[44] R. Kelly dubbed it "the prequel meeting the sequel". The original actor for the officer AKA James, Rondolo Bryce, was changed to current actor, Michael Kenneth Williams. Perversion goes down easy when delivered with a wink. One key thing that sets Scientology apart from, for example, Christinity and the other major world religions, is that the church has secret texts. I call these things wingsthis is called a plane. In chapter fourteen, it is revealed that apparently Sylvester and Cathy, who shows up in a blond wig and black dress, made a deal for Sylvester to get caught by her pastor husband Rufus but the deal had apparently backfired, not only by Cathy's realization that Sylvester and her best friend Gwendolyn were married but also due to Cathy not wanting to end her marriage to Rufus, with Cathy later admitting she had changed her mind on the deal. What were the most popular text editors for MS-DOS in the 1980s? More bickering, more threats of violence. It's only after Twan threatens Tina and Roxanne that he will buy a gun and come back for them later that Sylvester finally convinces Twan to leave. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. This is why I'm not a big fan of all the works satirizing Trapped in the Closet. He talks about his father denying him money and a place to sleep. The chapter continues with Lucius explaining the mysterious phone calls he's getting and his need for money and a place to sleep. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. No, really. rev2023.4.21.43403. Sylvester rushes out of Cathy and Rufus place and is pulled over for speeding while en route to his house. Yes, it's about AIDS, divorce, crime, and religion, but all of that is second to the fact that Trapped In The Closet and its cast of wacky characters is 100 percent ridiculous. But you keep looking at it. Indeed, Kelly, who tops VIBEs 20 Greatest Musical Geniuses Since 1993 list, says he never expected such a polarizing reaction to the laughable tale of Sylvester, Cathy, Gwendolyn, Twan, and a scene-stealing midget. Matts reactions to Kellys labor of love are weirdly mesmerizing; the part where Kelly tells him that they need to get some girls up in there is by far my favorite. Gwendolyn also cheated on Sylvester with James. After the screening, R. Kelly participated in a brief Q&A in which he obliterated all questions of intent when it comes to Trapped 's humor: "I don't have a job, so I just sit in the studio all . The Slate Group LLC. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Trapped in the Closet: The BIG Package features the first 22 chapters of R. Kelly's epic "hip-hopera.". It just keeps rhyming and rhyming. Sylvester pulls his gun on the cop, whose name is revealed to be James. She then explains that she and Cathy were friends in high school, and it was Cathy who introduced Gwendolyn to the police officer that stopped Sylvester, confirming that the police officer was her secret lover. Stunned at the news of Roxanne and Tina being lovers, a frustrated Sylvester points his gun at the both of them, but soon stops because of his tolerance to lesbians, while Twan kept egging him to shoot them. A song, a story, a musical movie, some man's real experience? In November 2005, Comedy Central aired an episode of the US show South Park entitled Trapped in the Closet that depicted Scientology in a pejorative manner. Of course this can turn into a discussion about what defines Scientology. Nearly two years later, in August 2007, Kelly and Jive released ten more chapters on another Trapped in the Closet DVD. Sylvester looks at the waitress thinking to himself that she looks familiar. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. There are other ex-members out there who have made similar statements. R. Kelly knows as well as anyone that eros can be a farce, and a trap. Boudoir pop was born the day that R&B singers stopped bothering with double-entendres and got explicit. WTF moment: Thought being a man of God meant not having homosexual affairs with men called Chuck? Who can doubt that the outrageous stew of sex, guilt, and violence in Trapped in the Closet reflects its creators own outrageous legal troubles? The scene switches to Rosie in her confessional, she calls Randolph 89 and insinuates that he has a tiny penis. "[28], Chuck Klosterman writing for The Guardian called it a cult classic and wrote: "Describing Trapped in the Closet to anyone who hasn't seen it themselves is virtually impossible, simply because there's no other art to compare it with (it falls somewhere between a parody of musical theatre, a soap opera from the late 1970s, and a BET version of the Red Shoe Diaries). All Rights Reserved. It's the special kind of funny you get when you can't tell right away if the creator is a master of satirical comedy or just completely nuts (based on the story alone). Back at James' house, James and the midget continue fighting until Bridget comes back to the kitchen with a double-barreled shotgun. Gospel choirs!) Unbeknownst to him and from the looks of a nervous Bridget, it becomes clear another man is