Get ready to laugh as we dive into the most iconic and hilarious sketches from the groundbreaking comedy show "In Living Color"! From Jim Carrey's wild impressions to Damon Wayans' unforgettable characters, we're counting down the sketches that defined a generation of comedy and pushed boundaries like never before!
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00:00I don't think so, homie don't play that.
00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most iconic and enduring
00:10moments from this hilarious, often controversial, sketch comedy series.
00:16Sure, looks like fun, but it can be very, very deadly.
00:23Number 30, Mr. Rogers' Public Menace.
00:27It speaks volumes that not even the irreverent in living color could fully commit to defaming
00:32the legacy of Mr. Fred Rogers.
00:35Oh, Jim Carrey admittedly does go all in with his performance as the beloved television
00:40icon, nailing many of Rogers' mannerisms.
00:52The skit sees Rogers engage in everything from hiring a sex worker, making lewd comments
00:56at women, and beating up a video store clerk while he's searching for some adult films.
01:02He gets away with it too, since the police just can't possibly believe someone like
01:06Rogers could be accused of doing any of the things of which he's accused.
01:17Number 29, Imposter.
01:20The wealth of music video and artist parodies on In Living Color is so vast that we've
01:25even singled them out on a list of their own.
01:34That said, Jim Carrey's spoof of Canadian reggae pop artist Snow looms large over the
01:39show's history and cultural legacy.
01:41The skit riffs on the original's success, while also not forgetting to touch upon Informer's
01:46mixed critical response.
01:58Specifically, Carrey as Snow remarks about how Time Warner infamously censored Ice-T's
02:04metal group, Body Count, and their single, Cop Killer.
02:07Yet Informer received a pass, despite similar lyrical themes, presumably due to Snow's ethnicity
02:14and heritage.
02:15Number 28, The Arsenio Hall of Justice.
02:19Not every celebrity enjoyed their time in the spotlight on In Living Color.
02:22The sketch comedy show seemed to delight in skewering some stars over and over again,
02:27however, particularly one Arsenio Hall.
02:43The Arsenio Hall of Justice is one of the more light-hearted jabs at the actor and former
02:49talk show host.
02:50Keenan Ivory Wayans takes over the courtroom as Hall, doing an over-the-top impression
02:55and going for broke.
02:56Wayans also boasts a, let's say, enhanced rear-end as part of his Arsenio Hall get-up,
03:03while also playing up the latter's interview style and memorably iconic mannerisms.
03:17Number 27, Black or White Parody.
03:19Isn't it funny how certain things we watch when we're young stick with us in our memory
03:24banks seemingly forever?
03:31Many fans of In Living Color can probably still recite Tommy Davidson's parody lyrics
03:36to Black or White, perhaps just as easily as the Michael Jackson original.
03:40The sketch serves as a full-on skewering of MJ's cultural legacy and controversy, from
03:45his youth with the Jackson 5 to his history of plastic surgery.
03:49It goes on to further reference the song's original, unedited music video, which featured
03:54Jackson destroying a parked car.
03:56The final jab occurs when Davidson is arrested by police, after which he admits,
04:10Number 26, The Dirty Dozens.
04:13There was a bit of kismet behind the production of this recurring sketch, specifically the
04:18appearance of Ed O'Neill, a network neighbor of In Living Color, who gained fame on the
04:23hit sitcom Married With Children.
04:33The Dirty Dozens was a game show that hinged upon trash talk, particularly of the Yo Mama
04:38variety.
04:39The Tournament of Champions sketch sees O'Neill basically behaving like his Married With Children
04:44alter ego, Al Bundy, as the all-time champion of The Dirty Dozens.
04:49It's final boss status for sure, and O'Neill's guest spot took The Dirty Dozens from a good
04:54sketch to a great sketch.
05:07Number 25, Dysfunctional Home Show.
05:10This was just one in a series of recurring skits from In Living Color that was indicative
05:15of the show's envelope-pushing legacy.
05:18The Dysfunctional Home Show was just that, a look into a troubled family whose dysfunctions
05:23were then satirized for laughs.
05:30The setup is ostensibly a housekeeping program, complete with recipes and other helpful tips.
