OTHER than his uncontrollable urge to engage in a full-on duet with his Carpool Karaoke guests, the occasional lyrical slips and the awkward arm dancing, James Corden seems OK.
Who hasn’t seen any episode of that wildly entertaining segment where the Bristish host of the American Late Late Show sings his lungs out, for better or for worse, with musical guests as they drive around Los Angeles? During those 13 minutes or so, Corden comes off as everybody’s affable, wisecracking chum, laidback and funny.
This past weekend, however, the laughs didn’t come.
It was the black-tie gala of amfAR, The Foundation of AIDS Research, in Los Angeles last Friday evening, when Corden, the event’s master of ceremonies, delivered jokes that amused no one. He started by commenting on how beautiful that night was.
“[Tonight is] so beautiful…” he said, “Harvey Weinstein has already asked tonight up to his hotel to give him a massage.”
The audience didn’t even try to hide their disgust, bemoaning the statement loud enough that it can be heard on the snafu’s viral clip. Corden reacted quickly to the negative response over the mention of the controversial film producer facing extensive sexual-assault allegations, saying, “I don’t know whether that groan was that you liked that joke or you don’t like that joke. If you don’t like that joke, you should probably leave now.”
But even he couldn’t leave the joke alone. He remained on topic and effectively burried himself deeper. “It has been weird this week, hasn’t it? Watching Harvey Weinstein in hot water. Ask any of the women who watched him take a bath…it’s weird watching Harvey Weinstein in hot water.”
At that point, there was hardly a reaction.
Perhaps, Corden thought all he needed was to deliver another punchline. No, maybe he simply opted against jettisoning what he had prepared. Either way, he marched on, and delivered the final nail on his own coffin.
“Harvey Weinstein wanted to come tonight but he’ll settle for whatever potted plant is closest.”
The groans grew loudest.
“Oh come on!” Cordon replied, smiling.
Hours later, he was apologizing on Twitter for everything.
“To be clear, sexual assault is no laughing matter,” the dry, faceless tweets read. “I was not trying to make light of Harvey’s inexcusable behavior, but to shame him, the abuser, not his victims. I am truly sorry for anyone offended, that was never my intention.”
The Internet was ruthless in response to the issue, especially Weinstein’s alleged victims.
Actor Rose McGowan pulled no punches and tweeted: “You motherf***ing piglet.” Another alleged Weinstein victim, Italian actor Asia Argento, wrote: “Shame on this pig and everyone who grunted with him.” Games of Thrones actor Daniel Portman also chimed in and posted, “Corden…unfunny, opportunistic, tasteless, damaging, stupid, nasty.”
Comedians ending up on the wrong side of their own joke is nothing new. What makes this particular issue involving Corden different is the can of worms it has opened. Netizens claim The Late Late Show host has been offbeat for a long, long time. A certain @mutablejoe wrote: “welcome to all the new members to james corden is bad club, unfortunately you have missed the deadline for our tenth anniversary dinner.”
The tweet has received 2.3 thousand likes as of this writing.
There were more posts in the same context. One suggested that side of Corden has been there all along, but it’s only now Americans are starting to notice. In the wake of the amfAR fiasco, a 2010 video has resurfaced showing the comedian in an ugly, onstage spat with his legendary countryman, actor Sir Patrick Stewart. The two have since buried the hatchet.
Endearing one moment, vilified the next. This treatment isn’t reserved to Corden or public figures, in general. What comes to mind in this issue is the Season 8, Episode 3 of the hit American comedy series How I Met Your Mother, titled “Spoiler Alert”.
A theory posisted in the episode is that people get away with bad habits and traits until it gets pointed out, or “spoiled”.
The story follows the character of Ted finding the perfect girl, but his friend Marshall spoiled that the woman actually talks too much. When Ted noticed the flaw, the sound of a glass shattering sets off in the background. He failed to shake off the fact since.
The theme, and the shattering glass sound effect, gets sustained throughout the episode, realization after realization, involving the five main characters who point out each other’s annoying quirk. In the end, they chose to accept one another, flaws and all.
For what it’s worth, James Corden has, at the very least, made an effort to apologize, which makes him human who is prone to make mistakes.
His recent blunder may have shattered glasses and revealed his vulnerability, but as long as he walks the talk, stays on the right lane from now on, and dumps jokes when the situation calls for it, it’ll be much easier to focus on his intentions, which is to entertain at the expense of no one.