Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Com'on Champ...

Mike Tyson and Spike Lee's Memorable Time on The Today Show
by Jeff Jones



A household name in the film industry who has been nominated for – and won – Academy awards, International Film Festival awards, and American Black Film Festival awards pairs his talents with an internationally known athlete, who many consider the most talented to ever participate in his sport.  This seems like a match made in heaven right?

Wrong!

This morning, director Spike Lee and former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson appeared on the Today show to promote their new one-man Broadway show – a show starring the rarely coherent Tyson. 

The two, along with NBC correspondent Ann Curry, proceeded to participate in what was surely one of the most confusing and cringe-worthy interviews The Today Show has ever aired.

The interview starts with Tyson giving credit to the movie A Bronx Tale for planting this idea in his head.  After the former champ disjointedly stumbles through the telling of that story, Lee – who at times seems like Tyson’s “handler” –tries desperately to save the interview.

Things seem to go well (or at least as well as expected) for a while, until the trio starts discussing the changes taking place in Tyson’s life – and diet. 

“Oh you’re a vegan?! What changed you?” asks Curry, the interviewer throughout this uncomfortable Q&A session.

Though this question would typically be answered by some combination of addressing health concerns, showing compassion towards animals, or being environmentally friendly – Tyson chooses to respond a different way.  Saying he had to “throw in the white flag” because there were “too many prison cells, too many jails, too many law suits, too many women” and let’s not forget “too many venereal diseases.”

Somehow Ann Curry is able to save the interview after this wildly inappropriate response and get some more productive Q&A time with director Spike Lee.  That is until Tyson cuts in and ineffectively tries to compare his struggles in the ring to his struggles on stage. 

This last interjection was enough to prompt the director to play exit music and cue Curry to put this interview out of its misery.

Ultimately, no one knows yet how well this one-man Broadway show will do.  But if its success is dependant on how well the duo of Spike Lee and Mike Tyson can interview and market the show, I doubt anyone should expect this to be an award-winning performance.


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