05:36Jim Carrey's Grandpa McGee is suitably gross, while Alexandra Wentworth and Jamie Foxx serve
05:42as suitable foils.
05:43The sketch is definitely a time capsule of sorts, but it still lives on within the minds
05:48of many who grew up within Living Color's irreverent reputation.
06:08Number 24, Butt Out Jeans.
06:11Before Dave Chappelle turned impersonating Prince into an art form, In Living Color had
06:16their go of it with this fake commercial for Butt Out Jeans.
06:27The sketch begins with camera work that's up close and personal, peeping into a conversation
06:32between Prince and two other men.
06:34Jamie Foxx portrays the purple one with a delivery that's over the top.
06:38Meanwhile, the dialogue also leans into Prince's reputation for being libidinous, as well as
06:44his alleged affairs with musical collaborators.
06:51Finally, Prince's denim chaps are revealed as he dances butt to the world behind the
07:02announcer's voiceover.
07:04Number 23, East Hollywood Squares.
07:08The latter era of In Living Color wasn't exactly bereft of recurring sketch comedy
07:13gold as evidenced by this gem titled East Hollywood Squares.
07:25The host of the real-life Hollywood Squares, Peter Marshall, even showed up to do double
07:30duty on this wholesome parody.
07:32These sketches benefit from the fast and furious joke delivery enabled by the setup, which
07:36allows for multiple parodies by varying cast members.
07:40Some real-life celebrities even joined in on the fun, including Gary Coleman and Fred
07:45Rerun Barry.
07:46East Hollywood Squares could always be relied upon for some laughs and served up highlights
07:50during the final broadcast season of In Living Color.
07:57Number 22, My Songs Are Mindless.
08:01Sketch comedy shows often rely upon humor that's trending or timely in order to generate
08:05some quick laughs week to week.
08:15As a result, some sketches feel more evergreen than others, although we still feel that this
08:20parody of singer Crystal Waters still hits deep today.
08:24This is primarily due to the dedication Kim Wayans puts into the performance, which is
08:29riffing upon Waters' 1991 hit, Gypsy Woman, She's Homeless.
08:34The la-da-dee-la-da-da line from the original is riffed by Wayans via some hilarious gibberish,
08:41while the sketch also nails the visual style of Gypsy Woman's accompanying video.
08:45Does knowledge of music history make this sketch funnier?
08:57Maybe but we think the ludicrousness of the setup still hits.
09:01Number 21, Velma Mulholland.
09:04She was a woman out of time.
09:06The film noir girl whose recurring sketches nevertheless gained an audience on In Living
09:10Color.
09:20Kelly Coffield Park played Velma Mulholland, a pastiche of old-school dames from the mystery
09:25and noir movies of the 1940s and 50s.
09:28The gag here relies largely upon Coffield Park's long-winded monologues and intrinsically
09:34melodramatic nature.
09:36Mulholland is also presented in black and white, while being confronted with the technicolor
09:41problems of the modern day.
09:53It was a niche idea for a sketch that succeeded despite itself, thanks largely to the dedication
09:58of its leading lady.
10:00Number 20, Players Club.
10:03You don't need to know the history of legalized gambling to laugh at this In Living Color
10:07sketch featuring Jim Carrey.
10:09The future megastar does a great impression of showbiz icon Telly Savalas, who used to
10:14be the spokesman for the Players Club membership service.
10:36However he doesn't offer discounts on hotel rooms and in-demand Vegas shows.
10:41Carrey's Players Club is actually a weapon that's used to exact vengeance upon those
10:47unwilling to comp Mr. Savalas.
10:49Jim goes all-in with his character impersonation.
11:00Additionally, the action on display plays the tough guy character Savalas, who was known
11:11for playing on the classic 70's television series, Kojak.
11:16Number 19, Jerry's Kids.
11:19Jim Carrey's spot-on impressions helped make a ton of In Living Color bits absolutely
11:24unforgettable.
11:26In the Jerry's Kids sketch, he does an expert Jerry Lewis impersonation.
11:48Carrey also makes fun of the Hollywood Legends telethon that used to run every Labor Day
11:53weekend.
11:54But instead of fighting for a noble cause like Lewis would, the In Living Color comedian
11:59tries to stop the epidemic of Jerry Curl hairstyles.
