"Trapped in the Closet" is an urban opera, R&B opera, or hip-hopera released by
contemporary R&BContemporary R&B is a music genre of western popular music. Although the acronym “R&B” originates from its association with traditional rhythm and blues music, the term R&B is today most often used to define a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in the 1980s...
singer
R. KellyRobert Sylvester Kelly Thabit , best known by the stage name R. Kelly, is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, occasional rapper, and record producer. Debuting in 1992 with the group Public Announcement, Kelly went solo in 1993 for a successful solo career starting with the album, 12 Play...
in 2005. The songs relate an ongoing narrative, which Kelly and
Jive RecordsJive Records is a record label, based in New York City, owned by Sony Music Entertainment, and operates under the Zomba Label Group.-Company history:...
promoted by releasing each chapter to radio stations one at a time. This also serves as the first official single off R. Kelly's album
TP.3 Reloaded.
The only chord progression used is an Am chord (with a C in bass which then slides down to an A) to an E-Major chord (with a G# in the bass, which then slides down to an E) with crescendos and more instruments added at some points, thus adding suspense. The song then returns to its
tonicThe tonic is the first note of a musical scale in the tonal method of musical composition. The triad formed on the tonic note, the tonic chord, is thus the most significant chord. More generally, the tonic is the pitch upon which all other pitches of a piece are hierarchically referenced...
E-Major chord.
The songs tell the story of a one-night stand that sets off a chain of events, which gradually reveals a greater web of lies, sex, and deceit.
In November 2005, six more chapters were released, for a total of twelve, on
DVDDVD, also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc,is an optical disc storage media format, and was founded in 1995. Its main uses are video and data storage...
. Nearly two years later, in August 2007, ten more chapters were released on DVD and shown on the
Independent Film ChannelThe Independent Film Channel is a cable network that airs independent film and related programming uncut and uncensored, 24 hours a day...
(IFC), and as well as IFC's Web site. R. Kelly said that more chapters would be written and released. In the Big Package DVD, the commentary remix gave a special sneak peek of chapter 23. On December 10, 2008, Kelly announced the next installment of chapters for release in the Summer of 2009. He is quoted as saying, "The past chapters are nothing compared to these." However, as of October 2009, the new chapters have yet to be released.
Development
In the summer of 2005, a series of five music videos were created for the original five chapters and were included as a bonus disc with
R. KellyRobert Sylvester Kelly Thabit , best known by the stage name R. Kelly, is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, occasional rapper, and record producer. Debuting in 1992 with the group Public Announcement, Kelly went solo in 1993 for a successful solo career starting with the album, 12 Play...
's TP-3 Reloaded album. The videos were then released on music networks as
BETBet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test *Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac...
and
MTVMTV is a cable television network based in New York City and launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs...
, and was to have ended there. On August 28, 2005, Kelly released Chapter 6 in the series exclusively for the
MTV Video Music AwardsThe MTV Video Music Awards, also called the VMAs, were established at the end of the summer of 1984 by MTV to celebrate the top music videos of the year...
in
Miami, FloridaMiami is a major coastal city in southeastern Florida, in the United States. Miami is the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida. With an estimated population of 424,662 in 2007, Miami is the largest city within the Miami metropolitan area, which is the...
. It was an unreleased chapter of the series, in which Kelly changed the ending of the original MTV VMA version so that the story could continue with the same characters. Chapters 6 to 8 were later released on
VH1VH1 is an American cable television network based in New York City...
as a 30-minute special.
Kelly also mentioned on the October 28, 2005, episode of
Jimmy Kimmel LiveJimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...
that there was a possibility of a play based on the events of this single.
Kelly went on to produce and co-direct (with Jim Swaffield and Victor Mignatti) a series of twelve videos to complement each one of the musical chapters of
Trapped in the Closet.
A DVD titled
Trapped in The Closet (Chapters 1–12) was released in late 2005 and on the DVD commentary (and at the end of the regular credits), Kelly makes several cryptic comments in regard to one of the main characters, Gwendolyn, her many friends, and the very real possibility of another twenty or so chapters to be created, but no specific timetable was given.
From August 13, 2007, toward the end of that month, the
Independent Film Channel (IFC)The Independent Film Channel is a cable network that airs independent film and related programming uncut and uncensored, 24 hours a day...
, through
its Web site, released chapters 13 through 22 on a daily basis (except Aug. 21st, the day of Chapter 13–22's DVD release), and included introductions from R. Kelly and IFC News anchor
Matt SingerMatt Singer, born December 23, 1980, is a film critic and the host of IFC News. He covers Tribeca Film Festivals, Cannes Film Festivals, and has appeared alongside R Kelly introducing Trapped In The Closet on IFC and IFC.com...
.
On September 7, 2007 (two weeks after the DVD release of Chapters 13–22), IFC aired the first twenty-two chapters in its entirety. After the broadcast, an IFC News special featuring R. Kelly and Singer was broadcast. Kelly claimed to have made twenty more installments "that have yet to be filmed," and then reiterated his open-ended stance on the fate of future installments, claiming that the series will end "when the aliens say it's over." The entire series was captured in 24-frames-per-second high-definition digital video instead of film or standard-definition video.
