Lost_city t1_ja8oeka wrote
Reply to comment by GetToSreppin in How Martin Scorsese's 'The King of Comedy' Predicted the Future, 40 Years On by MsWrite
Actually reading the article, the writer gets it all wrong. The movie is based on gatekeeping which was huge before the internet. In essence, gatekeeping was a process where a handful of people could make your career / make you famous / etc. Think Harvey Weinstein in the 90s. With the rise of the internet, people don't need gatekeepers anymore. If you are a model, you just go out and gain followers on instagram, etc.
zerg1980 t1_ja8qs42 wrote
This was my takeaway from the article as well. The entire plot of King of Comedy is reliant on pre-internet gatekeeping. Rupert concocts an insane kidnapping plot in order to bypass the gatekeepers and perform in front of a large audience.
Today, Rupert could just do his act on TikTok without committing any crimes, and millions of people could watch it if they wanted. It would be a lot easier than kidnapping Jimmy Kimmel to land a guest spot on a network show.
Equal_Feature_9065 t1_jad23hp wrote
You guys are missing the point. Rupert is A) a psychopath stalker and B) wants a free ride all the way to the top. One of the defining things about that character is that he’s never performed his standup before. Yes the gatekeepers are keeping him from getting on TV, but he’s never even thought about going to the clubs — where there is far less to no gatekeeping — and working on material. He wants to be famous for fames sake, not because he has talent or passion or anything
throwawaymamcadd t1_jad8unh wrote
Isn't there a part where he goes into a bar with people doing some kind of open mic comedy or am I confusing it with someone else? Ethier way I don't really buy the idea that it's some kind of metaphor for the modern era. YouTubers who have a big audience are usually really talented in a niche field and that comes from hard work rather than being delusional guys sitting around their mum's house all day.
Equal_Feature_9065 t1_jadampj wrote
Pretty sure you’re thinking of Joker but I could be wrong
throwawaymamcadd t1_jadbb05 wrote
It's quite possible- they could have merged into the same film in my memory somewhat. I actually went into watching the Joker with no preconceptions or hearing anything about it and I was surprised as to how blatantly it was a mix of Taxi Driver and King of Comedy.
SecondCityMeatball t1_ja9ax7v wrote
Which is also hysterical because if there's one industry that has benefitted from the internet, it is stand-up comedy. There's a ton of great comics doing the work themselves. So while it is still a great movie, if anything, it's as irrelevant as its ever been.
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