List of In Living Color sketches

Popular recurring sketches

A

*Anton Jackson Damon Wayans portrays a filthy, drunken homeless person (he lives in a corrugated cardboard box) with a unique world view. Amongst other happenings, he appeared in "Po' People's Court" (taken from "The People's Court"), had his own cable television local access show entitled "This Ol' Box" (taken from "This Old House"), and had a marriage of convenience. He frequently carried with him his "personal facilities", a jar that he used as a toilet and which seemed to contain a floating pickle and brine. The character was also shown on an episode of "Saturday Night Live" hosted by Damon Wayans where Anton testifies in the O.J. Simpson trial, and was also briefly in 1992's "Mo' Money" featuring Damon and younger brother Marlon Wayans.

B

*Mr. and Ms. Brooks Kim Wayans and David Alan Grier play a seemingly loving elderly couple who constantly insult and attempt to kill each other. After numerous failed attempts, they resort to attacking each other, such as when Ms. Brooks realizes her husband had laid a trap for her and she pulls out a sword and says "Prepare to Enter the Dragon!", prompting Mr. Brooks to reply "The only thing I see draggin' around here is your saggy breasts!" Their old age causes them to fall to the ground and be unable to get up, when they are interrupted by someone who is under the impression they are about to engage in sexual intercourse. They usually end with "And we stiiiiilll together!"

*Benita Butrell Kim Wayans portrays a neighborhood woman who breaks the fourth wall by gossiping directly to the viewer and airing her neighbors' dirty laundry after they pass by her...but she "ain't one to gossip, so you didn't hear that from me." She claims to be very close to a "Mrs. Jenkins," who ironically is usually the target of her most vicious gossip.

*The Brothers Brothers (Damon and Keenen Ivory Wayans)—Two brothers both named Tom Brothers sang just like the Smothers Brothers (who actually lent their uncredited singing voices) and apparently don't realize they are black. Some episodes included their double dating, or applying for a country club, failing to see it has a clandestine white only policy. (However, they are admitted as the club hierarchy feels the Brothers Brothers actually fit in well and could get the discrimination suit dropped against the club.)

C

*Calhoun Tubbs David Alan Grier portrays an old bluesman whose songs invariably insult or otherwise offend his audience. Catchphrase: "I wrote a song about it. Like to hear it? Here it go!" His catchphrase was also used as the intro to En Vogue's "Free Your Mind". He also always strums the same bar of blues and ends his little songs with "Ahhhhahaha", and concludes with "Thank you very much!". The introductory performance of that character [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfzDUpB88x4 can be seen here.]

*Carl "The Tooth" Williams Jamie Foxx portrays a boxer a la Mike Tyson who has lost every bout he's been in. He is always getting beaten up by everyone he comes in contact with. The name is a takeoff on heavyweight boxer Carl "The Truth" Williams. Catchphrase: "Hollerin' 187 wit' my glove in ya mouth" is paraphrased from a line by Snoop Dogg in the Dr. Dre single: "Dre Day".

*Cephus and Reesie Kim Wayans and David Alan Grier play a pair of incredibly annoying soul singers.

*Cheap Pete Chris Rock (when he guest starred during the final season) as a cheapskate who won't pay more than $1.25 for anything. His catchphrase is "Good Lord that's a lot of money!" His character is based on a bit part Rock played in "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka".

D

*"The Dirty Dozens" Stu Dunfy (Nick Bakay) hosts a game show that is a cross between "Jeopardy!" and "Concentration" in which contestants are involved in a battle of insults. Two of the contestants that appear in almost every "Dozens" skit include returning champion T-Dog Jenkins (Jamie Foxx) and unlucky-with-categories contestant Amfeny Clark (Reggie McFadden). Variations include "Family Dozens" and "Wheel of Dozens".

*Duke Jamie Foxx plays a senior citizen who performs tricks with his dead German shepherd named Duke (whom he believes to be still alive).