Cast and characters
In order of appearance:
| Actor/Actress |
Plays |
First Appearance |
| R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly Thabit , best known by the stage name R. Kelly, is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, occasional rapper, and record producer. Debuting in 1992 with the group Public Announcement, Kelly went solo in 1993 for a successful solo career starting with the album, 12 Play...
|
Sylvester
Narrator
Randolph
Rev. Mosley James Evans
Pimp Lucious |
Chapter 1
Chapter 8
Chapter 13
Chapter 18
Chapter 18 |
LeShay TomlinsonLeShay Tomlinson is a young Hebrew Israelite actress, best known for her role as Cathy in R. Kelly's hip hopera, Trapped in the Closet...
|
Cathy a.k.a. "Mary" |
Chapter 1 |
| Rolando Boyce Rolando Boyce is an American actor, best known for his role as bisexual pastor Rufus in R. Kelly's hip-hop era masterwork Trapped in the Closet. Aside from this, his work onscreen has consisted principally of roles as nameless "Cops" in the television series Prison Break. He has also played a small...
|
Rufus |
Chapter 1 |
| Malik S. Middleton |
Chuck |
Chapter 2 |
Michael Kenneth WilliamsMichael Kenneth Williams is an American actor. He has received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Omar Little on The Wire.-Childhood and early career:...
|
Sgt. James |
Chapter 4 |
| Cat Wilson Cat Wilson is an American actress most famous for her role as Sylvester's wife Gwendolyn in R. Kelly's hip-hopera "Trapped in the Closet"....
|
Gwendolyn |
Chapter 4 |
| Eric Lane For the football player of the same name see Eric Lane .Eric Lane is an African American actor born in Chicago, Illinois. He recently appeared in R. Kelly's hip-hopera, Trapped in the Closet, as the character Twan, from Chapter 7 and on....
|
Twan |
Chapter 6 |
| La Donna Tittle |
Rosie |
Chapter 7 |
Rebecca FieldRebecca Field is an American actress from Lenox Dale, Massachusetts. She has played minor roles in various television shows and movies, including Monk. She played the role of 'Janet' on the ABC television series October Road. In R. Kelly's hip-hopera Trapped in the Closet, she plays the role of...
|
Bridget |
Chapter 8 |
| Drevon Cooks |
Big Man |
Chapter 9 |
| Tracey Bonner |
Tina |
Chapter 14 |
| Erika Ringor Erika Ringor is an American film actress.- Early life :Erika was born in Inglewood, California. She has a diverse nationality, a mix of African American, Filipino, and Caucasian ancestry. Raised by her mother Laura Ringor, Erika’s acting interest began at an early age during her high school years...
|
Roxanne |
Chapter 14 |
| Dominic Capone III |
Joey (Mobster) |
Chapter 21 |
Chapter 1
The first chapter of "Trapped in the Closet" begins with the protagonist, Sylvester (portrayed by Kelly), waking up and realizing that he is not in his own bed. He recalls leaving a nightclub with a strange woman the previous night, and that he was in her bed. As Sylvester is scolding himself for what he has done as a married man, the woman comes back into the bedroom from the bathroom. Sylvester tells her that he has to leave quickly. She tells him he can't leave out the door because she hears her husband coming up the stairs. Sylvester says he'll jump out the window, but she reminds him that they are on the fifth floor. Sylvester thinks frantically, and then decides to hide in the closet. A few seconds later, the husband walks in, and the couple ends up
fooling aroundSexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which the male reproductive organ enters the female reproductive tract. The two entities may be of opposite sexes or not, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
on the bed. Sylvester reflects that the woman deserves an
OscarThe Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are presented annually by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers. The formal ceremony at which the awards are presented is...
for her skillful acting. Suddenly, Sylvester's
cell phoneA mobile phone or mobile is a long-range, electronic device used for mobile telecommunications...
rings and he hurries to put it on
vibrateA vibrating alert is a feature of communications devices to notify the user of an incoming connection. It is particularly common on mobile phones and pagers and usually supplements the ring tone....
. The husband hears the ring and suspects something is wrong. He searches the house for another person. He looks behind the shower curtain, under the bed, in the dresser, and then walks towards the closet. The first part ends with Sylvester reaching for his
BerettaFabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta is a major Italian firearm manufacturing company. Its firearms are used worldwide by civilians, police, and armies. It is also known for manufacturing shooting clothes and accessories.-History:...
and the husband opening the closet.
- Ending "cliffhanger" line: "Now he's at the closet, now he's opening the closet....."
Chapter 2
In the second part of the song, the husband opens the closet and begins to yell at his wife for spending her free time cheating on him. He reveals to his wife that he had suspected her of cheating all along but did not want to believe it. As the couple is arguing, Sylvester tells them that he wants no part of what was happening, so he tries to leave. The husband tells Sylvester to stay put and that he would have killed Sylvester if Sylvester wasn't holding a loaded gun himself. Sylvester then tells the couple to let him go, since it was the wife's fault that Sylvester was there. The wife had never told Sylvester that she was
marriedMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
. Again, the husband tells Sylvester and the wife to both stay put, and tells them that there is something he needs to show them both first. He makes a phone call and tells the person on the other end to turn the car back around. Meanwhile, Sylvester threatens to shoot the husband and wife if they do not let him leave the house, and the husband reveals to Sylvester that he is a
pastorThe term pastor usually refers to an ordained person within a Christian church. In some countries the term is more usually used in traditional Protestant churches but is also used in reference to priests and bishops within the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox churches. The...
and does not want to see violence. Sylvester tells the couple that they have to the count of four before he starts shooting. Sylvester begins to count, as the wife suspects the husband of having cheated on her. The husband tells the wife that "Since we're all coming out of the closet today," he's not the only one who is about to be brokenhearted. The second parts ends when the husband, opens the door just after Sylvester counts to four and the husband's lover is revealed to be a man, implying the husband is a
bisexualBisexuality is sexual behavior with or physical attraction to both sexes , or a bisexual orientation. People who have a bisexual orientation "can experience sexual, emotional, and affectional attraction to both their own sex and the opposite sex"; "it also refers to an individual’s sense of...
.
