The Color of Funny

摘要

After the premiere, there is a party. But it's only after the party that anybody really parties. Welcome to the after-after party. It's a Monday night in Los Angeles—actually, it must be Tuesday morning by now—and Eddie Murphy, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Prince, Arsenio Hall and an army of Cristal bottles are holed up in an extravagant hotel suite high above Universal Studios. They're celebrating the premiere of "The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps." More than that, though, they're celebrating an electric moment for black comics in general. It's been an uneven summer for Hollywood at large—seen anything great lately?—but black comedians have been triumphing at the box office right and left. Martin Lawrence kick-started the summer with "Big Momma's House" (which has since made $120 million). Wayans delivered "Scary Movie" (now up to $130 million). And Murphy's own "Nutty II" recently had a $42.7 million opening weekend, a personal best for the actor. At the after-after party, the old friends laugh, reminisce, brag and joke about being "the flavor of the month" until the small hours. At 5 a.m. Murphy kicks everybody out of the suite, proclaiming, "I'm the funniest man alive!"