Ever found yourself doubled over in laughter at Dave Chappelle's unique brand of humor? Ever pondered how Chappelle's comedy, showcased in the classic stoner comedy Half Baked, has left an indelible mark on the comedic landscape? Join Ralph and me as we take a jovial journey into this cult classic, sharing our first impressions and highlighting the unforgettable scenes that left us in stitches.
With a star-studded cast including Tommy Chong and Garamot Diaz, Half Baked painted a hilarious, albeit exaggerated, picture of stoner culture that we couldn't help but laugh at. Diving deeper, we explore how this 1998 classic launched Chappelle's career and critique its current status as a comedy classic. We also examine how Chappelle's comedic influence extends to other humor heavyweights like Key and Peele, JB Smooth, and Charlie Murphy. This episode is a must-listen for anyone keen to revisit a comedy classic and understand its broader implications on the world of comedy. So, chuck your mundane routine, grab your popcorn, and let's get baked with Half Baked!
Thank you for all the support. Please feel free to send us feedback over discussions, or topics you'd like us to discuss. We will give you a shout out. Also if you like to make a donation to the podcast were accepting Cash App at $atribecalledbleek.
Ever found yourself doubled over in laughter at Dave Chappelle's unique brand of humor? Ever pondered how Chappelle's comedy, showcased in the classic stoner comedy Half Baked, has left an indelible mark on the comedic landscape? Join Ralph and me as we take a jovial journey into this cult classic, sharing our first impressions and highlighting the unforgettable scenes that left us in stitches.
With a star-studded cast including Tommy Chong and Garamot Diaz, Half Baked painted a hilarious, albeit exaggerated, picture of stoner culture that we couldn't help but laugh at. Diving deeper, we explore how this 1998 classic launched Chappelle's career and critique its current status as a comedy classic. We also examine how Chappelle's comedic influence extends to other humor heavyweights like Key and Peele, JB Smooth, and Charlie Murphy. This episode is a must-listen for anyone keen to revisit a comedy classic and understand its broader implications on the world of comedy. So, chuck your mundane routine, grab your popcorn, and let's get baked with Half Baked!
Thank you for all the support. Please feel free to send us feedback over discussions, or topics you'd like us to discuss. We will give you a shout out. Also if you like to make a donation to the podcast were accepting Cash App at $atribecalledbleek.
What's up to all the bleaks. You already know what season we're in season 5, everything 420, movie review, the classics. I have my great co-host, ralph, and we're going to talk about a classic. There's no stranger in the world of 420. And in fact this movie right here really showcased this man's talent. Before he is the name of today now I think he was a. This movie really showcased him being like his intro to the world versus, you know, black stand up and everything else. And Dave Chappelle is half baked. You know that movie is a great classic. I enjoyed rewatching it again after all these years. And we're just going to go ahead and talk about this movie right here, because I'm sure a lot of you guys are familiar with it. And Ralph for you, your first impression of this great Dave Chappelle movie half baked. What did you think about it? I?
Speaker 2:
thought it was crazy. I remember the first time I seen it was, I believe, on Comedy Central. I don't know. I think that's the first time I've seen it. I could be wrong. It probably was HBO, but I can almost swear it was Comedy Central. I've seen it a few times, though it was mostly on TV. When I've seen it Okay.
Speaker 1:
So the first time I saw it was on DVD. Of course you're saying DVD, that should be it, but that movie came out in the 90s but one of my friends, he had it and I saw it. And I'm not saying it was funny, but you know, sometimes, like certain comedies, you'll understand a little bit better if you experience that situation or dive into that world. So it was funny, but I had never experienced that time because I was a teenager for 20.
Speaker 1:
It was funny, but it was like something's kind of went over my head.
Speaker 2:
I just found it funny because I was familiar with Dave Chappelle. I've seen him in other things before. I've seen Half-Bait. I've seen him play a tube and I think it was Men in Types Robin Hood, Men in Types. I've seen him in his little stand-ups where he's wearing the outfit where he just got off work. But I don't know. Just in fact I was familiar with him. I don't know, it's so amazing.
