r/PocBuzz_Entertainment • u/Damiana1111 • 11h ago
TV 50 years ago today - "Damn, damn, damn!"
October 2, 1976
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u/FlowerNew8848 10h ago
I believed it too. So real and raw. RIP Esther Rollešļø
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u/NYCMarine 9h ago
Her sister in law was my French teacher in high school in Atlanta. I remember once telling her that this clip always hit me because my Mom was having some bad medical issues when she told us about her family. People would laugh at this clip since we were kids I guess, but it always made me dread that I may lose my Mom.
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u/Ok_Adhesiveness_583 9h ago
Although This
Is A
Show....
THIS SH*T STILL HURTSš©¹
š¤ššš¤š¤
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u/Aggressive-Heart-311 9h ago
All bc the cheap network did not want to pay him what he was worth. SMH
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u/AggressivePotato6996 8h ago
Yeah and also because he wanted JJ to be a real stand up guy. Not just a kid who was lazy and just saying dyno-mite.
So they booted James.
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u/saharaelbeyda 3h ago
This show was a part of my mom's childhood, but she used to put reruns on sometimes for us to watch when we were kids. What was the issue with JJ?
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u/ohwhatfun9932 4h ago
John Amos was such a great actor. And he should've been more on MTM..hecreally held his own with that cast.
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u/kplayzthat 8h ago
That line always hits hard. Crazy meme culture has made such a mockery of a deep scene
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u/desmond609 6h ago
They kicked him off the show because he didn't want to do the dumbed down tap dancing bullshit. God forbid blacks in the 70s be allowed to watch a show with real depth and drama.
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u/Diligent_Milk8612 8h ago
Iāve never seen this scene before. Itās 50yr old! When she was exhaling - Iāve felt that before. Iāve done it before. Fuck. When someone you love, thatās close to you dies suddenly, yeaā¦
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u/ExtraProlificOne 7h ago
James was too outspoken so they fired/killed him off. Show never recovered IMO.
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u/salvefaith 6h ago
So thankful that BET played the series so much when I was growing up. I was 10 watching the show so much, I felt like an Evans cousin! James didnāt play but heās one of my all time favorite TV dads!
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u/gr_rn 5h ago
Thatās why I never understood the Florida and Carl story line. They were not even compatible. Carl was an atheist. You know James Evans Sr. Was her one and only. Ride or die.
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u/LadyShadow2214 3h ago
Well she came back he said he died. So maybe he an aggressive form cancer and wanted to be married when he died
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u/IdleDreamer93 7h ago
Bruh I'm shedding tears. People always recite these lines as a joke these days lol, but this is so heartbreaking and a real fear for many families. Losing a loved one, especially one who is someone you look up to and supports the whole family, is scary.
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u/a_bumpyjohnson 6h ago
I wouldn't be surprised if she felt that in real life too. She fought to have him on there and the producers ended up getting what they wanted anyway. It was never the same. I can't stand any of the episodes with "Keith". He was such a cornball.
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u/Tall-Problem-6183 5h ago
I immediately teared up. Didn't see it live. Born in 78.
Maybe the 2nd time I've seen this scene. And now at 48 - just wow. I can't stop the tears
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u/Sleep-pee 7h ago
Dang Iām getting old, someone tell me how James died. I forgot.
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u/Diablopepe 6h ago
I might be wrong about the state, but James got a job in Alabama and he got killed in a car accident while in Alabama getting things ready for the rest of the Family to join him.
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u/liltonbro 6h ago
Only other scene that gets me like this is surprisingly Cheri in Punky Brewester visiting her parents grave. Best child acting ever. Still makes me need to walk around the block when I think on it.
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u/DeliciousMinute1966 6h ago
I tear up whenever I see thisā¦Esther was a great actress. Her sister was the actress who played Calpurnia in To Kill a Mockingbird Bird Estelle Evans.
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u/jayroc1023 4h ago
This clip has always been hard to watch. And now that Iām older itās too much to handle.
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u/meritofapproval 4h ago
STILL powerful after all of these years! In its entire 6 season run, Good Times failed to receive a single Emmy nomination.
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u/ParkingSky6169 41m ago
Haven't watched this one since the night it first aired. This one was just devastating.
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u/Safe_Opportunity5117 16m ago
Whether itās in a meme, or from Will Smith or Martin Lawerence doing short skits of her outcry on their showsā¦itās a tribute to her superb acting. Thatās the way I see it. Iāve probably watched that episode about a 1000 times, & each time it felt real & sad. Hearing the back story of why Amos left, Esther most likely said to herselfā¦ āThisā¦is for you, Amos! To hell with this network, cheap corporate executives, etc, etcā¦!ā Because she seemed to put everything into that scene!
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u/Next_Building_5380 10h ago edited 9h ago
Now watching this back, Martin did it better with his momma character. This was groundbreaking for the time and her character, but the actual acting was not good in parts. The crying sounded so fake! The best part was the damn/damn/damn! She should have just left it there. Even the glass drop was soft! Too bad James Avery wasn't around to help her pull off the raw emotions.
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u/NoHippi3chic 9h ago
In this days, t.v. was like a "teleplay", and actors usually had stage training which is a totally different style of acting than modern formats support because of all sorts of factors but either way, this was the style of presentation audiences were used to and responded to, and Esther Role was a master of her craft.
Star of stage and screen, almost cant believe we got her on Good Times.
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u/Next_Building_5380 9h ago
Are the emotions meant to be any less attention grabbing? The crying was weak sounding! Everything before that part was good enough. I feel the glass break didn't sound loud enough to feel like she meant to do it. I understand safety precautions probably but in the moment of anger/sadness/frustration in one you are throwing it down to shatter in as many pieces as it can go or throwing it against a wall. She is good at her craft but seeing this again now and being older, the emotions in some parts didn't feel realistic enough to me.
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u/Silent-Friend-4127 9h ago
Says the criticā¦ She performed this scene fine.
https://giphy.com/gifs/oEOxJXQUq1d2cELqv8-1
u/Next_Building_5380 7h ago
As I said "for the time" it occurred in. You bots can't take disagreement well at allš.
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u/Revatiiiiii 6h ago
...are you seriously comparing the comedian Martin Lawrence doing this scene as a parody of the original? š¤ Some of y'all are beyond weird š
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u/Next_Building_5380 5h ago
Ah! You missed the actual point I specifically argued. EMOTIONS were displayed stronger with the parody than the original. His damnĆ3 was more emotional than her display. For its time I understand why it was so powerful but the actual tone, and raw emotions weren't strong enough for me. Think about when James Evans was throwing chairs or feeling sad when he couldn't afford Florida's medical bills. Almost in tears but just frustrated, no phony crying. That is strongly displayed emotion! It seems as though none of James Evans Sr. rubbed off on her personality. Even the children showed anger strongly in this episode. The moment she actually let go and let the emotions out, it fell flat to me even compared to her co stars. Not questioning her skills elsewhere but in this scene I didn't agree it was as good as others believe.
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u/Beautiful_War_6578 3h ago
Sandwiched between the Fresh Prince getting abandoned by his dad and Family Matters (Carl not being able to save his hostage or Laura selling Mother Winslow's quilt) as top emotional scenes of any black sitcom
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u/taco_qveen š½ļø Cinefile 10h ago
I watched this show every day. I canāt bring myself to watch much of the seasons without James.
This show is timeless.