- Ending "cliffhanger" line: "He opens the door, I'll be God damned its a man....."
Chapter 3
In part three, all four people are arguing in the room together, with the husband and wife bickering back and forth about whose cheating was worse. The wife, Cathy, attacks the husband, Rufus, for having been with a man, Chuck, and not telling her, and says that his crime is worse since she was caught accidentally and he revealed his cheating just to upset her. Sylvester watches everything that transpires and says for them to stop and that he didn't stay there to watch them fight. Then the husband's lover starts to explain what has been going on between the two of them. Sylvester says that he doesn't want the guy to go into details. The husband goes on to say that it is the wife's fault. Then his lover says they're in love and the husband says they're getting married. Sylvester then fires a shot in the air, which causes Cathy, Chuck, and Rufus to fall to the floor. He then calls his house only to have a man pick up the phone. The chapter ends with Sylvester thinking his wife has also had an affair. After he puts the phone down he runs out of the house and leaves Cathy, Rufus and Chuck still sitting on the floor.
- Ending "cliffhanger" line: "Call up my home, and a man picks up the phone...."
Chapter 4
In part four, Sylvester is driving home and is pulled over by a
police officerA police officer is a warranted employee of a police force. Police officers are generally responsible for apprehending criminals, maintaining public order, and preventing and detecting crimes...
. The officer mentions that he was
speedingA road speed limit is the maximum speed allowed by law for road vehicles. Speed limits are commonly set and enforced by the legislative bodies of nations or provincial governments, such as countries within the world....
, gives him a
ticketA moving violation is any violation of the law committed by the driver of a vehicle while it is in motion. The term "motion" distinguishes it from other violations such as parking violations, equipment violations, or paperwork violations relating to insurance, registration, inspection, etc.-...
and sends him on his way. As Sylvester arrives home he starts asking his wife what man answered the phone, she responds that it was her brother, who she reminded Sylvester earlier was supposed to be home today. Sylvester admits that he forgot, and they begin to
make loveSexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which the male reproductive organ enters the female reproductive tract. The two entities may be of opposite sexes or not, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
with each other. When Gwendolyn and Sylvester are making love Gwendolyn sees a
condomA condom is a barrier device most commonly used during sexual intercourse to reduce the likelihood of pregnancy and spreading sexually transmitted diseases . It is put on a man's erect penis and physically blocks ejaculated semen from entering the body of a sexual partner...
on the bed and tells Sylvester to "go deeper, please," he is afraid that he will blow a vessel in his brain. He's "cool" with his wife climaxing, so long as she lets go of his cramping leg. Finally, he gets off of the bed and rips the sheet off, and finds a used condom.
- Ending "cliffhanger" line: "I pull back the cover, oh my god, a rubber!"
- Note: The video for this chapter has since been revised to better correlate with Chapter 5. The line "I said "this is some bullshit", as he gave me the ticket" was changed to "He flicked his cigarette, as he gave me the ticket." Also, in the pullover scene, the original actor for the officer has been changed to James' current actor.
Chapter 5
In part 5, Sylvester reveals his knowledge of his wife's
infidelityInfidelity is a violation of the mutually agreed-upon rules or boundaries of an intimate relationship, which constitutes a significant breach of faith or a betrayal of core shared values with which the integrity of the relationship is defined...
. She acts stunned, but later reveals her knowledge of his infidelity. They then begin to argue about what happened at a club the previous night. Then Gwendolyn tells Sylvester where he went when he left the club. She tells him that he went to a "bitch's" house, but doesn't know who it was. She later tells Sylvester that she has a friend named Tina who knows a woman named Roxanne. Roxanne is a friend of Chuck. Chuck is dating Rufus. Rufus is the husband of Cathy, who is the woman with whom Sylvester cheated. She then says that she and Cathy went to high school together, and that Cathy was the one who introduced her to the officer who pulled Sylvester over. Hence, the officer was her secret lover.
- Ending "cliffhanger" line: "She introduced me to the policeman that stopped you."
Chapter 6
After the realization that Gwendolyn (Sylvester's wife) cheated on Sylvester while already knowing he had also cheated on her, Sylvester laughs at the craziness eventually causing Gwendolyn also to laugh and apologize. Sylvester then tells her what he went through the previous night. The police officer (having been recasted), whose name is revealed to be James, is concerned about Gwendolyn, turning his car around and going back to the house where he sees Sylvester's car parked in a crooked space with the lights still on. James looks around the back and sees the door has been broken in and then pulls out his gun and goes in to investigate. He hears Sylvester and Gwendolyn laughing hysterically which he mistakes as yelling and crying. As Sylvester continues to explain what was going on, James thinks Gwendolyn is being abused and when she says that Sylvester is "killing her" with his stories, James bursts in. Sylvester notices the guy as the same cop who pulled him over. Gwendolyn tries to calm them down while Sylvester threatens James to get out of the house with his gun. After Gwendolyn begs and James insists, Sylvester drops his gun, and puts his hands up to freeze, James winks and smiles at Sylvester which angers him and then he struggles with James over his gun. While they are fighting, the gun accidentally fires.
- Ending "cliffhanger" line: "Goin' all around the room, both hands on the gun, then all of a sudden, pow."
Chapter 7
It is discovered that Twan (short for Antoine), Gwen's brother who just was released from
prisonA prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Other terms are penitentiary, correctional facility, and jail , although in the United States "jail" and "prison" refer to different subtypes of correctional facility...