Speaker 1:
Well, if I'm not mistaken, man, because I think this movie came out and for the leaks, I'm looking it up right now. So, just while I'm coming correct with the information, all right. So I'm going to get on my ass about Half-Bait, right, because some leaks will be like yeah, no, it came out this time, right, so 98. Yeah, which is it? All right. So you know, for that, that's right before the Chappelle show. Obviously, that's when, god knows. Yeah, they took that to a whole other level, something we'll never be able to see these days because the cancer culture.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I don't think Chappelle's show will survive, no, not even.
Speaker 1:
He kind of predicted some of the stuff it's coming here and for Half-Bait once. I experienced throughout the years later in my life 420 World will say that a lot of things hit me differently with that movie in good ways where I could honestly relate to it. Sometimes I was like, oh yeah, like you know, I can see why people really really fuck with this movie and I think he had a great way of exposing himself to a whole other demographic as less comedy.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I believe Half-Bait is part of what took him beyond. Oh yeah, yeah, it's just a comedy realm Because, like I mentioned, robin Hood and Men in Tights but not a lot of people are familiar with that movie yeah, but you mentioned Half-Bait.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, it's like a lot.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, a lot of people, a lot of people have heard of it.
Speaker 1:
And it's almost like that, like funny go-to, but not too serious because you're going to laugh all the time.
Speaker 2:
Stolen the movie to me yeah.
Speaker 1:
I think it's where it was. Like that over, like over the top, you could tell like I think I feel like this is a great comedy, but they exaggerate the stoners so much. I don't know the behavior. We're just like look, I don't know too many stoners who do all that. Do they get that high and do some of the dumb shit that these guys are getting caught?
Speaker 2:
up on Right Right, but I mean it was. It was crazy though, because, like whenever that movie came out, I remember throwing a school and then, like some of the bad kids up at school, like they was trying to guess who's what type of stoner From all through what they saw in the movie Right.
Speaker 1:
But I say this like the cast is what caught me, yeah, you know, to see them all. So young were you, the new dog with the scavenger.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I like how he popped up. I mean, I think it was like he was on a lift or something. He just roomed in the side of the stairs still.
Speaker 1:
Because it had. What was it? Tommy Chong and Garamot Diaz.
Speaker 2:
Rachel True, and as a kid I seriously thought that Tommy Chong. I thought that was George Carlin, yeah you didn't recognize him in that movie. I thought that was George Carlin. No-transcript.
Speaker 1:
So watching that movie it really just like took me back cuz I was like damn like Seeing Chappelle skinny Chappelle.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, skinny, everybody, they're young. They're young like. One part that threw me off in the movie is like the scene where the guy I've got it this pile or something like that in the movie Arrested throughout the whole movie.
Speaker 1:
Let me, let me see real quick, yeah I don't know.
Speaker 2:
He's like feeding the horse or whatever, outside of the gas station.
Speaker 1:
No, no, his name is Kenny.
Speaker 2:
Sorry he was. He was feeding the horse outside of the gas station or whatever. Yeah, he's like feeding the candy and all types of stuff. Yeah, like it was a diabetic. Yeah, here you go. You want to eat some more, cheryl. And they're like, this woman walks by and the woman that walks by I sit like to. I seriously like I think that's the. I thought that was the comedian yamanica sanders. Okay, okay, look a whole lot like her. To me sounded like her, but I don't think it's her. The name is different. I looked it up, forgot the name already, but it was. It was a different, it was a different name. Unless she went by a different name. It looks like yamanica sanders, but like whatever he was talking about, you want some more, Cheryl? What does she turns? And then she was like I was like oh, fuck you, or something like that.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, and he was like sorry, or something like yeah, I just remembered that horse collapsed and then he's in jail, yeah, it's trying to survive, and they're like you gotta be tough, we gotta be strong, and I just thought it was funny how they lay okay, the part that got me to before that scene is when they're like okay, whose turn is it to get the munchies? And then they give him like this crazy assless and I'm thinking like I was gonna carry all that shit by himself. They get a piece 20 candy bars, they two tubs ice cream.
Speaker 2:
It's popcorn. Yeah, he was giving himself pats on the back for all the stuff he was coming up with, and I just thought I was like how they emphasize the the stoner life.
