R. Kelly has always been funny. Well, if not funny, then totally ridiculous.
That's a given.
But like
William Shatner before him, most of R. Kelly's humor stemmed from the fact that he seemed unaware that he was funny.
In the beginning of R.Kelly's career, it was very hard to tell if he knew the strength of his comic power. Does he realize that an R&B; singer wearing a zorro mask on stage is ridiculous? "Feelin' On Yo Booty," that's a joke, right?
That's what made the first 5 chapters of "Trapped in the Closet" so hilarious. The story, and Kelly's treatment of it, were so intense, so sincere, and so totally ludicrous that it became funny. But in Chapters 6-12, it seemed that Kelly had finally caught on, and the thing rapidly devolved into a farce: The realization that Bridget is allergic to cherries? A midget hiding in a cabinet? Rosy the nosy neighbor? It's still funny, but not in the same way.
Well, at a concert here in New York on Tuesday, R. Kelly unveiled his new career path: "R. Kelly as Mr. Show Biz."
It gets worse. MTV News reports that he previewed a new song called "The Zoo," which goes something like this:
"It's like 'Jurassic Park,' but I'm your sexasaurus," he sang. "You and me, hopping like two kangaroos. … You got me locked in your cage of ecstasy, and I don't want to be free. … I'm your Tarzan, and you're my Jane."
Come on, R. Kelly. You don't have to try to be funny. In fact, it works better if you're not trying.
"Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm," he sang to more laughter.
The only serious part of the show came on "I Wish," which Kelly dedicated to the people of New Orleans.
Ha. Does anyone else think that that dedication was probably the funniest part of the show?