, is the one who was shot. Sylvester and James argue about who is at fault for the shooting while Sylvester blames everything on the cop. Gwendolyn is hysterical, thinking that Twan is dead. Twan wakes up, having only been shot in the shoulder and everyone tells him what is going on. He jokes by saying that he'd have been better off staying in prison with all the madness going on. There is a knock on the door and Sylvester does not want to answer it. After being insulted by James, Sylvester decides he will shoot whomever is at the door, picks his gun up from the floor, and points it towards the door. Twan grabs James' gun and points it towards the door. He says to the cop "you can arrest me later". The door opens and it is the next door neighbor, Rosie, with a spatula in her hand. They invite Rosie in, while James snatches his gun back from Twan and leaves.
- Ending "cliffhanger-outro" line: "...Wit a spatula
The spatula was first patented by an English-Italian chef, Zoe M. Martella, who is considered the inventor of the spatula. A spatula also called a turner, a fish slice, a frying scoop in British English, a flipper in Canadian English, or an egg flipper in Hiberno-English , is a kitchen utensil with a...
in her hand....like that's gon' do something against them guns........it's Rosie the nosey....neighbor..."
Chapter 8
James gets in his police car after leaving Sylvester's house and calls his wife, a white woman named Bridget. (R. Kelly sings all of Bridget's lines with a
Southern accentSouthern American English is a group of dialects of the English language spoken throughout the Southern region of the United States, from Southern and Eastern Maryland, West Virginia and Kentucky to the Gulf Coast, and from the Atlantic coast to throughout most of Texas and Oklahoma.The Southern...
.) Bridget was a little concerned after not having heard from her husband but James assures her that he's fine and on his way home. Bridget tells James that she's excited to see him and that she baked him a cherry pie Meanwhile at Sylvester's house, Rosie, the next door neighbor, and stereotype of an elderly black woman, tells Gwendolyn, Sylvester and Twan that she couldn't stand the cop that just left their house. Sylvester and Twan laugh. Back at James and Bridget's house, James pulls up to the house. A panicked Southern-bride Bridget rushes to the door and kisses her husband, then suggests he has some pears, so he could go "upstairs". James wonders why Bridget is all jittery and Bridget comes up with excuse after excuse, such as "it's
that time of the monthThe menstrual cycle is a cycle of physiological changes that occurs in fertile females. Overt menstruation occurs primarily in humans and close evolutionary relatives such as chimpanzees...
". James, instead, insists on heating up some leftover
Popeye'sPopeyes Chicken & Biscuits is a chain of fried chicken fast food restaurants, owned since 1993 by the Atlanta-based AFC Enterprises...
chicken. Bridget continues to panic which upsets James even more. James finally starts to suspect that his wife is sleeping around and starts questioning her. Bridget hesitates and an angered James yells that she'd better confess or he is going to shoot. It becomes clear that the man Bridget is cheating with is still in the house.
- Ending "Cliffhanger" line: "But little does he know that somebody is still right there in his home!"
Chapter 9
James hears a noise and starts searching in his kitchen. James then walks toward the oven and the fridge, which he looks behind, while Bridget walks toward the cabinet. Then James looks at the table, he sees the cherry pie with a slice cut out. James becomes aware that someone else was in the house because Bridget is allergic to cherries. He becomes enraged. Bridget stays in front. Then he says "move" she says "no", then he repeats himself. After that he gets angry and says "Bitch, move!!" and "she moves!". At this point, the lyrics of this song are reminiscent of the cliff hanger of the first chapter. James opens the door, and the narrator reveals the man is a
midgetMidget is a term used to describe an exceptionally short person. The terms "midget" and "dwarf" are often used synonymously, as both terms mean someone who has been short in stature since birth, but those terms were not originally synonyms....
.
- Ending "Un-Cliffhanger" line: "Now pause the movie cause what I'm about to say to y'all is so damn twisted, not only is there a man in his cabinet, but the man is a midget! MIDGET! MIDGET! MIDGET!"
Chapter 10
The midget jumps out of the cabinet and fights with James who has the clear upper hand. The midget runs under the table. Bridget runs upstairs and searches her purse for a phone number. James demands the midget tell him what he was doing in James' house. The midget wipes cherry pie crust crumbs off his face and responds that he was paid not to tell. James points his gun directly at the midget who admits that he has just
"shitted on himself"In medicine, diarrhea , also spelled diarrhoea , is the condition of having frequent loose or liquid bowel movements. Acute diarrhea is a common cause of death in developing countries and the second most common cause of infant deaths worldwide...
. Back at Sylvester's house, he, Twan, and Gwen are enjoying themselves and playing cards, despite the fact that Twan was shot in the shoulder only minutes ago, when the phone rings. Gwen answers it. It's Bridget, panicked, who found Gwen's number in James' pocket. Gwen gives Sylvester the address, presumably to go over and stop the fight. Back at James' house, James and the midget are still fighting when Bridget bursts into the kitchen with a double barrelled shotgun, James draws his pistol, the midget pulls out his inhaler. Suddenly, Twan and Sylvester burst in with guns drawn to defuse the scene and notice a peculiar odor coming from the midget's pants. The midget then faints because of all the madness.
- Ending "cliffhanger-outro" line: "ohhh while Twan and Sylvester are sniffin' around, tryin' to figure out, 'What's that smell?' As they turn and look at each other like, 'What the hell?'..."
Chapter 11
After bursting into the house, Sylvester begs Bridget and James to put the guns down but they both say no. When Twan suggests he should kill them all, Bridget says she will drop the gun if James doesn't hurt the midget, Big Man, a stripper at a club called "Dixie's." Dixie's is where Big Man met Bridget. After Gwendolyn calls Sylvester to see if everything is okay, James calls Sylvester and Twan "Chuck and Rufus", revealing that he knows them also. Then after that Twan goes "who the hell is Chuck and Rufus", saying that he doesn't know them. Bridget admits that she paid Big Man (who is "blessed," in reference to the fact that he's "well-endowed," or has a large
penisThe penis is an external sexual organ of certain biologically male organisms, in both vertebrates and invertebrates....