Speaker 1:
But you know one thing about that movie that really stood out to me and, I guess, to that time frame of Fashion right.
Speaker 2:
Oh yeah, it's all like a boo boo that farm.
Speaker 1:
Oh that, but also the whole hippies, because there's a scene when they go in that club and they're passing out the samples. Yeah and then everybody's like it's almost like the red, because you know you think about the 90s and I remember as a bleak grown up some of you bleaks might remember or not I remember when I was in school, middle school, bell bottoms were back in right. I never girls rockin, you know. I mean it's like that retro. The 60s and 70s was kind of somewhat of the fashion.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, they kind of mixed all in there.
Speaker 1:
And then you did see that in some scenes in that movie when they're like giving out the samples and stuff. But I will say this though hey, oh, I Really like his for Wiz Khalifa, one of his, his new album, one of his songs. I didn't realize this until I saw this movie. Again, he uses a sample from that movie and it's the the drug lord Guy, and I'm gonna actually look him up because he's the villain in that movie.
Speaker 2:
Oh, yeah, the same guy who plays like the villain tells from the hood.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, yeah, Clarence Williams the third man. He plays Samson simps and I thought it was funny when he was on the phone. He is like shut up, bitch. You told Mr Jamaican get his Jamaican ass.
Speaker 2:
Something like this fells character was like wait, hold on, wait. What made him think he was Jamaican?
Speaker 1:
You know he's like oh, I just said you know, whatever work then, any excuse it Jamaican be. And I just thought that was interesting. Where he's like are you really a Jamaican when you bring up like the cross bro?
Speaker 2:
He's like oh lord, yeah, first he started, he was trying to convince him talking about will. If I wasn't Jamaican, would I be wearing this hat?
Speaker 1:
That whole movie right there, which we could go into this point, for the second part, is half-baked, considered a cult classic in 420 culture.
Speaker 2:
I Would say so. I would say so. That's why a lot of people are familiar with Dave Chappelle. Like, if he was to ask just random people on the street what was Dave Chappelle's first movie, they'll probably say half-baked, even though that wasn't his first movie.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I know, I agree, I feel like that was his. It's crazy because one movie I didn't even know he was in because he looked different and I thought it was funny as hell. In this part he was in the nutty professor. Yeah, he played. Yeah, everybody in the way he changed his voice, what that you know?
Speaker 2:
like that top hat and everything that top hack. I took off and they get like a spider.
Speaker 1:
He was like he's a Polish, he is like Yo ass, I'm a regina studied off the street, hey man. Oh Well for anybody to choose some to do in that movie, it worked the so seeing Dave Chappelle Cuz, I mean the man's controversial To the people who, you know, feel that way about some of the things he says. But there's no denying this man is like Probably greatest comedian of our generation and that is.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, like he really is. I would say that I would say the same. I would say the same like he. He doesn't really hold back, he just let it all out there.
Speaker 1:
And, and that's the thing too, you know one thing I respect about, like you know what we talked about too. What certain comedians have is something right. So like for Dave Chappelle, he can bring it, he can do some hood as comedy if you want it, yeah, and then do something for like to me, like corporate world, like white America, like you just reach the masses where it's going to make you laugh, no matter what. I Assume don't have that crossover. Now Dave Chappelle does, and that movie really showcased that. Because it wasn't like you know, like and this is, and I love, right, I love him's writing, but you know, for this to be the star being a black character, and this wasn't, like you know, about marijuana, but it wasn't like on a crazy hood, hood, right you know I mean because the only person who kind of played into that part with the other person he played was a guy who was like he was in the commercials.
Speaker 1:
I got a season. I got with smoke a lot.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, sir. So when he?
Speaker 1:
fit into that stereotype. I gotta get lifted. I know in that right there just showing like, and even back then, if you think about half baked, really show how versatile Dave Chappelle was yeah you know we saw all those different skits in the Chappelle show. Yeah, they really caught on. Like prepped you for like, oh no, I can do yeah.
Speaker 2:
I'm gonna go all kinds of just different weird characters.
