Comedy

Steve Martin has just about all of the internet going to bat for him against millennials who apparently don't find the humor in one of his most famous 'SNL' sketches ... King Tut!

Here's the deal ... SM's trending because somebody reposted and recirculated his famously goofy Egyptian-themed dance that he performed on the late-night program, on which he made regular appearances in the '70s. Yesterday marked the 44th anniversary of its debut.

While people were piling on with praise at first, it seems, one person (and perhaps more) asked a simple question ... where the heck is the funny in this thing???

As one 20-or-30-something notes ... "I'm sure my parents found this hilarious in the 70's but I honestly dont get it. He's doing a funny dance and voice but there isn't really a *bit* that my Millenial (sic) brain can parse." Their tweet is now taking off ... in a bad way.

Tons of people are coming out in defense of Steve against this person's perception of his comedy chops -- or lack thereof, in their eyes -- by rightly explaining he was a pioneer and kickstarted an entire wave of legendary standups that emerged in the late '70s and '80s through his wacky style ... which was more showmanship than actual traditional punchlines.

The King Tut dance, they explain, is just one example ... also, context matters too. There was a huge museum exhibit of the young pharaoh being dragged across the U.S. back then ... and it permeated the airwaves. So, Steve's satire here isn't lost on those who remember.

There also appears to be another convo happening on the outskirts of this King Tut clip -- namely, folks who are allegedly up in arms because of ... cultural appropriation.

Frankly, we can't find a single tweet expressing this position whatsoever -- Twitter's algorithm stinks when it comes to finding the initial outrage being cited -- but in any case, some say they're seeing that argument being floated ... and there, too, Steve fans are shutting it down.

Indeed, we're not about to apply the 2022 lens to Steve and his material some 40 years later. And, more importantly, no one in their right mind would try to "cancel" him now.

But, on the issue of whether he's actually funny or not -- either in his standup heyday or in movies thereafter -- well, it seems the answer depends on who you ask ... generationally.

Katt Williams put a huge chunk of change down on an absolute beast of a vehicle ... one that's fittingly named after the end of days.

Katt recently purchased the Apocalypse Hellfire ... an eco-diesel truck with 6-wheel drive and Kevlar coating. The rims are fresh with custom purple powder, and it's got the leather interior color to match.

The "super truck" set Katt back $200K, but it's not the first time he's made a purchase like this -- he's worked with Apocalypse Manufacturing in the past, building 2 other trucks with them. We're told Katt had the Hellfire shipped out to him in California from FL.

The company sold other Apocalypse models to athletes like Aroldis Chapman and Hassan Whiteside ... and a version similar to Katt's new whip was used in Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum's "The Lost City."

Apocalypse recently dropped the first-ever 6-wheel Bronco to consumers, and created a commercial that brings some deja-vu to the scene ... revolving around a police chase with a certain football player.

Cheech & Chong are celebrating 4/20 in the only way they know how -- smoking a fat blunt -- while puff, puff, passing with cops in a new music video.

The iconic comedy stoner duo is teaming up with Doggface, the viral Fleetwood Mac skateboarder from 2020, for his first rapping debut in "Low Rider" ... blazing up a fatty in the video, and prompting a visit from police.

The video's release date is April 20, the unofficial marijuana holiday, so naturally, the police actors start sharing the blunt with Cheech, Chong and Doggface, some real reefer madness.

Doggface's first song -- titled "Low Rider" -- is Klypso's and it features War and another well-known stoner, Snoop Dogg, who doesn't shy away from smoking on camera either.

George Lopez even makes a cameo ... parking it up too!!!

As we first told you ... the music vid was filmed over 4 days at Snoop's compound and a Burbank studio and cost around $300k to produce, with Snoop getting nearly $100k, and a big chunk going to production.

The song is a stoner's spin-off of the original (by War) and the celeb cast makes sense ... remember, Cheech and Chong played the OG "Low Rider" in their iconic movie, "Up in Smoke" ... and the tune doubles as the theme song for George's self-titled sitcom, "George Lopez."