) and also says that she even followed James around while he was with Gwen. She then reveals that Big Man, who has once again fainted, is her baby's daddy, which negates her previous excuse of it being "that time of the month."
- Ending "cliffhanger-outro" line: "...The midget faints again...While Twan and Sylvester is trippin'...The midget's the baby's daddy; woo."
Chapter 12
Back at Cathy's house, she, Rufus, and Chuck are getting up from the floor. Cathy confronts Rufus about "creeping" around with Chuck, who is a deacon of a church, and then says "ain't no tellin' what I've got," referring to
sexually transmitted diseaseA sexually transmitted disease , also known as sexually transmitted infection or venereal disease , is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between humans or animals by means of sexual contact, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex...
s. Chuck becomes offended and claims that she doesn't know him like that. He also exclaims that she will pay for what she said and then pulls a knife on her. The fight continues until Rufus breaks them up. However, they still continue to argue with each other while Rufus tries to work it all out. The phone rings but the three ignore it and continue fighting. After the phone rings a second time, Cathy answers. Gwendolyn is on the line, and she begins telling Cathy about all the drama that she's been through. When Gwen tells Cathy about Sylvester going to the Paje's club and the "ho" that he slept with, Cathy realizes that the man she had slept with that night had been Sylvester. Cathy tries to tell Gwen who the "ho" is, but Gwen keeps on going on about James and his wife and the rest of the day. While Cathy is on the phone, Chuck and Rufus are getting annoyed and are trying to hurry Cathy. Cathy yells at them and finally tells Gwen to shut up and listen to her. She then reveals to Gwen that the woman that her husband slept with the previous night was she.
- Ending "cliffhanger" line: "I'm sorry, girl, but that hoe was me..."
Chapter 13
Sylvester and Twan are in the middle of a "mysterious errand," when suddenly it cuts to Rosie the nosy neighbor and her husband, played by a very convincingly "made-up" R. Kelly, who then spend most of this chapter arguing about personal freedoms after Rosie spies on her neighbors. R. Kelly's character suggests that a pigeon flies by and "shits" on his nosy wife's face. It cuts back to Sylvester and Twan; Sylvester states that he has to go collect money, and then disappears, telling Twan to leave the car in drive and that he might need him to watch his back. An hour goes by, with no sign of Sylvester.
- Ending line: "Time goes by, it's now one hour later..."
- Note: Chapter 13, Chapter 17, Chapter 19 and Chapter 22 don't end with a cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation...
.
Chapter 14
Sylvester and Cathy meet at a restaurant and discuss how Sylvester was paid to go home with her that night. They begin to argue about it while in the meantime Twan is waiting outside the restaurant in the car and gets a call from one of his homies (only shown by an extreme close up of his mouth) about a prostitute named Tina. Then it goes back to Sylvester and Cathy in the restaurant and they continue to discuss while being waited on by their waitress. Once again it goes to back to the car with Twan while he learns that Tina is working at the very restaurant that he and Sylvester are at. Then it goes back to the restaurant where Sylvester recognizes the waitress, but isn't sure from where. He starts talking to her but she flips out and breaks a bottle and calls her friend/co-worker, Roxanne, out who is carrying a frying pan. Everyone leaves the restaurant except for Sylvester, Tina, and Roxanne. The two women are about to attack Sylvester but then Twan walks in.
- Ending "cliffhanger" line: "I will kill both of y'all knucklehead asses..."
Chapter 15
Twan, Sylvester, Tina, and Roxanne are in the empty restaurant. Twan seeks revenge on the two women for his arrest three years ago. Sylvester tries to calm him down reminding him that if he does anything to them that he will go back to jail. Then Sylvester tells him that he spent five years in jail himself. He then asks Tina and Roxanne for an explanation of what happened on the day of his arrest. Tina says "it was supposed to be a simple operation" describing a "trip" to Atlanta, Georgia. Roxanne tells Sylvester that Twan recklessly drove the streets screaming "I'm Rick James, bitch." It gets to the point they are chased by police squad cars and a helicopter. Twan's car breaks down and Twan, Tina, and Roxanne are arrested by the police. In the interrogation room, the police claim Twan said the drugs found in the trunk were the women's. It is then when Roxanne tells Twan she turned him in. Roxanne says Tina protected him because Tina was pregnant with Twan's baby. One of the police officers in the interrogation is played by
indie folkIndie folk is a music genre that arose in the 1990s from singer/songwriters in the indie rock community showing heavy influences from folk music scenes of the 50's, 60's and early 70's. A few early artists included Beck, Elliott Smith and Lou Barlow. This genre is often closely related to others...
musician
Will OldhamWill Oldham, a.k.a. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy , is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. From 1993 to 1997 he performed and recorded under variations of the Palace name, including the Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, and Palace Music.-Music:Will Oldham is known for his "do-it-yourself punk aesthetic...
.
- Ending "cliffhanger" line: "Because at the time I was pregnant by you, T..."
Chapter 16
Twan is hesitant to believe the news of his fatherhood at first. He claims the baby is not his, and at this time Tina starts twitching. When Sylvester inquires about this, Roxanne explains she was hit in the eye by a
pimpA pimp, also called a fleshmonger or pander, finds and manages women who might be vulnerable and susceptible, for whatever reason, to extreme manipulation and engages them in prostitution in order to profit from their earnings...
a year ago and that she's had bad nerves ever since, which is evident as she's obviously in distress. Sylvester then pulls Twan over and convinces him that his fatherhood can turn his life around, and get him on the kl. When Twan decides to tell Tina that he wants to make this work, Roxanne kisses Tina and reveals they are lovers now.