Speaker 1:
Okay, so Third talk point question, the. Dave Chappelle showcase a lot of comedic talent in this movie for you.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, yeah, I'll say he did. I'll say he did because even the parts where he wasn't even trying to be funny, it was just a look he would make on his face and in like the certain things he would say about him being like a janitor, he was like like a studio, something, something like a good story and engineer.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, he was like oh, a janitor, if you want to be a dick bro, you know, you know one thing about that movie One scene that really stood out for for the guys out there, for bleaks out there. Um, I Don't have this problem with this on this part, thank God. But I feel like every man has been there at one point or another where he had to date. But he was trying to like Bullshit her around because of the money. He only had dollars. And he was like. He was like, oh Damn, she's a why I'm getting kind of hungry. Let's go over here. How about a hot dog? All right, cool, sure, hot dog. Yeah, let me get this. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I say hey, how about a drink with that? You know, take a drink, would you like anything? No, man, and it was so fucked up. He goes to the homeless guy. He takes a change out to get something else for the ice cream stuff.
Speaker 2:
I was like thank you. He was like no, thank you.
Speaker 1:
But let me ask you um who is your favorite character in Smurfs? Because they it was. It was something else with some of these people.
Speaker 2:
And I'll let you say Dave Chappelle, but that's the obvious character. Another favorite character I would say is Brian, because Brian looked like he was hot. Oh, dude, he. He looks like he was messed, but all you had to do was put him in a marijuana commercial and if you'll be like, yeah, you know what I'm gonna mess with it, that's, that's what. No, yeah, jim Brewer.
Speaker 1:
He just had that look. He looks so messed like, I felt like they didn't have to do anything like that. His hair, his eyes.
Speaker 2:
It's just like yeah, I like played that role, so I know he did.
Speaker 1:
Oh, I would say Dave Chappelle's characters, sir smoke a lot and just himself, and then man. I did like the villain in the movie, though he was kind of funny he was he was, I did like a, but then Nature, true, mary Jane, yeah, she was just so.
Speaker 2:
She was just fine, fine she was really good.
Speaker 1:
But also she was still kind of like ride or die, like don't do this, but I still love you and wait for me, and she just seemed like just a soul, like sweet, innocent, but like you know, I don't want you to do that because I love you tight, you know. Oh, yeah, yeah, but she was on literature Because I'm sure she's been in some other movies, but that one really stood out to me with her because she just seems so down to earth and cool.
Speaker 2:
She did, she really did um.
Speaker 1:
Okay, so let's see here um. Is this movie slept on in the world of 420 classics? You think?
Speaker 2:
I don't know, I don't know how to tell you today, cause like I would say it is, but then then again, I don't, I don't know, I don't think so. A lot of people know about it, they know what it is and you know they should be able to tell you what it is. So they get like oh dude. So like like now that, like I'm sure most of the population knows what half baked it.
Speaker 1:
I think, I think what, like you mentioned earlier, the good thing about half baked was like before the Chappelle show. It catapulted his career. We had also introduced people to Dave Chappelle's comedy style and advanced, so it wasn't so foreign when you saw the Chappelle show.
Speaker 2:
When he was like playing all these different characters and he skits. He was like watching this stand up made the Chappelle show not too foreign to me. His stand up was kind of like led to him, so what's what's going to be?
Speaker 1:
I want to say this though I understand people grow over time, I feel like Chappelle now he's mastered his craft. But I understand you get a mature with it, right? Yeah, he's no longer one. He's not skinny anymore. So when he ran off to Africa and had to disappear. Yeah, got swole to eat back, you know, wearing cowboy boots and stuff.
Speaker 1:
And I was like is this the same old, different style. Yeah, ever Chappelle, back in the day, he was, like you know, jeans, chuck tailors. Like you know, the button up shirt like a hat or something, yeah, dickie's jumpsuit. He was just or you look like a mechanic. He was just very, very like down earth blue collar, tight, like just keep a water with you, and I always liked his talent and his work. But Chappelle man, it's like, I feel like, because you know the Chappelle show, which is still a classic, great show to this day, I don't want to say it's like a it's not forgotten, but I feel like the only thing that kind of came close to that afterwards, or it was around the same time, was the boondocks. Oh yeah, you know what I mean. And then the only other show of that comedy style in some ways, carlos.