still in the house. Join Sylvester, Cathy, Rufus, Chuck, Twan and the others in a tale of sex and suspicion that you have to see to believe! Trapped in the closet is the . It will actually fly in the air and get you to a certain destination. Now people were looking at [the inventor] like he was crazy [laughs]. This idea was later incorporated into the later chapters. After demanding Bridget to move from her spot, which she eventually does, he sees the cabinet and slowly approaches it. After realizing who it was, Sylvester and James argue at who was at fault with the shooting, with Sylvester blaming the entire incident on the cop. How else to interpret songs like Sex Planet and The Zoo from Kellys latest album, Double-Up? For readers who have not yet caught up with Trapped in the Closet, R. Kellys 23 chapter R&B opus, heres a brief synopsis. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor review: force majeure, Suga live in New York: a show-stopping statement of artistic intent at the BTS rappers debut solo tour, The National First Two Pages Of Frankenstein review: their best record in a decade, Yun Pinku BABYLON IX review: futuristic space-rave for the ages, Nick Mohammed: You cant knock the effect of Ted Lasso'. Chuck gets angry at this and threatens Cathy with a knife, which prompts Cathy to force him to do it. They're chock full of information and the mythology is too detailed and the status of the story too intricate to include all of it in this answer. Kelly himself plays a preacher, a church janitor, a white-suited omniscient narrator who comes and goes at random moments, and a stuttering pimp in purple shades who comes to church looking for the ho-ho-ho-holy ghost. I could have used more of Big Man, frankly, whose battles with asthma, intestinal distress, and the day-to-day struggle of life down at Dixies Strip Club demand further explication, whether or not hes the daddy of Bridgets baby. PPE on the Great White Way: Karen Finley Commemorates Disaster, Review: New York, New York Makes It Here, Review: Peter Pan Goes Wrong Bludgeons With Wit, What Was Once Underground: Vintage Weed Ads From The Heyday. Kelly voices the role of the song's protagonist, Sylvester (Kelly's middle name), who wakes up after a one-night stand with a woman. Just as James looks as if he was going to answer, Bridget starts getting sick. That was a breakthrough, to be sure, but the act quickly became absurd: Theres only so much talk of silk sheets and whipped cream even a hyper-sexed groupie can take before rolling her eyes. Sylvester convinces him that a child would calm him down. Rufus then pronounces that he is confused and still loves Chuck. Its a clever move: He gets to keep his favorite subject matter and his louche backing tracks while disarming his critics. This chapter shows Rosie the Nosy Neighbor's house where Rosie is seen in her chair reading the Bible when her husband Randolph comes in shouting, "he's got the package!" Why in the Sierpiski Triangle is this set being used as the example for the OSC and not a more "natural"? In the middle of it, however, Sylvester's wife, Gwendolyn, discreetly covers something on the bed and then jumps on top of Sylvester and begins to go wild. Bridget tries getting him upstairs, or enticing him with fresh pears, but James insists on heating some leftover chicken. This chapter contains Cathy's confessional for Out of the Closet with Larry and her ultimatum for her husband, Rufus. WTF moment: Diner owner Roxanne and prostitute Tina reveal themselves to be karate masters (although they then start smashing beer bottles to use as weapons, which dont remember from the teachings of Mr. Miyagi) before later announcing theyre a lesbian couple. Rufus then tries to let Chuck come see him so they can talk but Chuck refuses. Pimps with speech impediments! Rufus and Chuck argue when Cathy walks in Rufus' office. This is where Trapped in the Closet (and Sex Planet and the The Zoo and dozens of other Kelly songs yet to be recorded) shades into autobiography. Trapped In The Closet is something I didnt even expect. Cookie Notice Until Kelly's conviction of sexual abuse allegations against him in 2021, the first 22 chapters of the Trapped in the Closet series were released via VEVO and were viewed for free as the videos were ad-supported. Hell, I think I even saw some of Tyler Perry's cast in it. Most of this information is available on Operation Clambake which isn't fully indexed because the Cult of Scientology sued Google. But as Xenu.net points out one might want to make a distinction between Scientology and the Church of Scientology (CoS) (Some might argue that the C in CoS means Cult). Or did we just flash ahead a couple years? You have to respect a person willing to sacrifice their career to try something new something entertaining. Chuck arrives at the house. It aired on November 16, 2005. He quickly bolts out of the apartment. The two of them then get into the car. "[5] He stated that Trapped in the Closet had taken on "a life, mind and body of its own", and called the series an "alien",[5] crediting the aliens with