- Ending "cliffhanger" line: "I'm fucking her now....."
- Note: At the end when Roxanne kisses Tina, Tina said that she was carrying Twan's baby, which means that Tina is a bisexual, and Roxxane is a complete Lesbian
-In the commentary remix on the Trapped In The Closet 1-22 DVD, R. Kelly tells the audience that in the upcoming chapters he will probably give Tina about three chapters to explain her nervous eye twitch.
Chapter 17
In this chapter, Sylvester points his gun towards Roxanne and Tina, who are holding each other. He then puts his gun down for his love of
lesbianLesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
ism, unlike Twan, who is enraged. Sylvester tries to leave with Twan, but he is threatening them with buying a gun and coming back for them. Sylvester finally convinces Twan to leave.
- Ending line: "Give me my motherfuckin' coat!"
- Note: This is the shortest chapter in the series so far.
Chapter 18
Chapter eighteen begins with Sylvester and Twan driving back from the diner. Twan is still worked up over seeing Roxanne and Tina together, despite Sylvester's efforts to calm him down. Soon enough, Sylvester gets a phone call from Gwendolyn, who reveals to him that Dale, who Sylvester then refers to as "daddy", has been put in jail by "momma". The scene then shifts to a church, where Rufus is leading a rousing worship song with Reverend Mosley James Evans and the Peace Within Choir singing "we could work this out," a reference to an earlier chapter, where he says that he and Cathy and Chuck could work it out. Rufus then gets a call from Chuck, which he takes in his office alone. Chuck is crying about missing Rufus, and how they haven't talked since the incident in earlier chapters, when Cathy enters the room. Rufus accidentally puts speaker phone on, which leads to Cathy hearing Chuck over the phone yell "Rufus, I need you!". She grabs the phone and begins arguing with Chuck, before Rufus intervenes and sends Cathy from his office. Back on the phone, Rufus seems to have a revelation about the entire situation and becomes sure that he does love his wife. As he tries to explain this, Chuck becomes near-hysterical. Rufus then tells Chuck he will come by to talk with him. It is then Chuck reveals Rufus cannot come visit him, as he is in the hospital.
- Ending "cliffhanger" line: "Because I'm in the hospital..."
Chapter 19
Reverend Mosley James Evans and the Peace Within Choir attempt to persuade Pimp Lucious, a
pimpA pimp, also called a fleshmonger or pander, finds and manages women who might be vulnerable and susceptible, for whatever reason, to extreme manipulation and engages them in prostitution in order to profit from their earnings...
with a severe stuttering problem, to stop pimping and to turn his life around. As the choir sings "you can do it Pimp Lucious" Lucious pretends to accept the offer as he leaves the church, but tells his pimpin' partner, Bishop Craig, that he is never going to "s-s-s-s-stop p-p-p-p-p-p-pimpin", because "p-p-p-pimpin's for life." Then he tells Bishop Craig "now let's get this mmm-mmmmm money."
- Ending scene: Pimp Lucious points to the choir and says "CHUCH! chuch!" Then becoming embarrassed and overwhelmed after being on the altar, looks around and accidentally blurts out "SHIT!". He then says "Oops", while in the church and then leaves with Bishop Craig and his "escorts
Street prostitution is a specific form of prostitution in which the sex worker operates from the street. The street prostitute typically solicits customers while waiting at street corners or walking alongside a street, often dressed in a provocative manner...
".
Chapter 20
Rosie the Nosy Neighbor is at home reading The Bible when her husband, Randolph, comes home shouting, "He's got The Package, Rosie! He's got the Package!" Rosie is unwilling to listen at first, until Randolph says it's about the Pastor (Rufus). After initial bickering, Randolph tells Rosie the story: while working as a janitor for the church, Randolph hears Rufus coming into the church office. Hiding in the office closet, Randolph unintentionally overhears the conversation seen in Chapter Eighteen between Chuck, Rufus, and Cathy. After relaying the story, Rosie asks Randolph, "
But why did you say that he had 'The Package'?". Randolph replies: "Cause he's (Chuck's) in the hospital!
" Rosie immediately decides to inform the masses, despite Randolph's protests. The chapter ends with Randolph sitting on the couch, falling asleep.
Ending line: "Don't go tellin' ev'rybody 'round town, Rosie/ With your big-mouthed ass!"
- "The Package" is believed to be HIV/AIDS because of the slang term, "the whole package", defined as prison slang for HIV/AIDS; given the large-scale interconnecting relationships this is a serious issue affecting most of the characters in the series. This has been disputed, as Chuck is pictured in a hospital, wearing a bandage on his head during chapter 18. There is belief that he has been beaten, and no disease is involved at all.
Chapter 21
Sylvester and Twan go to visit an apparent mobster named Joey. Sylvester informs Joey of some "job" that could get them a lot of money. While there, Joey accuses Twan of being a cop, as well as calling him "
LL Fool JJames Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J, is an American rapper and actor. LL Cool J stands for "Ladies Love Cool James." He is known for romantic ballads such as "I Need Love", "Around the Way Girl" and "Hey Lover" as well as pioneering hip-hop such as "I Can't Live Without My Radio", "I'm...
", deeply offending Twan. Sylvester, trying to defuse the situation, asks Twan to wait outside the office while he and Joey discuss business. As Twan leaves the room he remarks "I'll be listening from the outside", to which Joey replies "Yeah, yeah, whatever.
Mama said knock you out"Mama Said Knock You Out" was a hit single by LL Cool J from his album of the same name. The song's famous beginning is "Don't call it a comeback / I've been here for years." Before "Mama Said Knock You Out" was released, many people felt that LL Cool J's career was waning; his grandmother, who...