Speaker 2:
Mencia.
Speaker 1:
Yeah Well, I was going to say Atlanta.
Speaker 2:
Right.
Speaker 1:
Atlanta like kind of. To me Atlanta was like Friday and the boondocks mixed in together, Right, but the stuff that Chappelle would talk about was like written in that movie, because after the Chappelle show I didn't really care for this one and it's not to knock these two guys off of their success, but it just didn't work.
Speaker 2:
For me was Keen Pill, Because they were oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah they. I didn't get a hip to Keen Pill till after and I was in. I'm not a fan of theirs. Yeah, like, after the series I started seeing clips I was like, okay, this is pretty funny. Oh, okay, this is okay, I think funny. Like, cause I was, I was familiar with Pill from Matt TV. Okay, that makes sense. Yeah, yeah, matt. Matt TV is where I was familiar because I used to watch Matt TV a lot.
Speaker 1:
Okay, See, I feel like with that right there, and it was on, Vlad Ari Spirits spoke about it. Where Vlad asked him was like hey, you know, is there a reason why these two comedians aren't accepted in the black community? Like that, Right, and he was saying like, look, these are great guys. He goes. Is it a surprise? Not really, but he goes. They don't have that hood comedy that most blacks will probably be familiar with. Like another comedian like that to me is like JB Smooth.
Speaker 1:
That's not one that you know people. Oh yeah, he was in that JB Smooth Like, nah like, and that's why he appeals to a different audience out the demographic. But I always respect his chappel.
Speaker 2:
JB make that money.
Speaker 1:
Do those vodka commercials?
Speaker 2:
Yeah yeah. No hating on JB, yeah yeah.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, no hating on Miss Amy, there's no hating on, you know, key and pill, right, right. No, no hate at all, but a chappel just really had this way of just. You know I'm going to say something funny. And so when I was in the military, you know white dudes holding his comedy off.
Speaker 2:
Oh yes, the chappel show. Like you heard all quotes from that show like all the time. And then there were some memes and shit. Yeah, there's like a shirt that says F Yo couch and has a picture of Dave Chappelle as as Rick James kicking the couch.
Speaker 1:
Here's my thing with that shit right there, right. One thing I loved about the chappel show too is that how he showcased Charlie Murphy's talent, because we were all familiar with Eddie. But you see, charlie Murphy, because you know, because at one point Eddie wasn't doing like real raunchy, calm, like really you know he was, he was toning it down. No more children movies. Yeah, I felt like Charlie Murphy kind of picked up the ball of them, was like I'm Charlie.
Speaker 1:
But the part where, like when I asked the story, the part where they actually interviewed Rick James and they're like, did you really do that? He goes like I just didn't do shit, just to do it, and what all of us like, coming over and you know Eddie Murphy's house and put my feet up the top of your couch yeah, I remember me with my feet up. So I'm gonna buy it Because they had a drink. So why did you do it? Because I know Eddie could buy a new one. And then you know the whole Prince shit like this too was just Never gave y'all a button, prince thing was funny and Prince immediately said that that was true.
Speaker 2:
He was like no, no, no, that's not true, he was like next day he fed us pancakes and grapes.
Speaker 1:
And then Charlie, we're about to do a weird look on his face, like afterwards.
Speaker 2:
And he was holding spatula. Would anybody like some grapes?
Speaker 1:
And then, uh, rick James, he was actually mad about that, oh wow. So if you go on YouTube for the bleak stuff there, watch the Rick James Dave Chappelle interview, because it actually shows an extra 30 to 40 minutes all of those conversations where Rick James, he was very upset with Charlie Murphy. He said I didn't talk to him for like a year. Oh wow, because he goes. He goes. How in the hell you gonna get beat by a little fuff of fuff.
Speaker 2:
Like he goes, are you?
Speaker 1:
a six foot UB in K If you don't get beat by somethin'. Yeah, well, rick James. Well, he did that shit Because it was really true and he goes like he said. He said this is what Charlie Murphy used to say because he was like you know why? My son's a karate, so he does not get his ass. Well, like, I'm sure, the God man oh so it was Ruben, don't it?