*"Dysfunctional Home Show" An alcoholic, depressed, and incestuous man named Grandpa Jack McGee (Jim Carrey) hosts a housekeeping show, along with his promiscuous daughter (Alexandra Wentworth), her abusive boyfriend (Jamie Foxx), and Grandpa Jack's drunken, hateful mother (Kelly Coffield).

E

*"East Hollywood Squares" Peter Marshall hosts an urbanized version of the game show he made famous in the 1960s and 70s. Cast members portrayed actors/actresses such as Dr. Dre (David Alan Grier), Antonio Fargas (Tommy Davidson), Garrett Morris (Jamie Foxx), Isabel Sanford (Marc Wilmore). Morris and Foxx later worked together on The Jamie Foxx Show.

F

*Fire Marshal Bill (Jim Carrey) portrayed a fire marshal with a manic grin and scarred face whose safety advisories usually include demonstrating (on himself) the very disaster he's warning against. Usually, the warnings are against ridiculous situations that would never come to par. Catchphrases included "Lemme show ya something!!" and "It's very da-da-deadly."

*Funky Finger Productions ("Black-Strong" also called "B.S. Brothers") Two showbiz charlatans, Clavell (played by David Alan Grier) and Howard Tibbs III (played by Tommy Davidson), with a knack for commandeering events (a funeral, a Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony) and property (a movie set), both public and private, to promote their latest flim-flam "project". The would-be moguls enter by shouting "this must be the place!" in unison. From there, they undermine their grandiose pitches with ill-conceived videos, business cards with their mothers' address and telephone number, and reliance on public transportation. Their spiel invariably climaxes when Tibbs stuns the unsuspecting mark by suddenly pulling out an item integral to the sales pitch (e.g., business card, sales brochure, videocassette) while simultaneously shouting "BAM!".:Emeril Lagasse adopted the exclamation "BAM!" for his cooking show.

G

*Great Moments in Black History Tommy Davidson or David Alan Grier narrates reenactments of dubious moments in African-American history. Examples include the accidental invention of the jheri curl (when oil leaked on a service station worker's head during an oil change), the first Def Comedy Jam (where a man resembling Martin Lawrence played by Foxx when putting up a banner accidentally hit his hand and started cursing, much to the audience's delight), the first party DJ (a man named Ho accidentally bumps into a record player and scratches the record), the first black astronaut to be abandoned on the Moon, and the advent of the self-serve gas station: "Get it yo' damn self."

H

*Homey D. Clown Damon Wayans plays an ex-con who works as a clown (real name Herman Simpson) for his parole agreement, but violently lashes out at anyone (usually by hitting them on the head with a tennis ball-filled sock) who attempts to make him perform the standard antics of the role - "I don't think so...Homey don't play that!". His goal in life is to get even with "The Man", a personification of the white males he thinks are "holding him down". Near the end of most sketches, Homey would lead a group of children (played by the adult cast members) in a sing-along, which would end with him degenerating into an angry/paranoid rant then intimidating the children into repeating. Provided the title of the Simpsons episode, "Homie the Clown".

*Handi Man Damon Wayans portrays a handicapped superhero who sometimes has a midget sidekick (Tiny Avenger, played by Debbie Lee Carrington). He attempts to foil villains, between bouts of uncontrollable drooling.

*Head Detective Damon Wayans portrays a police detective who, due to a horrific accident, is merely a head attached to a pair of feet and tiny hands and appearing similar to Mr. Potato Head. Along with his full-bodied partner (played by Keenen Ivory or Marlon Wayans), he solves crimes.

*Hey Mon Damon Wayans heads a family of hard-working West Indians, each with many careers. With the "lazy" son working only two different jobs (later praised as a hero when it is revealed that he plays in 20 bands, giving him 22 jobs), they find nothing more appalling than meeting people with two or fewer jobs, including babies, and regardless of how much money they make in those one or two jobs.