its creation. Is Gwendolyn having an affair? You are always going to have the negative and the positive, he says. Randolph hid in the closet and unintentionally overheard the conversation seen in chapter eighteen among Chuck, Rufus and Cathy. Around this time, Sylvester gets a phone call from Gwendolyn, who tells him that his father Dale had been drinking and cursing people out, and his mother Myrna had Dale put in jail. 2023 Rolling Stone, LLC. As Twan recovers in the bathroom, Sylvester begins telling him what caused the incident when someone knocks on the door. I still love that looped rolling piano run that underscores the whole thing, the intense strings that saw in at the end of every episode, the airy falsetto that Kelly sometimes uses to finish his lines. A few seconds later, Sylvester and Twan burst through the door and Sylvester points his gun at James. CHAPTER 1) Seven oclock in the morning And the rays from the sun wakes me Im stretchin and yawnin In a bed that dont belong to me And a voice yells, Good morning, darlin, from the bathroom Then she comes out and kisses me The 137th episode of the series overall, it originally aired on comedy central in the united states on november 16, 2005. They wrestle over the gun, which inadvertently discharges. Cathy's phone rings and she exclaims its 'those people' again. For more information, please see our Development costs are a hindrance. Only peer-reviewed journals? Nobody can explain this song, not even me, he told the crowd. What is it all about, what is it's intent? And arent we in the entertainment business?Keith Murphy (@murphdogg29), Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox, Get our latest stories in the feed of your favorite networks. When Gwendolyn finally climaxes and rolls off him, Sylvester flips the bed cover to find the used condom that she had tried to hide. Best line: I closed my mouth and swallowed spit / and Im thinking to myself, This is some deep shit!. Best line: He opens the dresser / I pull out my Berretta!. He warns and threatens them and then guides the men to Beeno. When Sylvester asks Roxanne about it, Roxanne explains a pimp had hit Tina in the eye a year ago and that she's had bad nerves ever since. Trapped In The Closet Pt 3.Like + Subscribe + ring the bell for more!Check out the EXTENDED version here: https://youtu.be/3KeMqeP0924. Back at the car as they drive away, Twan is still angry over seeing Roxanne and Tina together, despite Sylvester's efforts to calm him down. Trapped in the Closet: Chapters 23-33: Directed by R. Kelly, Jim Swaffield. 2023 Trapped in the Closet is a musical soap opera series by American R&B singer, songwriter and producer R. Kelly, with 33 "chapters" released sporadically from 2005 to 2012.Written, produced, and directed by Kelly, the series tells a story of a one-night stand that sets off a chain of events, gradually revealing a greater web of lies, sex and deceit. Randolph can't sleep and wakes Rosie up, and asks if she meant it when she called him Mr. Can't-Get-It-Up in Chapter 13. The video contains in the bottom the disclaimer: Yes, it's true. On what basis are pardoning decisions made by presidents or governors when exercising their pardoning power. After a comical dialogue, the chapter ends with them laughing. In the documentary The Secrets of Scientology ex-member Jason Beghe indeed acknowledges that Lord Xenu is part of OT 3. Pimp Lucius chews out his prostitutes in this chapter trying to find out why they didn't stay in the car while he talked to his parents. Roxanne tells Sylvester that a high Twan was swerving on the road and cutting up on the both of them, even turning his music loud playing "Mary Jane" and screaming "I'm Rick James, bitch!" At the count of three, Twan opens the door and it is revealed to be the next door neighbor, Rosie, who is shown with a spatula in her hand. Mike Rinder a former high level member of CoS, says in an interview that Lord Xenu is part of part of the teachings of Scientology. A subreddit to help you keep up to date with what's going on with reddit and other stuff. When Sylvester tells Twan to be on his best behavior and reminds Twan about how he got sent to jail, Twan says it "was because of Roxanne and that bitch Tina", which makes Sylvester remember his wife mentioning their names in chapter five. Anyway, Big Manso named because of his spectacular endowmentshits himself, takes a long draw on his inhaler, and faints. Roxanne tells Twan that that is when she turned him in. The real triumph of Kellys meta-love-man routine is how it underscores something essential about sex and desire: the comedy and absurdity that so often accompany the desperate lurchings of our loins. So the ongoing spectacle of the Trapped in the Closet saga gains an additional weird wrinkle with him attached, awkwardly interviewing Kelly and perching uncomfortably next to him on a couch before the individual episodes come on. Trapped in the Closet is like The Room for music. A few days ago, Kelefa Sanneh wrote a Times article about Trapped, particularly about how some of the attention that the new chapters have received is of the gallingly ironic sort: Many of its biggest fans seem to think theyre laughing at Mr. Kelly, not with him, as if the whole thing were some sort of glorious, terrible mistake. People like Weird Al and Jimmy Kimmel have done Trapped parodies, which is pretty ridiculous when you consider that Trapped itself is already total self-parody of a particularly broad sort. Sylvester and Gwendolyn begin laughing at the entire situation. Im only up to Chapter 11. James goes home and discovers that he too has been cuckolded: His wife, Bridget, has been messing around with a male stripper named Big Man, whom James discovers cowering in a kitchen cabinet. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. [6] Kelly claimed that the song's dark and moody instrumental was influenced by his frustrations and depression following his removal from the ill-fated Best of Both Worlds tour with Jay-Z in October 2004.[7]. The chapter switches to a pan on the door of Doctor William T. Perry, a marriage counselor. Highlight. I can't believe he made 22. a joke fanfic me and my friend wrote together. Randolph is at first angry and doesn't want to let Lucius in but Rosie insists he come in. The second batch of Trapped in the Closet episodes (Chapters 13-22) are currently screening on the IFC channels Web site, and it hardly seems necessary to say that they defy description, let alone summation. The chapter then goes over to the dramatic confessional of Pimp Lucius alongside his four prostitutes. But I actually knew Singer before that; I went to college with him. If you don't accept any news as evidence, then what evidence do you accept for a claim about scientology? WTF moment: Pimp Lucious, a sharp-suited sex trafficker with a speech impediment (think Elmer Fudd with a pimp cane) is serenaded by a church choir in an attempt to convince him to change his ways. But in turning Trapped into a shaggier epic, Kelly has made it into a bigger eventa milestone. However, she used a condom as revealed in Chapter 4. You start the levels after you have gone "Clear". Does the South Park episode "Trapped in the Closet" accurately depict the beliefs of Scientology? Joke 2: An idiot has a mirror in his closet He wakes up one night and opens the closet and he sees himself. The chapter then switches over to Rufus' confessional. not only is there a man in the cabinet, but the man. Days after Kelly was found guilty on September 27, 2021, his YouTube channel was terminated. For readers who have not yet caught up with trapped in the closet, r. Source: litreactor.com. Did I mention that Bridget is allergic to cherries? It's Chuck, who's crying and upset over not seeing Rufus since the incident in the earlier chapters. Lastly, Pimp Lucius gets a similar concerned call from an unidentified woman. Because people have been talking about R. Kelly's unprecedented audiovisual opus, "Trapped in the Closet," ever since its premiere, two summers ago. Fucking Trans Women literally saved my life, at a time when I was trapped in the closet it helped me feel normal, and now it's reduced to this? There are many anti-Scientology websites out there and one good one is the one pointed out in the other answer: xenu.net. But above all, R. Kellys point is to keep things fresh. It is commonly known that in CoS the whole Lord Xenu thing is something you learn when you reach Operating Thetan level III (OT III). After assuring that they weren't followed, Sylvester reveals to Twan that they're standing outside of the back entrance to the show that the cast has been doing confessionals for, Out of the Closet with Larry. Sylvester is then menaced by a spatula-wielding neighbor, Rosie. After searching elsewhere, he slowly approaches the closet. What does "up to" mean in "is first up to launch"? They argue, and Gwendolyn retorts with her own knowledge of Sylvester's infidelity, saying she saw Sylvester in the club the night before. Sylvester (R. Kelly) wakes up in the bed of a strange woman (Cathy) whom he picked up the previous evening in a nightclub. Twan lifts his shirt up and shows Sylvester that he bought a gun, Sylvester takes it from him until after the deal. It's REALLY obviously satirical. The process repeats until the closet is completely full of people that are supposed to be hiding from each other. It ends with Randolph answering the door again to find Lucius' prostitutes whom he compares to En Vogue. Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Urban Operetta. A bunch . This chapter starts off with Sylvester and Gwendolyn watching TV and getting a mysterious phone call. Thomas "Nephew Tommy" Miles was born in Houston, Texas. Best line: The next thing ya know, she starts going real wild / and starts screaming my name / then I said baby, we must slow down / before I bust a vessel in my brain.. I'd really like to know what this is all about. When R. Kelly first released his " Trapped In The Closet " series in 2005, the R&B-musical-meets-tongue-in-cheek-soap-opera was viewed as both groundbreaking and a joke unworthy of the. Itd be easy to view Singer as the smirking hipster that this article calls him, but I mean, youd probably be chuckling to yourself if you were sitting in a living room with R. Kelly for an hour too. All rights reserved. Roll on the next 20 chapters. He continues: Its differentits new; its unique; its alien. Mosley James Evans and of a crotchety old guy named Randolph. Album: Trapped In the Closet (Chapters 1-12) Heyo! We want to hear it. (The victim turns out to be Twan, Gwendolyns ex-con brother.) How to combine several legends in one frame? [4], When asked about the writing of the song, Kelly said: "I don't know how to explain how I wrote it. (Genuine question, not rhetorical question) Many people repeat lies about other religions. WTF moment: So intense is his sex with partner Gwendolyn (And thats when I start going crazy, like I was trying to give her a baby, Kelly sings), Sylvester must stop Something seems to be bothering Beeno's throat and he reveals that Joey shot him in the neck during a past deal. After Tina breaks a beer bottle and makes karate-styled moves saying to Sylvester that she and Roxanne take Tae Bo classes, Cathy and the rest of the patrons leave quickly, leaving Sylvester alone with Tina and Roxanne. Theres too much church for my taste, and way too much of the nosy neighbors. Emergency workers learn battlefield medicine on the job. A congressman, a 2020 Electoral College delegate, and three pundits go into a bar. He later tells Twan that Tina was working at the same restaurant where Sylvester is meeting Cathy. Sylvester warns him one more time about the delirious mobster they're about to meet. But casting that aside for a moment, in order to succeed in a libel suit, Scientology and Tom Cruise would have to prove that South Park ran the episode with actual malice, meaning they knew the jokes they were making were actually false. He then states if he doesn't get his money soon he'll start hitting the girls, and it is revealed that he is responsible for Tina's nervous twitch. When Sylvester asks why he was named that, the midget points down to his pants and tell him he is "blessed." Then it goes over to Cathy and Rufus, who decided to go shopping downtown. Joey replies, "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Scan this QR code to download the app now. Sylvester, prepared for a confrontation, takes out his Beretta pistol. Is it because the people making the claims about Xenu are trustworthy? He then says that he'll pay Sylvester back on the first chance he gets. $12.99. Each chapter follows a storyline that continues throughout the series. Think again. Just as Tina and Roxanne are about to attack, Twan comes busting through the door threatening them. Scientologist. Rufus reveals that he has been having an affair with a man, Chuck. Back at the restaurant, Sylvester notices the waitress but can't think from where he knows her, until he sees her name tag which says "Tina." And the line "I said 'This is some bullshit! You couldnt make it up. Matts a good guy, and Im happy to see him playing such an active role in such a big cultural phenomenon, but his presence is just one of the many truly bizarre and anomalous aspects of the whole Trapped thing. Twan then pulls Sylvester to the side and begins wondering if he is really the father of Tina's child. Gun fights and spatula-wielding pensioners! Surely this is the most widely viewed psychedelic chitlin-circuit soap opera in history. w. Twan sticks on a plaster on the gaping gunshot wound on his arm and sits down for a friendly game of cards with Sylvester and his sister. 2023 Village Voice, LLC. Trapped in the Closet is a sort of hip-hopera or urban opera, according to Wikipedia. Meanwhile, Doctor Perry tries to convince Cathy to go back inside the room and console Rufus as well as make amends. After being hesitant with answering the door, Sylvester grabs his gun and aims it at the door, Twan joins him, snatching James' gun. @AndrewGrimm Or is it because the Church of Scientology has a reputation for going after former members with deeds fair or foul to discredit and destroy them? [27], John Lichman warned "once you start watching Trapped in the Closet, whether out of curiosity or because you think it's a joke, you will find yourself sucked down a hole into something more obsession-friendly than Arrested Development when it comes to jokes, plot twists and fan-service. Whereupon its revealed that Big Man fathered Bridgets child. Bridget's nervous breakdown finally leads to James demanding a straight answer from Bridget. Sylvester and Twan come outside where after a comical encounter with Lucius, they attempt to walk away ending the chapter. Roxanne says Tina protected him because Tina was pregnant with Twan's baby at the time. It was a really weird night at the Sunshine Cinema on Houston Street in NYC. The doorbell rings, interrupting their shenanigans, and Randolph goes to answer the door. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. After James checks the oven and looks behind the fridge, he notices the cherry pie with a slice cut out.

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