Speaker 1:
Prince actually was good, because he really wanted to go to the NBA yeah, he was really good and I just feel like that show it half big, just a world of Chappelle man. It's like it gives. Just you can never sleep on it because the man has just been so talented at what he does Always comes through, whether it's stand up or movies you know him a blue streak.
Speaker 1:
Oh, so let's, let's get into this part, man, all right. So if half big was a string, how many puffs on a scale one to five before you pass?
Speaker 2:
I Almost gave them five awesome I don't know skin five awesome.
Speaker 1:
Okay, all right. All right, I'm gonna say I Want to do for the only reason why I love the movie. It is a good movie. I just feel like, in comparison to some of the other 420 movies right now, like it's not. I still like it. It'll probably my top five, but it won't be like my first three.
Speaker 2:
Right right.
Speaker 1:
I think still number one for me right now is certainly that pineapple express.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I think it's because I'm familiar with Dave before he did that and I can see that I was like, oh okay, you got a movie and he's a star of it. Now it's kind of like aquafina. I knew about aquafina way Before all that after it's not, which he had a YouTube channel. I used to watch it. Like that's how familiar I was with aquafina. So then I followed her. I followed her career and some of the stuff. She did not everything, but I've seen a few things that she's done, a few movies, she's done a few series.
Speaker 1:
Well, I said, is For the bleach out there. If you haven't seen half baked, definitely, definitely check this out. It's just about these guys who were stoners and then they're trying to get the front out of prison, off of the dumb shit that he did, because killing all horse cop is considered killing a cop. Yeah, so you know he's, you know you see all the antics and everything else. For one thing I will say I did like about this movie that I haven't seen in other 420 movies and it's like you and I were bumping that song from Snoop.
Speaker 1:
I missed that bitch, right, yeah, and I loved it. How was Snoop said you know, the first time I hooked up with her my mom got mad at me and I couldn't stop tripping. I loved in half baked. It showed the first time he got high with his friends and how, you know, they evolved into the stoners that they are today, because it showed the frame. And I'm for sure for some of you bleaks, I'm sure you all remember y'all very, very first 420 experience and sometimes it's just one of those things. Be like you never forget your first time. But I, I did like that about them.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, yeah, yeah, that was interesting, like when it was in there was in that gas thing it was to place in the get well, what they call the Bodega. Yeah, I always took place in the Bodega, like it was women in that big, large yeah.
Speaker 1:
I'm so thirsty On that, that movie.
Speaker 2:
right there it's something like oh boy, they always be saying B, I forgot his character's name. I should know I got it right. Here I'm seeing the guy that says starface, starface. Yeah, how forget his starface, his character. Whatever. It showed him as a kid. He was looking at comic books, yeah, and then, like they asked if he was high he saw like the superhero.
Speaker 1:
I know give like a thumbs up. I really did like how they did to do that never. But yeah, I mean for bleaks out there, you know. Oh yeah, I gotta tell me what's up, ralph and I, again, I'll have the site information up so you guys can comment, subscribe, tell your friends about it. Honor's gonna be a lot of things coming on to that site. Just just keep in mind it's still under development, it's not completely done, but Ralph has already seen it. Ralph, you want to just say a little something from what you did see.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, it has a lot of interesting topics on there, like different things to just talk about and whatnot. You know you go check it out. There's some things you probably want to answer on there. I had questions about Wu Tang and a question like there's a lot of, a lot of interesting stuff on that site. So if y'all go check that out, you know you might you might find some. Especially, you ain't got nothing to do, you feel like just typing up some stuff. Oh yeah, yeah, there's some decent dialogue. Oh yeah, there's so much to talk about within that site.
Speaker 1:
So yeah, I just appreciate you guys checking that out. They gave you guys want to reach out to us, a tribe called bleak a gmailcom. We're also on cash up. I just for you guys know. Hey, my old laptop crash. I have a new one, so the audio quality is a lot better, clear from what we've been told. So going forward, we're just really really trying to just Deliver for you guys. But until next time, be safe out there, bleakers.