Andy Dick got a visit from cops after a guy he's living with angrily whipped out a gun while they were live on the web.

Here's the deal ... Andy's been staying with a YouTube personality in Las Vegas, who calls himself the Wappy Flanker, and things went awry over the weekend during their live stream. We're told a third man went over to Wappy's place, and an argument broke out.

That's when Wappy pulls out a gun, and threateningly tells the visitor to beat it. In the video, you hear Andy telling his host, "Don't shoot the gun."

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... police received a call from someone who was watching the live stream, and cops went to the home Saturday for a welfare check.

We're told police spoke to Andy and the man who pulled the gun ... and Andy told cops he was fine, and wanted to keep staying at the home. Officers left without citing or arresting anyone.

It appears this isn't the first time a gun has shown up in the live stream ... a day earlier, video shows the Wappy Flanker with a gun on his waistband while Andy shoos off a guy recruiting him to stream an RV trip.

The troubled comedian appears to be sleeping on a cot in the living room ... and the live stream is seeking donations for Andy. 🤷🏽‍♂️

'SNL' had an Easter message Saturday night ... and it was hilarious.

The show opened with the Easter Bunny, who towed along a gaggle of celebs to wish everyone a happy holy day.

Mr. Bunny began by cautioning people not to freak out ... "It's really me, the Easter Bunny. Either that, or you're at Coachella and the shrooms are kicking in."

E.B. was followed by Dr. Fauci -- btw, Kate McKinnon just nails it with real talk about COVID.

Not to be left out ... Marjorie Taylor Greene then appears clutching an AR-15, and she takes a shot at Jews, the LGBTQ community -- nothing surprising.

Maybe the funniest ... Jared Leto, who looks similar to another famous, historical figure. And the caution he gives to movie reviewers is hilarious.

There were also really funny bits with Britney and NYC Mayor Eric Adams.

And lastly ... Donald Trump makes an appearance ... the best line -- remember when Trump said COVID will be over by Easter. Well, he didn't say which Easter, right?

Faizon Love is responding to Jay-Z's bars on Pusha T's "Neck & Wrist" with a healthy mix of sarcasm, jokes ... and a sprinkling of confusion added in there, too.

Pusha T recently grabbed Hov for a track on his upcoming album, "It's Almost Dry," and in true Jay fashion, his verse included a clapback at Faizon that was filled with complex lyricism.

He raps, “The phase I’m on, love, [Faizon Love] I wouldn’t believe it either/I’d be like, ‘Jay-Z’s a cheater.’" He finished up with, "I wouldn’t listen to reason [Reasonable Doubt] either/All I know is he’s a felon, how is he selling?”

During an episode of TMZ Hip Hop this week, DJ Hed explained how Jay-Z opts to covertly respond to shots thrown his way, as opposed to going viral through sensational interviews.

Y'know, because he's actually a rapper.

The backstory of this particular verbal beef dates back over a year when Faizon -- aka Big Worm from "Friday" -- questioned Jigga's drug-dealing past in 2 interviews.

Faizon returned to one of those interviewers, VladTV, and explained how "Neck & Wrist" initially flew over his head and ears.

Seeing that Jay didn't provide any animosity in his tone or words, Faizon simply didn't take it as a flat-out diss and compared the lyrics to a game of serving tennis. (Not exactly what the double entendre entails but still a cool viewpoint, we guess?)

Gilbert Gottfried was hard at work just a few weeks before his death -- and we've got video of one of his final on-screen appearances ... where he looks as spirited as ever.

The President of HollywoodOffices, Brad Folb, tells TMZ ... his company hired GG March 16 for a Cameo-styled ad through a company called Memmo -- which allows you to book celebs for any type of shout-out you might want.

In this case, HO was in the market for a personalized message from a "know-it-all" star who would be instantly recognizable -- and they quickly landed on Gilbert. Seeing how his voice is one of the most famous in La La Land ... they thought he'd be great.

Folb says they sent Gilbert instructions on what they were trying to communicate in the video -- namely, that you'd have to be a dummy not to rent office space from them -- but there was a no-rules rule in place for the guy ... so he could express that any way he saw fit.

