Eddie Murphy Raw
Encyclopedia
Eddie Murphy Raw is an American stand-up
comedy film
directed by Robert Townsend and starring Eddie Murphy
. It was Murphy's second feature stand-up video, following Eddie Murphy Delirious
. The 90 minute show was filmed in New York City
's Felt Forum, a venue in the Madison Square Garden
complex.
. Mr T and Michael Jackson
are mentioned, as well as the phone call he received from Bill Cosby
, which he said that his son, Ennis
, heard his profanity and requested that Murphy not say the word "fuck" on stage again, and began chastising him for his profane material. Murphy then went on to say that he called Richard Pryor
, about what Cosby said, to which he responded angrily, calling him a "Jell-O
-puddin' eatin' motherfucka", and that if his fans think its funny, then Cosby has no business telling him how to do his act. Murphy also talks about how Pryor was an inspiration to Murphy. Bolstered by Pryor's encouragement, Murphy stood up to Cosby in a profane manner, and as a result Murphy said that Cosby 'got raw', possibly the inspiration for the show's title.
Murphy makes jokes about relationships; notably of the practice that developed during the 80's of wives divorcing their husbands and taking 'half!', as well as about the faults of both men and women and how the opposite sex exploit those weaknesses, basing it on the message in the song "What Have You Done for Me Lately
". He jokes that he intends to go deep into Africa
to find a 'bush bitch' who has no concept of Western culture in order to get a wife who (he hopes) will not divorce him. He also makes passing references to Japanese women who are supposedly very obedient to their husbands.
Murphy delivers a well-received segment on Italian-Americans, on their stereotypical behaviour, especially how they behave after seeing a Rocky
movie. He then talks about white people's apparent inability to dance. He later talks about his experience in a nightclub where an Italian-American started a fight with Murphy, causing a large brawl, the end result of which saw Murphy getting sued for millions of dollars by all involved and even a few who weren't.
Murphy also talks about his rude mother making him a biggest homemade onion-and-green-pepper hamburger that shaped like a meatball on Wonder Bread
and an exaggerated account on how poor his family was, eventually going into a routine impersonating his father drunk, which follows on from the nightclub brawl segment.
in 1990, but contains the most uses of the word "fuck" in an 80s film.
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by Robert Townsend and starring Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
. It was Murphy's second feature stand-up video, following Eddie Murphy Delirious
Eddie Murphy Delirious
Delirious is a stand-up comedy television special starring Eddie Murphy. The 70-minute show, released in 1983, showcases his most racy material. The word "fuck" is used a total of 230 times, and "shit" is used 171 times. It was recorded on August 17, 1983 at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.....
. The 90 minute show was filmed in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Felt Forum, a venue in the Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
complex.
Humor
After the initial sketch and into the live show itself Murphy begins by saying how various people he referenced responded to their mention in the previous stand-up show by Eddie Murphy- DeliriousEddie Murphy Delirious
Delirious is a stand-up comedy television special starring Eddie Murphy. The 70-minute show, released in 1983, showcases his most racy material. The word "fuck" is used a total of 230 times, and "shit" is used 171 times. It was recorded on August 17, 1983 at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.....
. Mr T and Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
are mentioned, as well as the phone call he received from Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby
William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...
, which he said that his son, Ennis
Ennis Cosby
Ennis William "The Music" Cosby was the son of comedian-actor Bill Cosby and Camille Cosby. He was murdered in 1997 on Skirball Center Drive, an access road of Los Angeles' 405 Freeway by Mikhail Markhasev.-Life:...
, heard his profanity and requested that Murphy not say the word "fuck" on stage again, and began chastising him for his profane material. Murphy then went on to say that he called Richard Pryor
Richard Pryor
Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor was an American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic, writer and MC. Pryor was known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues, which employed colorful vulgarities, and profanity, as well as racial epithets...
, about what Cosby said, to which he responded angrily, calling him a "Jell-O
Jell-O
Jell-O is a brand name belonging to U.S.-based Kraft Foods for a number of gelatin desserts, including fruit gels, puddings and no-bake cream pies. The brand's popularity has led to it being used as a generic term for gelatin dessert across the U.S. and Canada....
-puddin' eatin' motherfucka", and that if his fans think its funny, then Cosby has no business telling him how to do his act. Murphy also talks about how Pryor was an inspiration to Murphy. Bolstered by Pryor's encouragement, Murphy stood up to Cosby in a profane manner, and as a result Murphy said that Cosby 'got raw', possibly the inspiration for the show's title.
Murphy makes jokes about relationships; notably of the practice that developed during the 80's of wives divorcing their husbands and taking 'half!', as well as about the faults of both men and women and how the opposite sex exploit those weaknesses, basing it on the message in the song "What Have You Done for Me Lately
What Have You Done for Me Lately
"What Have You Done for Me Lately?" is the lead single from Janet Jackson's third studio album, Control .-Song information:The song was written by Jackson and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and produced by Jam and Lewis. Jackson helped with the lyrics of the song and was credited as a "co-producer",...