12:02Since this fashion trend had blown up in the 80's, the crowd loves seeing it get made
12:07fun of in the early 90's.
12:09Tommy Davidson also totally steals the show by warning us of the dangers of Jerry Curls.
12:30Despite leaning on specific references from the 90's, this sketch still feels funny
12:35and timeless.
12:37Number 18, Calhoun Tubbs.
12:40The life of a unique Michigan personality was the impetus behind this recurring character
12:45from In Living Color star, David Alan Greer.
13:03In the sketches, the comedian parodied a real-life man known as Shaky Jake who was
13:08fond of singing and making up exaggerated stories about his life.
13:13That meant that Greer's Calhoun Tubbs was also an off-key singer and teller of tall
13:18tales.
13:19However, Greer's blues songs are presented as being a bit more confrontational and insulting.
13:41But you know what?
13:42We just couldn't get enough.
13:44No matter what comes his way, Calhoun Tubbs has a song for every occasion.
13:49Every tune is short, most songs are mean, and all of them are hilarious.
14:04Number 17, Make-A-Death-Wish Foundation.
14:08Jim Carrey's killer impersonation skills – no pun intended – when he revealed his
14:13dead-on interpretation of Charles Bronson.
14:33Okay the last pun was intended.
14:36Carrey took Bronson's infamous and brutal character from the Death Wish series and put
14:40him in an unlikely scenario.
14:43The fictional Bronson's Make-A-Death-Wish Foundation makes children's dreams come
14:46true – at any cost.
14:49Carrey nails Bronson's vocal inflection while also parodying the Death Wish franchise's
14:54legendary reputation for violence.
14:59He's not afraid to threaten and hurt people to ensure a kid can play major sports.
15:12Number 16, Oswald Bates meets Barbara Bush.
15:24While this sketch wasn't the only one on In Living Color to feature the character of
15:28Oswald Bates, it's perhaps one of the funniest.
15:41The character was a recurring fan favorite who loved to wax poetic.
15:45However, he often used the completely wrong words to convey his feelings.
15:49That's why it was so amusing to see him come in contact with the sharp former first
15:55lady Barbara Bush.
16:02When she visits a prison that's implemented her literacy program, she finds Bates in jail.
16:08Although everything he says sounds like total nonsense, the former first lady understands
16:12and talks back.
16:27Kelly Caulfield Park's Bush almost steals the show here from Damon Wayans as Bates.
16:33Their exchange was brief, nonsensical, and hilarious.
16:37Number 15, Juice Mania.
16:40Man, Jim Carrey just had a knack for parodying the pop culture zeitgeist, didn't he?
16:45Jay Kordich was a pioneering salesman for the juicing craze of the early 90's.
17:00His infomercials mainly espoused the health benefits of an extra juiced diet.
17:05To comedically demonstrate how effective the beverages were, Carrey went to extreme lengths.
17:21At one point, he even pulls what looks like an RV with his teeth.
17:25Carrey brings an astronomical amount of energy to everything he juices.
17:29Soil, garbage, dirty underwear, and more are all exciting ingredients to him.
17:35Carrey even claims the juice can grant invisibility and the power of flight.
17:54While the drinks look disgusting, his enthusiasm for his concoctions almost make us want to
17:58try one.
17:59Heavy emphasis on almost.
18:03Number 14, Wanda Wayne.
18:06There's no denying that a sketch like this would be unlikely to be greenlit today.
18:12This recurring Jamie Foxx character saw him dressing up as an unattractive woman named
18:16Wanda Wayne.
18:32At one point, the character was praised due to the comedian's committed performance
18:36and physical humor.
18:38He also occasionally used Wanda to call out famous fictional male characters who tried
18:42to use their power or authority to attract women.
18:58However, the fact that the humor of the skits mainly leaned on the fact that Foxx was cross-dressing
19:03makes these scenes dated by today's standards.
19:20While the character's popularity can't be denied, Wanda also stands as a reminder of
19:24how much comedy has changed.
19:27Number 13, Background Guy.
19:30We've all seen at least one local news report where someone in the background just
19:34seems a little too excited about appearing on TV.