*Homeboy Shopping Network Two streetwise pitchmen named Whiz and Ice (Damon and Keenen Ivory Wayans) use a QVC-style approach to sell stolen goods. The phrase "Mo' Money, Mo' Money!" was coined in this sketch (even though Wayans originally said this on a "Weekend Update" segment on "Saturday Night Live" back when he was a feature player in the 1985-1986 season). The time limit imposed on sales was typically due to the impending arrival of the police. The concept was created by Howard Kuperberg, one of the show's original writers.

I

*Ice Poe Shawn Wayans plays a violent street poet who recites eloquent threats to get what he wants. He is usually foiled by an equally poetic undercover cop (David Alan Grier).

L

*Lashawn T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh plays various customer service jobs, giving major ghetto sassy attitude to the customers. The clips always end with her leaving for her lunch break, usually leaving the customer hanging.

*Les and Wes Damon and Keenen Ivory Wayans portray a pair of conjoined twins attached at the side. Wes is a celebrity, while Les is not, often having a job unrelated to Les'.

*Loomis Simmons David Alan Grier plays a shady infomercial host shilling out ridiculous products and services. Examples include ineffective self-help audio tapes and "Custom Built Condoms" that only fit Mr. Simmons.

M

*Men on Film (Damon Wayans and David Alan Grier) - In this parody of "Siskel & Ebert", a pair of extremely effeminate gay men, Blaine Edwards and Antoine Merriweather, review films completely based on their potential for homoerotic content. Variations of this sketch include "Men on Television", "Men on Fitness", "Men on Vacation", "Men on Art", "Men on Football" and "Men on Men". It was the source of many popular catchphrases such as, "Hated It!" (used for any film/book/program centered on one or more female characters), "Fish!", "My second favorite form of liquid protein", "Three words - fa - bu - lous!" and "the yet unheard of Zorro snap, in Z formation!" (almost every sketch had a sassy variation of finger-snapping). In a two-part, season cliffhanger sketch, Blaine gets hit on the head by a stage light and gets a sort of amnesia, making him straight and conventionally "macho". The characters were resurrected for an episode of "SNL" hosted by Damon Wayans.

*Music Video Parodies Cast members would sing "Weird Al" Yankovic-type takeoffs on songs while portraying the singers who made them popular. One memorable parody was "White, White Baby," based on Vanilla Ice's hit song "Ice Ice Baby." In the sketch, Jim Carrey impersonates Vanilla Ice, singing while wearing a jacket on his back that read, "My Grandma Gave Me This Dumb Jacket" which he showed off to the audience at the end of his performance (after all backup dancers leave when he does stupid dance moves). Other songs that were spoofed include "Black or White" and "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson (with Tommy Davidson playing Jackson), "Promise of a New Day" by Paula Abdul (with Kelly Coffield as Abdul) and "I'm Your Baby Tonight" by Whitney Houston (with Kim Wayans playing Houston). Sometimes the person being made fun of in the song was not the original artist, as was the case in the parody of LL Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out" (Shawn Wayans impersonated Jimmie Walker, better known as J.J. Evans from the 1970s TV series "Good Times") and Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation" (Kim Wayans portrayed Houston in that video).

O

*Oswald Bates Damon Wayans plays an eloquent prison inmate whose vocabulary is full of malapropisms, more often than not misusing anatomical terms and words for bodily functions. "Unfortunately, we could not impregnate everyone. It is simply beyond our colonic threshold." "I believe it was Plato...No, excuse me, I mean Play-Doh...who stuck to the wall when he said one must not put one's transvestite in jeopardy if one is to become a cunning linguist". "Hey, I ain't no venereal fuddrucker!"

*Snackin' Shack Kim Wayans played an obnoxious, hard-of-hearing waitress at a greasy spoon diner. Running gags included her giving patrons used water and contaminated food, the chef (Tommy Davidson) announcing entrees that were never ordered, and a homeless wino played by David Alan Grier who would say very outrageous phrases (two of them: "Barney Rubble goes both ways" and "Prince has a hairy ass").

