Finesse Mitchell: Snap Famous

In every field of human endeavor there is a place to work that represents the goal to obtain. For over thirty years comedians have seen Saturday Night Live was such a place to be. Alumni of this staple of late night television have gone on to their own series, movies and stand up comedy. Some of the talent presented by this series where relegated to lesser roles but they still had talent. One such person is Finesse Mitchell. Best know during his stay as a featured player he was more often than not seen as the ‘other black guy’ but as the DVD from Image shows he’s a funny guy on his own. ‘Finesse Mitchell: Snap Famous’. The performance recorded on this DVD was made just when Mitchell was promoted from featured player to cast member, before Mitchell and several other cast members where let go in 2006.

Right from the start Mitchell establishes his working class origins. He announces that now that he has been made a regular cast member on SNL he has health insurance instead of the let mommy kiss it and make it better insurance he grew up with. He goes into a bit about following your dreams. Some parents may take umbrage in his advice to not give up drug dealing to be a rapper since, as he puts it, we have enough rappers but need reliable dealers. He is tired of calling his pot dealer up to find the phone disconnected. This immediately establishes the tone of his act as being geared towards a younger demographic. He also discusses his move to New York City. As a person born in Atlanta he is used to talking and walking at a slower pace that is acceptable in New York. His jokes are punctuated with exaggerated movement as Mitchell leaps around the stage. It must have been an arduous task for the lamented camera person to follow this performer.

Besides the health benefits Mitchell relates the meeting the star guests hosts was one of the best parts of his job at SNL. In his first year at the show during his only second week he got to meet Halle Berry. He felt that he might not last long on the show so he might as well take a chance with the beautiful actress. He then relates that experience to one most men can relate to. No matter how cool a man thinks he is when he is in the presence of a really beautiful woman he instantly becomes a dork. It is this ability to translate his television career with everyone in the audience that makes him more down to earth. Instead of highlighting glamour of television and meeting celebrities he is able to bring in the humor to an everyday experience. When rapper 50 cent made an appearance Mitchell relates how the producers chose him to make sure everything was okay with the star. Since he was new and African-American the producers seem to feel he was more expendable than the more seasoned performers.

Mitchell explains the title of this DVD. He is at the point of his career where he isn’t quite famous, only snap famous. That is when people see him and think they recognize him they snap their fingers as they try to remember who he is. Even those who do seem to know who he is still call him ‘fitness’ or ‘finish’. Mitchell pokes fun of is less than A-List celebrity with a contagious self deprecating humor. He gets back to his childhood relating how it was to be brought up by a teen mother. His mother was only fifteen when she had him and that presented some problems for Mitchell as he was growing up. He remembers times when he was doing his homework opposite the kitchen table for his mother doing hers. When teachers want to see his mother because he was falling behind in his homework he explained that she couldn’t come in since she had her own homework problems. Mitchell takes something that is definitely a hardship and manages to find humor in it that the audience can enjoy.

The language used in his act is a lot better than a lot of young comedians. Sure there are a few expletives now and then but for the most part he is able to relate his humor to the audience without relying on the shock value of a barrage of four letter words. Something similar goes for his use of race in his performance. There are many references to race which is to be expected. The difference here is it is just part of you he is and not intended to be the defining topic of his comedy. Mitchell is a likable young man who can instantly get the audience to enjoy his view of the world. There is nothing mean spirited about his act. He comes across more like a guy you meet at a party or group of friends who is good at telling stories. He is also very good moving from one topic to the next. It is almost seamless the way one story sets up for the next. You can just sit back and watch as Mitchell relates to the audience.

Image has done a great job bringing this 2006 performance to DVD. The full screen video is well done. The camera shots range from tight close-ups of Mitchell to pull back views that show off his kinetic style. Of course there are the required shots of the audience laughing at the jokes. The audio is in pretty standard Dolby stereo but it does get the job done. There are also some fun extras provided. The first is an SNL skit, ‘Pastor Tweeny Buck’ where Mitchell plays an over the top minister of somewhat dubious intentions. The next is a take of MTV’s Cribs where Mitchell gives a tour of ‘his home’ It’s soon becomes obvious, when the real home owner returns, that its not his place at all. The next extra is one where Mitchell takes a camera out and walks around the streets of New York. As a native New Yorker I really enjoyed this look at my city. Rounding out the extra section is a series of bloopers gathered from the other featurettes. In all this is an enjoyable DVD.

Posted 03/22/07