Sunday, August 11, 2019 Wyoming Tribune Eagle Page C7 Entertainment Rubin new academy head Today’s celebrity birthdays Ivanka Trump’s initiative Casting director David Rubin has been elected Actress Arlene Dahl is 94. Songwriter- Ivanka Trump will travel to South the new president of the Academy of Motion producer Kenny Gamble is 76. Wrestler- America in September to focus on issues Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization that actor Hulk Hogan is 66. Singer Joe that make it difficult for women in bestows the Oscars. He is the first casting Jackson is 65. Actress Viola Davis is developing countries to prosper director to ascend to the presidency. He 54. Actress Embeth Davidtz is 54. Actor financially, including lack of access to succeeds cinematographer John Bailey, who has Duane Martin is 54. Actress Anna Gunn credit and limits on employment. served as the academy’s president since is 51. Actress Ashley Jensen is 51. Actor President Donald Trump’s daughter and August 2017. Rubin has more than 100 Nigel Harman is 46. Actor Will Friedle is 43. Actor Rob White House adviser plans to visit Paraguay and Argentina credits, including films such as “The English Kerkovich is 40. Actress Merritt Wever is 39. Actor Chris to promote the Women’s Global Development and Patient” and “Men in Black.” Hemsworth is 36. Actress Alyson Stoner is 26. Prosperity Initiative, a program started six months ago.

In TV’s latest sketch comedies, an old form picks up new tricks By Robert Lloyd Larry Wilmore’s “The Night- brings up congregants with Los Angeles Times ly Show” – Wilmore is among their own agendas (stand-up the famous faces, including comedy, market research, Sketch shows are the Angela Bassett, David Alan Instagram page promotion). stealth bombers of televi- Grier, Loretta Devine, La- All are exceptionally well re- sion. Compared to the dra- verne Cox and Khandi Alex- alized – Dime Davis directs mas and sitcoms that ander, to guest on Thede’s throughout – and winningly dominate the conversation in show – and had her own cur- played. this Triple-Platinum Age of rent-events comedy, “The When it comes to “A Black television, they can seem Rundown With Robin Lady Sketch Show,” certain- ephemeral, the well-fortified Thede,” on BET. She’s joined ly, I am not, demographically institution of “Saturday here, in an exceedingly nim- speaking, going to be able to Night Live” notwithstanding ble main cast, by Quinta nod at every joke and say, – a fancy version of some- Brunson, Gabrielle Dennis “That’s so true” – just as I am thing amateurs put on in cof- (“The Game”) and Ashley not the person in the comedy feehouses and YouTubers Nicole Black (“Full Frontal club to whom the line “You post with a smartphone and With Samantha Bee”). For an ladies know what I’m talking half an idea. actor, sketch comedy is a about” is addressed. Yet this perceived lack of chance to demonstrate both Who you are and what you importance makes them an personality and range: an op- know and where you’ve been excellent vehicle for distinc- portunity to play many parts of course affect how you hear tive, even oddball points of in a short time, where a sit- a joke, and no good joke ever view. Nothing on television in Quinta Brunson and Robin Thede in the HBO series, “A Black Lady Sketch Show.” HBO/courtesy com star may spend years owes you an explanation. But recent years has been more playing just one. I am a human being, watch- ambitious or radical than ries to series or sketch to are easily plugged into online casts, HBO’s “A Black Lady All sorts of ideas, big and ing human beings, and I’m HBO’s “Random Acts of Fly- sketch an individual vision or video platforms and social Sketch Show,” and IFC’s little, spin about in “A Black interested in what the ladies ness,” a sort of Afrocentric group dynamic. Freed from media regurgitation ma- “Sherman’s Showcase,” de- Lady Sketch Show,” but know, and what they’re talk- art-variety show by way of the demands of narrative and chines. (Online humor is buted last week. (IFC is also there is a tendency for ordi- ing about. (Given how it priz- Jean-Luc Godard from the character development, very much a thing of shreds home to “Baroness von nary things to quickly be- es point of view, no medium Brooklyn-based filmmaker sketch comedy tends to be and sketches.) The best have Sketch Show,” a white Cana- come extraordinary. is more educational than Terence Nance; or Tim more intellectual than emo- a puckish joyousness, even dian lady sketch show, which Other sketches include comedy.) And while it’s true Heidecker and Eric Ware- tional; perhaps it’s more ac- when the material is dark. returns in October.) There is “Invisible Spy,” with Black that some comedy is meant heim’s Adult Swim series curate to say that even its With all that in its favor, a small but mighty tradition as a woman so ordinary-look- for specific eyes and ears, “Tim and Eric Awesome emotions are rooted in ideas. sketch comedy can still seem of black sketch comedy on ing no one can remember there is nothing particularly Show, Great Job!” before it; It’s perfect for parody, satire, a secondary form, but its lin- television – “Key & Peele,” her; the “Pose” parody exclusive about “A Black or Ernie Kovacs’ surrealist social commentary or exam- eage is venerable, and the “Chapelle’s Show,” “In Liv- “Basic