, fuck outta here." While waiting outside, Twan has a nightmare of Sylvester and himself in the same situation, being pointed at with guns. In the end, Sylvester wakes Twan up, then Joey and Sylvester say their goodbyes, and Joey asks Sylvester to tell Gwen he says hello, as their deal is sealed.
- Ending scene: Joey and his goons laugh at Twan for having a nightmare, and Joey tells Sylvester to say hello to Gwendolyn for him.
- Ending line: "This guy..." and puffing smoke.
Chapter 22
The scene opens to O'Dale and Merna's voicemail (Sylvester's Parents) and eventually fades into the middle of the voicemail box where the narrator says, "And Now The Rumor". Throughout a series of phone conversations between all of the original characters from Chapters 1-12 and those introduced in Chapter 13-22, rumors of "The Package" circulate. Because Chuck has it (assuming that "The Package" is an STD), it has possibly been passed to Rufus, to his wife Cathy, to Sylvester, to Gwen. In addition, Bridget realizes that James knows both Chuck and Rufus but tries to hide it from her earlier, suggesting he may be on the "down-low" with Chuck as well. Gwen also cheated on Sylvester with James. This would put Bridget, Big Man, and Gwen at serious risk. Lastly, Pimp Lucious gets a similar concerned call from an unidentified woman (who may have gotten "The Package" from Big Man, and subsequently passed it to Pimp Lucious). So, all in all, Chuck, Rufus, Cathy, Sylvester, Gwen, James, Bridget, Big Man, and Pimp Lucius all could have been infected with the package. Had Pimp Lucious been infected with "The Package" (assuming it is an STD), he could have passed it to any or all of the hookers he pimps. Although there is no confirmation of this, since he is the only pimp the story has focused on thus far, the watcher might assume that Lucious was the pimp who gave Tina her nervous twitch when she was working for him. Were this the case, Tina, Roxanne, Twan, and her baby could all be at risk. "The Package" is rumored to be HIV/AIDS or another STD, although this has not been confirmed, as the characters talk in a manner that implies that they may or may not know exactly what "The Package" is.
Closing Screen: fades to black with the words "TO BE CONTINUED".
Charts
| Chart (2005-2008) |
Peak
position |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
|
22 |
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles The Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It is composed of 25 positions that represent songs that are making progress to chart on the main R&B/hip-hop chart, the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks...
|
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It ranked songs based on airplay on mainstream top 40 radio stations, singles sales, and digital downloads.-History:...
|
38 |
In media
"Trapped in the Closet" has inspired numerous parodies and derivatives:
- In 2005, a South Park
South Park is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become infamous for its crude, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
episode entitled "Trapped in the Closet", parodied the series. Including criticism of ScientologyScientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics. Hubbard characterized Scientology as a religion, and in 1953 incorporated the Church of Scientology in New Jersey.Scientology teaches that...
, the episode revolved around Tom CruiseThomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known by his screen name of Tom Cruise, is an American actor and film producer. Forbes magazine ranked him as the world's most powerful celebrity in 2006. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and won three Golden Globe Awards...
(later joined by John TravoltaJohn Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. He first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
and Kelly himself) refusing to leave a closet. The caricature of Kelly provides a running narrative for part of the episode, each segment followed by "So I pull out my gun!" and threatens to "shoot someone", "cap some bitch", etc.
- In July, 2005, a parody entitled "Harry Potter: Trapped In The Closet Under The Stairs" was aired in five parts (each part for the first 5 Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter, together with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, his friends from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
books) on Q100 radio based in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the state of Georgia, as well as the urban core of one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States....
.
- On July 15, 2005, Jimmy Kimmel
James Christian "Jimmy" Kimmel is an American television host and comedian. He is the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, a late-night talk show that airs on ABC. Before that program, Kimmel was also well-known as co-host of Comedy Central's The Man Show...
made a parody of the single, called "The Pizza"The Pizza" is an R&B opera parody by Jimmy Kimmel. The series of music video segments lampooned R. Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet" multi-part single. The first three chapters in the series aired in weekly segments in late July, 2005 on his ABC show, Jimmy Kimmel Live. Chapter one debuted on July...
" on his show Jimmy Kimmel LiveJimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...
on ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
. This parody was aired in six installments, one week at a time. The series documents Jimmy Kimmel and his quest to have a slice of pizzaPizza is a world-popular dish of Italian origin, made with an oven-baked, flat, generally round bread that is often covered with tomatoes or a tomato-based sauce and cheese. Other toppings are added according to region, culture, or personal preference.Originating in a part of Italian cuisine, the...
.
- On July 28, 2005, Michael Bell-Smith
Michael Bell-Smith is a contemporary artist who lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. Bell-Smith's work utilizes digital forms to explore the use of popular technologies in contemporary visual culture....
uploaded"Trapped in the Closet all at once" onto his blogA blog is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order...
on the internetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standardized Internet Protocol Suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. In it, he overlaid the parts of the series onto each other, in order to "take this cultural object and amplify its peculiarity, both in rhythmic and narrative structure". This work has been profiled in The New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded in 1851 and published in New York City. The largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States, "The Gray Lady"—named for its staid appearance and style—is regarded as a national newspaper of record...
and has been screened as part of the Automatic Update exhibit at the MoMAMoma may refer to:* Moma , an owlet moth genus* Moma Airport, a Russian public airport* Moma District, Nampula, Mozambique* Moma River, a right tributary of the Indigirka River...
.