19:37Jim Carrey's Background Guy essentially plays the most exaggerated version of this
19:41kind of person.
19:50Throughout this recurring series, the Background Guy proves that he is willing to do almost
19:54anything to get five minutes of fame.
19:57Since Carrey didn't have many lines to work with here, these skits highlighted his incredible
20:01knack for physical comedy.
20:14He's definitely a consistent distraction for every poor news reporter that's simply trying
20:19to do their job.
20:20However, Background Guy was the main attraction in every In Living Color news story that featured
20:25him fighting to be noticed.
20:27Number 12, Wrath of Farrakhan.
20:30In Living Color had a knack for providing unique twists on the classic art of the movie
20:35parody.
20:36Their take on Star Trek II, The Wrath of Khan featured the minister, Louis Farrakhan, making
20:41an unannounced appearance on the USS Enterprise.
20:44Damon Wayans does a great job impersonating the controversial leader.
21:06At the same time, Jim Carrey absolutely kills with a stellar William Shatner impression.
21:10Their performances shine in a skit where Farrakhan attempts to stir rebellion and dissension
21:15amongst the crew because he insists they're bound to their positions.
21:35Once Farrakhan succeeds, he orders the Enterprise to boldly go where no man has gone before
21:40for a memorable ending.
21:42Number 11, Homeboy Shopping Network.
21:45Over the years, plenty of personalities and channels have featured home shopping shows
21:49that viewers can call into.
21:51But we're still willing to bet that none of them were quite like this.
21:56One popular In Living Color sketch centered around the Homeboy Shopping Network.
22:09Instead of relying on shiny new products, the hosts gave you stolen goods at a discounted
22:14price for a limited time.
22:16Actually, make that a VERY limited time.
22:19That's because the Homeboy Shopping Network was almost always interrupted by incoming
22:24authorities or police.
22:42The sketch also gave audiences a now iconic In Living Color catchphrase.
22:51Number 10, Defrosting Vanilla Ice.
22:55Out of all the stars in Living Color introduced to a prime time audience, a little comic by
23:00the name of Jim Carrey is one of their most notable.
23:11While he had plenty of highlights on the show, he absolutely nailed it as a musical parody
23:15of Vanilla Ice and his hit song, Ice Ice Baby.
23:19Carrey commits to the clothes, hair, and outrageous dance moves.
23:30He perfectly exaggerates Ice's already-out-there personal style while giving us a musical performance
23:36we'll never forget.
23:37In a sea of excellent musical parody sketches on In Living Color, this Ice parody floats
23:42to the top.
23:47Number 9, Benita Batrell Spills the Tea.
23:51Gossip?
23:52Heavens no.
23:53Benita Batrell wouldn't dream of speaking out of turn about a soul.
24:01Except that's exactly what this character did, to exaggerated comedic effect.
24:06Kim Wayans encapsulates every local neighborhood gossip perfectly with this dirt-dishing homebody.
24:12Benita Batrell couldn't help but speak directly to the camera about basically everyone she
24:17knows.
24:27The best running gag in these skits is that she tries to avoid talking badly about Ms.
24:31Jenkins, but usually slips up for one hilarious final punchline.
24:45Number 8, Karate Instructor Bob Jackson.
24:54Jim Carrey's back again to excel at what he does better than nearly any comic out there,
25:00physical stunts.
25:02If there's one running theme throughout Carrey's various characters on In Living
25:06Color, it's their tendency to hurt, injure, or otherwise maim themselves just doing their
25:11jobs.
25:17Bob Jackson, karate instructor, was no exception.
25:21He always seemed to get pushed to the brink of mortal injury.
25:24In Jackson's self-defense class for women, he ends up getting stabbed by one of his students.
25:36Carrey's over-the-top reaction absolutely works within the realm of the character's
25:40larger-than-life persona.
25:54Number 7, The Head Detective Gets On The Case.
25:58The laws of physics are thrown out the window for this hilarious procedural parody involving
26:02a different sort of detective… a head detective in fact.
26:07Damon Wayans plays a short gumshoe that only has a head with tiny feet and arms, and well,
26:13that's about it.
26:20A lesser sketch comedy show might take this ridiculous premise and only rely on physical
26:24comedy bits.
