Well this is going to cause some dynamic discussions. Jimmie Walker opened up recently about why he feels like the black sheep of the black community and why he's against gay marriage.....
Jimmie Walker recently opened up about his long-career in comedy, thoughts on gay marriage and revealed he doesn't feel appreciated by the Black community. He also discussed his "Dynomite!" catch phrase and talked about co-stars John Amos and Ester Rolle being upset with the direction the "J.J." character went on "Good Times." Here are the highlights:
CNN: Tell me about [the catchphrase] "dyn-o-mite!"
Walker: That thing was a John Rich deal. He was an illustrious and wonderful director/producer. John was a veteran of many things, 'The Honeymooners,' 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show.'
I did it one day in rehearsal and he said, 'That's it! We've got it now,' and I said,' What have we got?' And he said, 'I want you to do that dyn-o-mite thing.' I said, 'Really?' He said, 'Yeah we're going to do that every show.' I said, 'Come on man, people are not stupid enough to buy into a guy just standing there saying dyn-o-mite.' He said, 'Yes they are.' Even though Norman Lear (creator) didn't like it, John Rich proved to be a prophet.
CNN: Were you hurt by John Amos' or Esther Rolle's (negative) comments? (The pair were quoted as complaining about the direction of the show in making Walker's character the lead and what they viewed as the series' negative imagery.)
Walker: No not at all. The reality is I never spoke to them. I've been on the phone with you for three minutes. That's more time than I ever spoke to them. Being a stand-up, I was mainly in the clubs. My time on the show was actually very relaxing because it got me away from my writers. I didn't have to listen to the moans and groans of my writers. I had 31 writers. Everyone had a complaint about something.
CNN: You say that you're a black sheep in the black community.
Walker: Some of the stuff that happened on our show, it made it look like we were, as they say, 'not black enough.' The black community kind of turned a little on us. It was kind of like Tiger Woods where they don't embrace him because he plays golf ,and it's not a black sport.
CNN: So does it bother you not being accepted?
Walker: No, because as you move on and do other things, you stop working in front of black crowds anyway. Bill Cosby doesn't really have a black following. I call myself the Johnny Mathis of comedy because I don't do the black thing.
CNN: You're also against gay marriage.
Walker: Yeah I am. There's just certain traditions that need to be upheld. I'll give you the other side of it, no it doesn't affect me, no it doesn't change my life. There's just traditions that need to be dealt with. I'm a believer that gay marriage should be passed because the battle is not worth the war. The gay lobby is very loud. I'm totally against it.
In 100 years from now, people are going to go, 'Who was against gay marriage?' And I'll be one of those idiots and say, 'That's me.' I'm just against it on moral grounds, that's it. I'm as much a heathen as anybody. I just don't believe on moral grounds it should be done. I don't like it, I don't accept it.
I'm sure he'll get some flack for this. Just hope he doesn't do the usual of offering up an "apology" afterwards...