Ball,” with “RuPaul’s Lady Sketch Show,” “Sher- blackouts way before that. ining the small quirks of line is far from played out. ing Color” and, going back, Drag Race” winner Caldwell man’s Showcase” or “Alter- Often beginning with the human nature. Sketch shows Comedy Central has lately “The Flip Wilson Show” – Tidicue in the Billy Porter natino.” question “What if?” sketch play with style; they are fast premiered “Alternatino among which these new se- role (“The category is: clini- It would be a sad, static comedy is all about possibili- and fleet, highly maneuver- With Arturo Castro,” which ries sit well. cal depression ... make your world, in any case, if we only ty. It can be abstract, absurd, able and modular. Maintain- brings a Latinx sensibility to “Black Lady” was created way to the floor, if you can”); listened to voices that sound- or shot through with topical ing their integrity out of the form; two series with Af- by and stars Robin Thede, and “Church Open Mic,” in ed just like ours. That’s what urgency, expressing from se- context, individual sketches rican American creators and who was the head writer on which a call for testimony Twitter is for. A brief appreciation of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson By Moira Macdonald tion. There is nothing that a traveler (“Jumanji: Wel- They always know what to rious 7,” announces his ar- I’m standing near The Rock. The Seattle Times character played by Johnson come to the Jungle”), and a say. Let’s be honest here: rival with “Woman, I am the Because he will not only pre- can’t drive. (In 2010’s “Fast- person capable of redirect- Johnson is not the most nu- cavalry.” Bow down. vail against all odds (Enor- Dwayne “The Rock” John- er,” his character is appro- ing a torpedo with one hand anced actor working today. In case of disaster, mous mutant animals! son returns to screens in priately named “Driver.”) (“Fate of the Furious”). (His range is basically a he’s your man. I’ve Towers aflame! Tsunami! “Fast & Furious Presents: While he mostly sticks with Somebody give this man a combination of Seething said it before and Vin Diesel!), but he will Hobbs & Shaw,” an impres- cars in the “F & F” movies – cape. Oh, and my editor Wide-Eyed Glare, Serious I- I’ll say it again, make you feel better sively double-ampersanded which he drives with a cool wants me to add that he is ca- Got-You Nod and Quietly but when the while he does it. This title that suggests that the nonchalance, like the vehicle pable of doing distracting Smoldering Intensity, inter- apocalypse is Johnson’s great “Fast & Furious” franchise is is a mild annoyance that gyrations with his pectoral spersed with the odd roguish comes, I gift as a per- now just lying around wav- must be dealt with – he is also muscles (“Journey 2: The grin.) But this is a man who hope former: he’s a ing a hand and “presenting” good with helicopters (“San Mysterious Island”), as can assure a charmer things, like an imperious Andreas,” “Rampage”), shown in a clip (titled “Pec child who’s whose cha- spokesmodel. There is, of boats (“San Andreas”), con- Pop of Love!”) from the film. about to risma is as course, nothing laid-back struction cranes (“Sky- I ... might have watched this walk across big as his about the “F & F” franchise, scraper”), taxis (“Return to video. a plank 100 biceps ... in which people do things Witch Mountain”), and, They cannot be contained. stories above and that is like steal cars from speeding probably, Quidditch brooms, If you are a character played Hong Kong pretty big trains, and which will cause unicycles and space shuttles. by Dwayne Johnson, and you that everything indeed. you to drive home in your sad Just wait. are in a hospital with your will be OK (it’s in little Honda feeling very Johnson’s characters have arm in a cast and you want to “Skyscraper”), non-badass. superhuman powers. To my get back to action, you sim- and you believe In honor of the return of knowledge, Johnson has ply flex your muscles and off him, abso- Luke Hobbs, the impossible- never played an actual su- pops the cast, just like that. lutely. to-kill character Johnson’s perhero, but he nonetheless (This happens in “Furious This is now played in five increas- can fly. Watch him in “Sky- 7,” but I bet Johnson does it also a ingly and enjoyably frenetic scraper,” jumping from said at parties.) If you try to im- man installments (the last one construction crane – a mere prison him, he will throw the who, was so fast and furious it mortal would plummet, but guards around like tennis in even had Helen Mirren in a Johnson soars. (To be fair, he balls (“Fate of the Furious”); “Fu- cameo), here’s a quick ap- tries something similar in if you think an earthquake of preciation of the massive “The Other Guys” and things massive proportions can wrestler-turned-actor. don’t work out quite so well, stop him from saving his Johnson always plays more but that was 2010 and he family AND getting his ex- or less the same character – wasn’t quite as big a star yet. wife back while he’s at it and he always saves the day. Superpowers take time.) He (“San Andreas”), you The men Johnson plays is also an animal whisperer haven’t seen enough of his Dwayne Johnson in “Fast & Furious Presents: are masters of transporta- (“Rampage”), a manly time movies. Hobbs & Shaw.” Tribune News Service