26:26Luckily, the In Living Color writers knew exactly what to parody about the classic crime
26:30stories to make the head detective sketches take themselves just seriously enough to be
26:35smart and funny.
26:36Somehow, the show and audience suspend their disbelief about the gag and enjoy the side-splittingly
26:51hilarious head detective.
27:02Number 6, The Headlies.
27:04In this world, there's the average hard-working American family, and then there's the Headlies.
27:24This family is notorious for working a ridiculous amount of jobs.
27:28They also can't fathom the shame when their daughter, Margaret, starts dating a boy with
27:31gasp.
27:32Only one job!
27:44This may seem like a one-note premise, however, the In Living Color cast nails it as usual
27:50thanks to their commitment to the characters.
27:52The fact that the Headlies sketch wasn't just a one-and-done was a testament to the
27:56fact that the viewers wanted to see how the family was getting by, week after week.
28:15Number 5, Anton Jackson.
28:19Every member of the Wayans family came up with recurring characters and sketches for
28:23us to enjoy.
28:24Damon Wayans was particularly great at coming up with the iconic Anton Jackson, an unhoused
28:30man with a very memorable way of speaking.
28:46His unique take on the character was able to fit easily in a bunch of different hilarious
28:50scenarios.
28:51We saw him appear everywhere from Thanksgiving dinner to a military recruitment office.
29:02Anton even takes a jab at home improvement shows along the way.
29:06While he may be strange at times, we couldn't help but laugh every time.
29:20Number 4, Black World.
29:23In Living Color didn't always deal with serious issues, but Black World was one awesome exception.
29:38Takiyah Crystal Kimah led this funny and topical sketch.
29:41She plays a little girl who's waiting for her mother to finish cleaning a movie theater
29:45so they can go home at last.
29:47During the sketch, she presents her fantasy land of Black World to the audience.
30:04Kimah uses this construct to reference some of the daily struggles faced by the black
30:09community.
30:10She also juxtaposes those hardships with an idealized society of inclusion and acceptance.
30:15It's a sketch that pulls on the heartstrings just as much now as it did back in season
30:20one.
30:31Number 3, Men On.
30:34Our next entry is as controversial now as it was upon its debut in the very first episode
30:39of In Living Color.
30:40Men On, starring David Alan Greer and Damon Wayans as Antoine Merriweather and Blaine
30:45Edwards, they both played into stereotypes of gay men while reviewing movies and other
31:01subjects on a weekly basis.
31:02The pair's rating system and the witty repartee between Wayans and Greer were a hit with viewers
31:07at the time.
31:21However the men's performances, while good, still strike a nerve among many thanks to
31:25how gay men were perceived then and how they still are today.
31:42Number 2, Fire Marshal Bill.
31:45Fire Marshal Bill was arguably one of Carey's best-loved breakout characters from his tenure
31:50on In Living Color.
31:58This firefighter was similar to Carey's Bob Jackson character in that he was always on
32:02the receiving end of some kind of disaster by the sketch's climax.
32:16In Bill's case, however, his damage was usually far more explosive and even more exaggerated
32:21than the karate instructor's.
32:23Carey's character also boasted his own witty catchphrase,
32:26"'Let me show you something!"
32:28Right before things went haywire.
32:36This is one of the sketches that didn't need an elaborate setup.
32:39Every time Fire Marshal Bill rolled in, we were ready to laugh.
32:59Number 1.
33:00Homie Da Clown We're willing to bet that you've never
33:03met an entertainer as unpredictable as Homie Da Clown.
33:13Played to comedic perfection by Damon Wayans, this clown was actually a criminal serving
33:17out his debt to the community.
33:19Unfortunately, he seemed to have a really short fuse when it came to the people he was
33:23supposed to entertain.
33:36Get on Homie's bad side and boom!
33:39An unwilling guest will get hit upside the head with a tennis ball and a sock.
33:43Wayans' catchphrase, "'Homie, don't play that," caught on almost immediately.
33:57Everyone wanted to hear him say those legendary words, as he tried his best to grin and bear
34:01the sentence of his work-release program.
34:04What's your favorite memory of In Living Color?
34:06Let us know in the comments!