T

*Tiny David Alan Grier plays a convicted rapist who always says "breasteses" instead of "breasts." If he would ever get out of control because of the orgasmic thought of the "breasteses", thousands of people would try and calm him down.

V

*Vera de Milo Jim Carrey portrays a steroid-abusing female bodybuilder with a conspicuously flat chest and bulge in her posing trunks. Vera was best known by her unnaturally deep, breathy voice and grotesque, horselike laugh. Vera de Milo often appeared in movie parodies of then-current films like "Pretty Woman" and "The Hand that Rocks the Cradle".

W

*Wanda Jamie Foxx portrays Wanda Wayne, the ugliest woman in the world...so ugly, in fact, that no one wanted to be in the same room as her (in one episode, Dracula exposed himself to sunlight to get away from her). She supposedly is the long lost member of the group En Vogue but left because she was taking all of the men. One of these helpless individuals is often Tommy Davidson. In the final season of "In Living Color", Wanda had a child out of wedlock and searched for the father of a child (which ended in a cliffhanger). Trademark phrase: "I'm gon' rock yo world" and "I'm red' to go!"
*Why A series of public service announcement themed sketches that asked a question that in and of itself was usually very intriguing, exemplified by the actors in an often exaggerated manner. For example, "Why do newscasters always attempt to sound ethnic when talking about stories dealing with Latinos? Why don't they do that with other ethnicities?"

Memorable one-time or infrequent sketches

*All Up In The Family A black version of the controversial CBS sitcom, "All in the Family".

*The 595 Club Damon Wayans and Jim Carrey play worldly televangelists who host a religious program and get viewers into buying forgiveness through salesmanship and blackmail. The title of the skit itself is a "discount" parody of "The 700 Club".

*Bob Jackson, Karate Instructor Jim Carrey plays a karate instructor, who claims to be a former world champion, teaching a self-defense class for women. He proceeds to get stabbed twice accidentally by Kelly Coffield while attempting to show how to defend against a knife attack, and is eventually unmasked as a fake by the other students in the class.

*The Buttmans A family modeled after "The Cosby Show" characters, only they have buttocks on their foreheads.In one episode, their daughter brings home her boyfriend, Richard Dickerson, played by Jim Carrey, who has a penis for a nose.

*Candy Cane's Show A very desperate, lonely, sad, psychotic woman (Alexandra Wentworth) hosts a children's television show while having on-air issues with former romantic partners.

*Dickie Peterson: Cherub of Justice Jim Carrey plays a Guardian Angels reject who attempts to protect local businesses (and in one sketch a visiting off-camera President of the United States), but usually causes more harm than he prevents.

*Chris Rock For Anonymous Express Shawn Wayans portrays comic Chris Rock. In the sketch, the character of Chris Rock says white people do not recognize him on "Saturday Night Live". When a security guard asks Rock to leave the NBC studios, Rock shows his I.D. and the guard says he has never appeared on "Saturday Night Live". One future "Saturday Night Live" alumna, Molly Shannon, briefly appears as one of the visitors.

*Passenger 227 Parody of the 1992 movie, "Passenger 57", T'Keyah Keymáh portrays Jackée as Sandra from "227", in which the sketch focuses as Sandra, the Airline Security with other people being trapped with airline terrorists.

*Ross Perot Jim Carrey parodizes Ross Perot by showing a program to the people of the NAACP a program acrynymed SLAVE (Service Labor Asset Valuable Expenses) on the first episode of In Living Color's fourth season.

*Cousin Elsee Kim Wayans plays an annoying and unattractive woman who sexually harasses everyone she meets.

*Deboner 2000 Carol Rosenthal plays Lorena Bobbitt in a mock knife infomercial where she is brutally chopping phallic looking food and related items (pants, boxer shorts, and a game cock).