". He jokes that he intends to go deep into Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
to find a 'bush bitch' who has no concept of Western culture in order to get a wife who (he hopes) will not divorce him. He also makes passing references to Japanese women who are supposedly very obedient to their husbands.
Murphy delivers a well-received segment on Italian-Americans, on their stereotypical behaviour, especially how they behave after seeing a Rocky
Rocky
Rocky is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and both written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It tells the rags to riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but kind-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
movie. He then talks about white people's apparent inability to dance. He later talks about his experience in a nightclub where an Italian-American started a fight with Murphy, causing a large brawl, the end result of which saw Murphy getting sued for millions of dollars by all involved and even a few who weren't.
Murphy also talks about his rude mother making him a biggest homemade onion-and-green-pepper hamburger that shaped like a meatball on Wonder Bread
Wonder Bread
Wonder Bread is the name of three North American brands of white bread: One produced by George Weston Bakeries in Canada, another by Hostess Brands in the United States, and the third by Grupo Bimbo in Mexico.- United States :...
and an exaggerated account on how poor his family was, eventually going into a routine impersonating his father drunk, which follows on from the nightclub brawl segment.
Records
The film contained the word "fuck" 223 times. It was the most uses of the word "fuck" ever in a feature-length film at the time, surpassing Scarface. It remained so until the release of GoodfellasGoodfellas
Goodfellas is a 1990 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is a film adaptation of the 1986 non-fiction book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scorsese...
in 1990, but contains the most uses of the word "fuck" in an 80s film.
Cast (opening segment)
- Eddie MurphyEddie MurphyEdward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
- Himself - Tatyana AliTatyana AliTatyana Marisol Ali is an American actress and R&B singer, best known for her childhood role as Ashley Banks on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air...
- Eddie's sister (sketch) - Deon RichmondDeon RichmondDeon Richmond is an American actor from New York City; he is best known for his semi-regular childhood role as Rudy Huxtable's friend Kenny on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show....
- Little Eddie (sketch) - Billie Allen - Eddie's aunt (sketch)
- James Brown III - Thanksgiving guest
- Edye Byrde - Mrs. Butts (sketch)
- Michelle Davison - Thanksgiving guest
- Clebert Ford - Uncle Lester (sketch)
- Birdie M. Hale - Aunt Rose (sketch)
- J. D. HallJ. D. HallJames Donald "J.D." Hall is an American actor and voice artist. He provided the voice of the character Blade in Spider-Man: The Animated Series, and the Klingon Com voice in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "The Augments". From 2001 to 2009, he was the narrator of Walt Disney World's Hall of...
- Party guest (sketch) - Tiger HaynesTiger HaynesTiger Haynes was an American actor and musical performer. .He was born as George Haynes in Frederiksted, St. Croix, and moved to New York when he was a boy...
- Card player #3 - Barbara Iley - Thanksgiving guest
- Leonard JacksonLeonard Jackson (actor)Leonard Jackson is an African-American stage, film, and television actor, perhaps most widely known for his roles in several PBS television series for children as well as his roles in films such as The Brother from Another Planet, Car Wash, and The Color Purple.-Early years and stage...
- Uncle Gus (sketch) - Samuel L. JacksonSamuel L. JacksonSamuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
- Eddie's Uncle - John Lafayette - Thanksgiving guest
- Davenia McFadden - Eddie's Aunt (sketch)
- Gwen McGee - Eddie's mother (sketch)
- Lex Monson - Card player #4
- Warren MorrisWarren MorrisWarren Morris is a former college and Major League Baseball player. He is most remembered for his 9th inning walk-off home run that won the 1996 College World Series for the Louisiana State University Tigers.-College career:Morris joined the LSU baseball team in , just out of high school in...
- Poetry reader - Basil Wallace - Eddie's Father (sketch)
- Damien WayansDamien Dante WayansDamien Dante Wayans is an American actor, writer, producer and director. He is a member of the Wayans family.-Early life:Wayans was born in New York City, he is the nephew of the Wayans Brothers, which consists of Keenen Ivory Wayans, Damon Wayans, Kim Wayans, Elvira Wayans, Shawn Wayans, and...
- Child running in the house - Ellis E. WilliamsEllis E. WilliamsEllis E. Williams is an American film and television actor/comedian who is better known for playing "Henry Hugley" Ellis E. Williams (born June 28, 1951) is an American film and television actor/comedian who is better known for playing "Henry Hugley" Ellis E. Williams (born June 28, 1951) is an...
- Eddie's uncle (sketch) - Carol WoodsCarol Woods (performer)Carol Woods is an American performer. In February 2008 she received a standing ovation during the 50th Grammy Awards broadcast singing "Let It Be" from the soundtrack of the film Across the Universe, with Timothy T. Mitchum...
- Eddie's Aunt - Kim WayansKim WayansKim Wayans is an American actress, comedian, producer, writer and director. She is also a member of the Wayans family.-Early life:...
- Interviewed fan (uncredited)