feature LGBTQ slurs and derogatory terms. Cannon noted he’s a fan of Silverman’s “Wreck-It Ralph” franchise despite the fact she once tweeted in 2010, “I dont mean this in a hateful way but the new bachelorette’s a f*g.”

A 2012 tweet from Amy Schumer read, “Enjoy ‘Skyfall’ f*gs. I’m about to get knee deep in Helen Hunt #TheSessions.” Cannon also re-posted a 2010 tweet from Handler that said, “This is what a f*g bird looks like when he flexes.”

Cannon’s re-posts were not designed to drag the female comics but to question why so much backlash was given to Hart when homophobic jokes have been made for some time by comics both male and female. Cannon’s overall point seems to be that comics should not have to be silent or politically correct in their jokes.

“You know I’ve been saying fucked up shit since twitter started!” Cannon replied to one fan. “I don’t play that politically correct bullshit! Fuck politics!! Only Truth!”

Cannon originally celebrated Hart’s hosting announcement on Instagram, saying he “couldn’t be happier” for Hart. “Real talk my bro deserves every bit of what God is blessing him with,” Cannon said. “The hardest working, kindest, and most genuine dude in the business.”

The Academy has yet to announce Hart’s replacement.

Nick Cannon

✔@NickCannon

Nope!! You know I’ve been saying fucked up shit since twitter started! I don’t play that politically correct bullshit! Fuck politics!! Only Truth!

☿ ą ʂɛŋɬıŋɛƖɛʂɛ ąཞཞơῳ@sweetfacedinero

Replying to @NickCannon @Lenardthagod

They’ve already moved passed her. Like they’ve moved passed Kevin.

Every word, thought, deed and action you will be responsible for….10, 20, 30 years from now… every seed planted will produce a consequence!!

While you auditing tweets, you need to audit yours!

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