Welp, Gil produced exactly that ... and did so with hilarious results. We're told the folks at HollywoodOffices were more than happy with what they got from him -- a gig that cost 'em about $1,300.

Seeing how a lot of their clients work in entertainment, Folb tells us he feels like Gilbert's ad was as good as it gets -- and, of course, it was so freakin' funny ... in true Gottfried fashion.

As you can see ... the dude looks and sounds like his old self, and surely seemed to be in high spirits -- which is why his passing was as shocking as it was. His family announced he'd died Tuesday after a long battle with a heart abnormality called Ventricular Tachycardia due to Myotonic Dystrophy type II.

Gilbert was just 67.

Say this for T.I. ... he's got the comedy world buzzing about his venture into stand-up, but after a couple of viral boo-fests, Luenell's offering some perspective -- which he may or may not appreciate.

The resilient rapper got a heavy dose of Brooklyn jeers at Barclays Center last week, and all clashed with another comedian, Lauren Knight, during a smaller gig in Atlanta -- but he told us he's good with learning lessons the hard way.

That's good, because comedy vet Luenell told us he should expect more of that. She hopped on the TMZ Celebrity Tour bus Tuesday in WeHo, and said Tip's just gotta crawl before he can walk onto stages in huge arenas.

You gotta watch how Luenell says it, but she clearly feels T.I.'s music legacy shouldn't get him a pass from playing coffee shops, and other small venues, like most comics do to sharpen their skills.

The crew on "TMZ Hip Hop" (our new TV show) includes some stand-up comedians, and they had a similar take ... saying he needs more stage time, and to learn some mic etiquette.

Luenell, of course, has over 4 decades of comedy under her belt -- on stage and in feature films -- so her advice should carry some weight.

Comedic legend Gilbert Gottfried defended his fellow comedians until the very end ... using his last social media post to back Chris Rock after the Oscars.

Gilbert posted a photo of him with Chris the day after Will Smith's on-camera slap, with the caption "Which is the worst crime? Chris Rock being physically assaulted or Chris Rock telling a joke?"

He also joked around about the "King Richard" star to The Associated Press, saying he used to worry about putting a mask on while performing ... but "now I have to worry about wearing a football helmet," hilariously begging Will to stay away from his shows.

As we reported, Gilbert passed away Tuesday from a heart abnormality called Ventricular Tachycardia due to Myotonic Dystrophy type II. His family asked his fans to keep laughing as loud as they can in his honor.

His career spans back to the '70s when he was a cast member on "Saturday Night Live," and quickly became a standout character on multiple shows and movies, including "Beverly Hills Cop II" and "The Cosby Show."

T.I. isn't backing down from comedy after a crowd booed him during his latest set ... and instead is taking it as serious motivation!!!

We talked to T.I. at LAX Tuesday, and he says it was eye-opening for him to hear the reaction at Saturday's show, but thinks the boos were an intended insult -- calling it personal.

The rapper-turned-comedian is glad it happened ... he's now able to make adjustments to his material to turn the boos into laughter.

He wants it known he received a standing O at his set in Atlanta the following day, so he thinks it wasn't the material that flopped, but it was the energy in the crowd that brought it down.

As we reported, T.I. got into it with fellow comedian Lauren Knight at an open mic in Atlanta last week ... after he began to heckle her from the crowd. She had referenced the sexual assault allegations against him and his wife, which is when he grabbed the mic and confronted her.

As we analyze how offensive Chris Rock's joke about Jada Pinkett Smith was -- one woman who's been a long alopecia advocate says ... it's more flattering than anything.

Swedish-born actress Jannica Olin -- who first started losing her hair to alopecia in 2013 -- dished her thoughts about the awkward Oscars moment to THR ... and she makes it clear, the 'G.I. Jane' dig wasn't nearly as big a deal in her eyes as it apparently was for Jada.

JO says as she watched back clips of the exchange after the fact, she was waiting for the hurtful part to come about -- but for her, it never really did.