*Ghost II: Sammy's Visit T'Keyah Keymah portrays Whoopi Goldberg in a spoof of the 1990 hit film "Ghost", and Tommy Davidson portraying Sammy Davis Jr., who comes back from Heaven, to reunite with his wife (Kim Wayans).

*Grace Jones Kim Wayans parodies the actress as an extremely physical enthusiast of any activity, whether it be fighting an alligator for her dinner or pro wrestling, while regularly asking "Do you find me sexy?"

*Frenchie (Keenan Ivory Wayans) An obnoxious "Partay Animal" in red platform shoes, red pleather suit with yellow vinyl strings, long jheri curls, and gold chains. Frenchie somewhat resembles Rick James.

*Go On Girl A feminism show hosted by Shawanda Harvey (T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh).

*Hawaii Five-O Jim Carrey plays McGarrett in a parody of the long-running police drama.

*Home Alone Again (fictional preview) A send-up of both the hit film and star Macaulay Culkin's friendship with singer Michael Jackson. Jonathan Taylor Thomas plays Culkin, who plays various pranks on Jackson (Tommy Davidson) who wants to come in and play with Culkin. The pranks include shooting him in the crotch and burning his hand and hair (reminiscent to a real-life injury Jackson sustained while filming a Pepsi commercial in 1984.)

*I Love Laquita Kim Wayans plays the title character in this hip-hop flavored but still black and white spoof of the groundbreaking TV show "I Love Lucy". Here, Ricky (Jim Carrey) has invited a famous producer over, and Laquita, along with Ethel (Kelly Coffield), hopes to audition for the producer, but soon they run into a case of mistaken identity when a TV repairman comes over before the producer does. Another notable instance of the sketch involved a case of mistaken identity with Billy Dee Williams and Keenen Ivory Wayans, who imitated Williams.

*Juicemania Jim Carrey plays a surprisingly accurate impersonation of infomercial personality Jay Kordich, who uses an electric juicer to make juice from unlikely sources, such as garbage and soil.

*Lamont Hightower (David Alan Grier) A flamboyant host presents televised events and programs celebrating black underachievement and the perpetuation of stereotypes, for example television awards for typecast characters such as "sassy neighbors" and "scared brothers on police shows".

*Lassie '90 A mother (Kelly Coffield) and her son (James Carrey) own a pit bull. When they get into trouble they ask their faithful companion to get them something needed to extricate themselves from the situation. The dog soon returns with the desired item, albeit still held by the severed arm of the original owner.

*The Last Orphan David portrays a 35-year old orphan, who never was adopted. He reveals that he is a graduate of the Yale University Acting School. When a couple tells him he is crazy, he comments "My ex-wife told me the same thing", indicating that he has adjusted to adult life but somehow feels his life is incomplete because he grew up without parents.

*Lil' Magic Features Kim Wayans as a very tall girl without talent who always auditions for talent shows, accompanied by her overzealous stage mother, played by David Alan Grier (who is not much in drag as he retains his normal voice and does not wear makeup, which added to the comedy). Her common phrase was "I'm Miss Smile Bright 1987!" Then shes makes a big smile. On certain occasions where she did achieve moderate success, she would revel in the new found wealth with comments such as "Gee, Mama, maybe you can get the liposuction for your butt!" or "Gosh Mama, maybe now you can get that other breast implant!", prompting the stage mother to reply "Lil' Magic, shut up!"

*The New Fly Girls In the opening dance routine right after the credits, Kim Wayans, T'Keyah Keymah, and Kelly Coffield are shown dancing rather than the strangely absent Fly Girls. At the end of the dance routine, the girls nervously back up against the closet on the set's mock rooftop. Suddenly the closet bursts open, and it is revealed that the female cast members tied up the Fly Girls, duct taped their mouths shut, and stuffed them into the closet. Kim, T'Keyah, and Kelly look distressed, until Kim shouts for the Dj to keep playing the song. The three girls finish their dance routine while the bound and gagged Fly Girls struggle to free themselves and (attempt to) shout for help. It appears that not all the Fly Girls were fully prepared for the sketch, because when the closet door opens and they all fall out onto the floor, you can see several Fly Girls still wrapping themselves in the rope or putting the pieces of tape over their mouths.

