February 04, 2005

A Fun Little Routine

Just a wonderful moment on Virtues of Harmony the other night. One of the recurring characters is 11th Brother, a professional actor. He was the top leading man on Hong Kong TV back in the 70s, but is just getting bit parts now:

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But his career is suddenly resurrected when he stars in the violent but hugely successful hit "Kill John". He's a star again, and just so people never forget it, he dresses like his character all the time:

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He has a son - an effeminate but definitely heterosexual young man:
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But no mother is ever mentioned. Until one day, she returns:



A meek but sly woman, who we learn later is also a con artist and former Malaysian porn star (I think that's a joke, since Malaysia is an incredibly conservative Moslem country). She evades 11th Brother and makes dinner for her son (she really is his Mom):

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She is getting ready to tell him the truth when 11th Brother, enraged, knocks on her door. In the ensuing confrontation they manage to maneuver into the kitchen where they can argue out of earshot of the befuddled young man.

"Who do you think you are coming back? Do you know who I am?" he shouts. "I am the star of 'Kill John'!" he screams, tearing a banana in half for emphasis.

"Do you think I care?" she counters, picking up a large spiked durien to hit him with.

They are about to meet, like ship and ice-berg, when their son, still confused, walks in.

"What's going on?" he asks.

They are standing inches apart, father and secret mother, holding fruit in attack positions. They look at him, then at each other and say..."we're singing a song!" And they belt out a song and do the old soft shoe.

It was beautiful.

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