Jannica adds, "I didn’t see what was offensive about it ... And I’m very aware we all have different experiences, and we’re all in different places. To me, personally, that ... joke was not offensive. I think that’s cool."

She goes on to explain that the 'G.I. Jane' character -- Jordan O'Neill, played by Demi Moore in the '90s -- is portrayed as a tough-as-nails badass, and a symbol of female empowerment ... and that to her, she would've taken Rock's joke as praise rather than a mean-spirited barb.

Jannica says, "I would have loved to have that said to me. But that’s me, right? I can’t speak for anyone else."

While Jannica acknowledges alopecia might affect people differently -- including Jada and by default, Will too -- she says he still should've restrained himself ... even if he was pissed off. She says, "We're all human. We're all going to get triggered by things. But you have to be an adult and sit with something and maybe not react that way, no matter what."

This has been a raging debate since the beginning -- namely, was Will's reaction simply a result of the hair crack itself, or was it deeper. Most seem to agree ... there might've been a lot of factors going into the smack, but that perhaps the bald joke was the last straw.

It's also unclear how offended Jada herself actually was in the moment -- yes, she did roll her eyes and show disapproval ... but just days before the Oscars, she telegraphed confidence about her alopecia and baldness. So, seemingly mixed signals on that front.

Of course, there's a race element to this as well ... many in the African-American community have argued that hair is particularly important and meaningful to Black women -- so some might not accept Jannica's take here at face value, seeing how she's white.

'SNL' hilariously recapped the Will Smith slap, saying despite Jada and Will talking about just about everything in their lives, most people didn't know she had alopecia ... equating it to Kanye getting upset because people didn't know he had psoriasis. (FYI ... he doesn't!).

Colin Jost and Michael Che were hysterical during "Weekend Update." As for Will's 10-year banishment from Academy events, they noted Will can still get nominated and even win another Oscar. As Jost put it ... "He just doesn't have to attend the four-hour ceremony where someone is definitely going to make fun of his wife again."

Che told a super-funny joke about equivalency ... him going out in frigid weather and noting that it's cold out, triggering people who heard him become outraged ... well, watch why -- it's great!

Lauren Knight, the comedian who had a heated exchange with T.I., says she's smoothed things over with the rapper ... but he still hasn't paid her the million bucks!

Here's the deal ... Lauren made a joke about T.I. at an open mic at an Atlanta club after he began heckling her from the crowd. T.I then grabbed the mic and confronted her after she seemingly referenced the sexual assault allegations against him and his wife ... something they strongly deny.

While Lauren feels T.I. overreacted and her joke didn't go too far ... she says they hashed things out and squashed their beef.

It took T.I. a while to let things go ... because he also went on Instagram Live this week responding to Lauren's account of what went down and said he would give Lauren $1 million if she produced a video of him calling her a "bitch."

Lauren produced the clip and posted it on her Instagram, but T.I. hasn't paid up.

It sounds like the money dispute didn't get in the way of Lauren and T.I. putting the bad blood behind them ... and she's hoping the truce means an end to the death threats coming her way online.

Chris Rock has shed a smidge of light on how he feels about Will Smith slapping him at the Oscars -- but says he won't reveal more until he receives one thing ... cold, hard cash.

The comedian told a live audience Friday that he would not be talking about the Oscars until he was compensated, presumably meaning somebody ponying up for his exclusive account ... this according to a report from the Palm Springs Desert Sun, which detailed his set in Indio, CA and the material referenced as Chris continues his national comedy tour.

Here's what Chris reportedly said in full ... "I'm OK, I have a whole show, and I'm not talking about that until I get paid. Life is good. I got my hearing back."

The strange thing ... if Chris means he's waiting on a network of some sort to pay him for a sit-down, ya gotta imagine he and his team have already been approached by every broadcast company in the game at this point. Maybe they just haven't offered enough???

Of course, another, slightly more sinister way to interpret his remarks ... perhaps he's talking about a civil lawsuit against Will himself, where he could potentially get paid that way too.