*Love Connection Jim Carrey portrays host Chuck Woolery, Kim Coles portrays Robin Givens, and Keenen Ivory Wayans portrays Mike Tyson in a parody of the television series of the same name.

*Old Train A parody of the legendary music show "Soul Train" with Keenan Ivory Wayans as an elderly version of Don Cornelius.

*Umbilical Barry Jim Carrey plays a young college age kid still attached to his overprotective mother (Carol Rosenthal) literally by the umbilical cord.

*Timbuk: The Last Runaway Slave Damon Wayans plays the descendant of cave-dwelling runaway slaves, unaware of changes in the world around him since the 1860s. He encounters a businessman who he thinks is a "free black", and immediately takes his eyes off a white woman as he was brought up that lustful thoughts inspire great evil in slaves. The businessman tells him interracial relationships are fine, when he is arrested for sexual harassment and the slave throws himself down full force on the ground begging for mercy. When the police tell Timbuk he is not under arrest and is free to go, he believes he has been freed. The skit ended with a cliffhanger that was never resolved.

*Seamus O'Shanty O'Shame Jay Leggett plays an Irish singer whose songs start with traditional, uplifting lyrics...and end with graphic lyrics, usually involving death or destruction. Each of his songs ends suddenly with "That's it." It turns out that Seamus is a mental paitent when two men in white uniforms arrive to capture him.

*Snuf & Roam (Shawn and Marlon Wayans) A pair of immature brothers talk tough, but invariably get put in their place.

*Star Trek Jim Carrey impersonates Captain Kirk with grossly exaggerated mannerisms, with David Alan Grier playing Mr. Spock. "The Wrath of Farrakhan" has Minister Louis Farrakhan (Damon Wayans) board the Enterprise and convince the minority and alien crew members to mutiny.

*Three Champs And A Baby/Little Lady Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and Mike Tyson care for a baby girl (a teenage girl in the "Little Lady" version). Tyson peppers his conversation with the words "ecstatic" and "ludicrous," and is punched by Ali whenever the doorbell (actually a boxing ring bell) is rung.

*Kurt Swanson Jim Carrey plays a flamboyant environmentalist and Freddie Mercury lookalike who is offended by everything he sees.

*Sheila P Kelly Coffield plays a realtor who is very stereotypical of everyone she meets. In attempting to sell an apartment to an Asian couple, she told them the hard wood floors were good for them to practice karate on. When trying to sell the same apartment to an Indian man, she told him there was plenty of room for all his wives to come in and belly dance.

*Naganawanaland Kelly Coffield plays a newly-appointed U.S. ambassador to an obscure African nation, while David Alan Grier plays her translator whose translations don't quite match up to what the new ambassador is actually saying.

Volt 45, The Lost Sketch

*On the May 5, 1990 broadcast, Keenen Ivory Wayans did a take-off on a Billy Dee Williams "Colt 45" commercial (in which the purpose of the beverage is to get your lady friend wasted) that ended with a woman (played by Kim Coles) passed out on her back on a dining table, and "Billy Dee" moving in on her unconscious body to have sex with her. The "Volt 45" sketch was seen only once during the original broadcast. The sketch was omitted from repeats because some felt it was making light of date rape. The Season One DVD set of "ILC" didn't include the "cut" sketch from the pilot. This skit was cut by Fox censors, and the necessary modifications were made to the master tape, but Keenen "accidentally" mixed up the masters, and the original master was broadcast. That segment has never been broadcast since, not even in syndication or on FX or BET. It has been replaced by "The Exxxon Family" (a fake promo for a sitcom about a clumsy Exxon boat captain ( [played by Jim Carrey) in syndication and DVD Box Sets.