In a new TikTok video that went viral late Thursday, “Killers of the Flower Moon” director Martin Scorsese was tasked by his daughter, the actress and filmmaker Francesca Scorsese, with defining some online slang – and defended his 1983 film “The King of Comedy” in the process.
In the playful video, one of many that Francesca Scorsese has posted alongside her Oscar-winning father, Martin Scorsese is asked to define terms like “ship,” “simp,” and “hits different.” When Francesca Scorsese asks her dad to define “slept on,” she uses “The King of Comedy” as an example to provide context.
“People hated it when it came out,” Martin Scorsese said in response. “It was the flop of the year. That’s what it was called on ‘Entertainment Tonight.’ On New Year’s Eve ’83-’84. It’s okay, it’s alright.”
@francescascorsese He lowkey slayed. #fyp #martinscorsese #dadsoftiktok #dadguesses
“The King of Comedy” starred Robert De Niro as a failed wannabe comedian named Rupert Pupkin, whose obsession with late-night host Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis) takes a criminal and psychotic turn. The feature was slammed at the time and did indeed flop with audiences, but it’s grown in esteem ever since – particularly because its concept and lead character became unfortunately prescient in an era of parasocial relationships with stars – and ranks among the top Martin Scorsese films for many of his biggest fans.
“[People say,] ‘Were you aware that you were commenting on the culture?’ No,” Martin Scorsese said at a Tribeca Film Festival event in 2013. “I mean, we knew we were commenting on the culture of that time, but not thinking that it would blow up into what it is now.”
In later interviews, Martin Scorsese said he related to the film and its protagonist. “Over the years, I began to realize how genuine and how serious my involvement in ‘The King of Comedy’ was. De Niro noticed that connection in Paul Zimmerman’s script first. De Niro was also more aware of autograph people and the idolization for the sake of idolization of celebrities. I understand that now, but I stumbled my way through it each day back then,” Scorsese told Vanity Fair in 2016. “Being around Jerry Lewis helped. He was an idol of mine, and represented all aspects of American show business, which meant a lot to me. [‘King of Comedy’] is about a certain aspect of our culture, and also about not taking yourself too seriously, even though I do. All of that came out during the making of the film.”
In addition to his defense of “The King of Comedy,” Martin Scorsese also managed to work in some indirect plugs for “The Killers of the Flower Moon,” his latest film. When Francesca Scorsese provided some added context to her father about the term “ate,” she noted that Lily Gladstone “ate in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon.’” Martin Scorsese agreed, and so did the Apple Original Films social media team, which reposted the video and highlighted that comment.
“Lily Gladstone ate in Killers of the Flower Moon.” https://t.co/7W9soVeVzc
— Apple Original Films (@AppleFilms) October 6, 2023
“Killers of the Flower Moon” opens on October 20.
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