Or, he might just be joshing altogether ... it's unclear how serious this comment is, but considering the context -- Chris seems to be in good spirits and carrying on well. In any case, the Desert Sun has more deets about what's in Chris' set -- and it's interesting.

They say he took a lot of shots at celebs and politicians, including Hillary Clinton, the Kardashians, Meghan Markle and others. He also reportedly made fun of corporations and their diversity initiatives -- while also invoking his family life, being single and cancel culture ... as it relates to offending people these days. The DS says he got a standing O in the end.

It does seem Chris is opening up more and more as his tour rolls on -- remember, in his initial shows out in the East Coast ... all he said was he's still processing the smack.

Now, it appears he's finding some humor in the whole thing -- that, or just masking how he really feels with his comedy chops. Time will tell if/when Chris speaks on this officially.

Tom Segura is opening up on the awful injury he suffered while playing basketball in 2020 ... saying the damage was so bad, he couldn't even wipe his own ass.

The 42-year-old comedian ruined his arm and leg while attempting a dunk during a hoops sesh with fellow funny guy Bert Kreischer ... and if you haven't seen the video yet -- it's worse than you could ever imagine.

But, if you REALLY wanna check it out, click here -- but you've been warned. IT. IS. BAD!!!

In fact, Segura even needed a nerve transfer to help fix his arm ... after he already had pins and screws put in.

Segura joined Big Cat and PFT Commenter on Barstool Sports' "Pardon My Take" to break down the days following the incident ... saying he couldn't even feel his leg injury because his brain was focused on his arm.

"I was just like, 'Oh my God, my arm is so f***ed,'" Segura said. "And it was shattered. So I was just like, 'Goddammit.' And they were just giving me f***ing Dilaudid into my neck. I was like, 'Give me more!!'"

But, the severe pain medication -- along with a nerve blocker in his leg -- came with some crappy consequences ... and Segura gave every detail about the "assistance" he needed from nurses in order to go #2 at the hospital.

Yeah ... we're not going to put it into writing, but you can use your imagination or check out the clip.

However, Segura said he couldn't even wipe his tush on his own when he WAS able to take care of business ... and shared the hilarious reaction one nurse had when he found out what he was going to have to do to help out.

'SNL' showed a different angle of that slap, and it's hilarious!!!

Chris Redd played Will Smith flawlessly, as he jawboned with a fan just before hearing the "G.I. Jane" joke. It's manic, even somewhat believable, but undeniably funny.

We won't give you the blow-by-blow ... watch the video -- it's worth the time.

'SNL' doing the slap was as predictable as the sunrise, and the show delivered several times during the program.

Thing is ... the skit plays off real-life -- Will laughing at Chris Rock's joke, then becoming enraged and later tearfully taking the stage. Manic seems like the proper label.

And, speaking of tearful ... the one thing that got the waterworks going was when "Will" makes a comment about "Red Table Talk."

Smith subsequently addressed the altercation in his Best Actor acceptance speech, in which he apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees but not to Rock. Smith followed up with a written apology to Rock on Instagram on Monday. Smith has since resigned from the Academy as he was facing a suspension or expulsion.

Gunna served as the musical guest, performing his hit song "pushin P," while Jerrod Carmichael hosted the episode and had a hilarious monologue where he shared his own jokes on the Will Smith-Chris Rock Oscars slap.

On "Weekend Update" Michael Che and Colin Jost got in on the action, saying, "Intelligence officials are saying that Vladimir Putin is being misinformed by his advisors about how badly the Russian military is performing in Ukraine, which is kind of like Will Smith's agent telling him, 'You crushed it at the Oscars!'"

Jost wasn't done, saying Will's actions were "disgraceful" ... because it sets "a terrible precedent for having to defend your wife at awards shows."

Che noted that during his acceptance speech after landing the award for Best Actor, the "King Richard" star said, "Love will make you do crazy things."

And, then there's this ... Smith could join others who have been booted by the Academy -- Bill Cosby, Roman Polanski and Harvey Weinstein -- Or as Colin puts it, "Bad Boys For Life."