- In August 2005, website Something Awful
Something Awful, often abbreviated to SA, is a comedy website housing a variety of content, including blog entries, forums, feature articles, digitally edited pictures, and humorous media reviews. It was created by Richard "Lowtax" Kyanka in 1999 as a largely personal website, but as it grew, so...
released a study guideStudy guides can be broad based to facilitate learning in a number of areas, or be resources that foster comprehension of literature, research topics, history, and other subjects....
style analysis of the first five chapters.
- In September 2005, Tichina Arnold
Tichina Rolanda Arnold is an NAACP Image Award-winning American actress best known for her past roles as Pamela James on Martin from 1992 until 1997, as well as her role as the matriarch, Rochelle, in Everybody Hates Chris from 2005 until 2009...
, Tisha Campbell, and Duane MartinDuane Martin is an American film and television actor.-Personal life:Martin was born in Brooklyn, New York. He lived in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn. He is a graduate of New York University and played on their basketball team. He is married to former Martin and My Wife and Kids star Tisha...
performed a live parody at the BET Comedy Awards.
- On October 2, 2005, MADtv
MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licenses the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise has no connection with the humor magazine outside of animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first TV...
aired a parody called "Trapped in the Cupboard," featuring R. Kelly (played by Jordan PeeleJordan Peele is a comic actor. Peele is most notable for his membership in the recurring cast of comedians on sketch comedy series MADtv.-MADtv:...
) searching for his favorite cereal and finding out his wife (played by Daniele GaitherDaniele Gaither is an American comic actress. Gaither is most notable for her membership in the recurring cast of comedians on sketch comedy series MADtv.-Early life:...
) ate it.
- Computer Games Magazine
Computer Games Magazine was a computer gaming print magazine. It was formerly Computer Games Strategy Plus, and before that, Strategy Plus. While its initial focus was on strategy games, it covered a wide range of game genres. The editor-in-chief was Steve Bauman...
reports of a group who has recreated the first five chapters using The Sims 2The Sims 2 is a 2004 strategic life simulation computer game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. It is the sequel to the best-selling computer game, The Sims, which debuted on February 4, 2000. It was first released on September 14, 2004 for Microsoft Windows. A port to Macintosh...
animation engine.
- On November 9, 2005, website Something Awful
Something Awful, often abbreviated to SA, is a comedy website housing a variety of content, including blog entries, forums, feature articles, digitally edited pictures, and humorous media reviews. It was created by Richard "Lowtax" Kyanka in 1999 as a largely personal website, but as it grew, so...
released a CliffsNotesCliffsNotes are a series of student study guides available primarily in the United States. The guides present and explain literary and other works in pamphlet form or online...
style analysis of the next seven chapters.
- On November 19, 2005, Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a weekly late-night sketch comedy and variety show filmed in New York City. It made its debut on October 11, 1975, under a slightly different title. The show features a regular cast of comedy actors, joined by a guest host and musical act...
parodied "Trapped in the Closet" with a fake commercial for a straight-to-DVD sequel called Trapped in the Closet 2: Still Trapped in the Closet where R. Kelly (played by Finesse MitchellFinesse Mitchell is an American actor, author and stand-up comedian. From 2003-2006, he was a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Mitchell has also appeared on such television shows as Showtime at the Apollo, BET's ComicView, Comedy Central Presents and NBC's Late Friday.-Biography:Finesse...
) discovers that his wife (played by host Eva LongoriaEva Jacqueline Longoria Parker is an American film and television actress. She portrayed Isabella Braña Williams on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. She currently plays Gabrielle Solis in the ABC television series Desperate Housewives...
) cheated on him with an alien named Gurgon (played by Kenan ThompsonKenan Thompson is an American actor and comedian who is currently a cast member of Saturday Night Live. He is also known for his titular role in Fat Albert, his role as a former cast member of All That, and for his starring role as Kenan Rockmore in the sitcom Kenan & Kel. He resides in Los...
). who turns out to be his father.
- In 2005, a parody of the song titled "Out of the Closet" appeared on the web site No Film School. The parody consisted of sound clips from Chapters 1 through 5 of "Trapped in the Closet" as well as excerpts from other R. Kelly songs and Chappelle's Show
Chappelle's Show was an American comedy television series created by comedian Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan, with Chappelle hosting the show as well as starring in various skits. Chappelle, Brennan and Michele Armour were the show's executive producers. The series premiered on January 22, 2003 on...
, re-edited to create a new story in which the narrator is arrested and, after encounters with a gay inmate and a gay policeman, eventually admits that he, too, is a homosexual.
- In January 2006, comedian Brently Heilbron
Brently Heilbron is an American comedian. In 2007, he hosted Sir Paul McCartney's special live appearance at Amoeba Music. His verbatim performance of R. Kelly's Trapped in the Closet in its entirety earned him a mention in both a Los Angeles Times blog,and in the New York Times among others...
performed the original 12 chapters in their entirety with a full band and lip-synching cast as a benefit for PFLAG. Since then, he has performed the entire 22 chapter saga as an entry for the Guinness Book of World Records.
- In January 2006, The Alamo Drafthouse
The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is an American cinema chain founded in 1997 in Austin, Texas, United States. It has screens in eight locations across Texas.-History:...
movie theater in Austin, Texas presented Trapped in the Closet: The R. Kelly Singalong, and had the 12 chapters with lyrics so the audience could sing-along, numerous props from the story were hidden around the theater, and an assortment of videos from R. Kelly's career were also presented.
- On the Episode of Eve
Eve is an American sitcom television series that aired on the UPN network from September 15, 2003 to May 11, 2006.-Synopsis:The show is named for its star, rapper Eve, and is about a trio of women who have their own boutique and clothing line. The show follows their dating lives and those of their...
, Nick and JT were in the closet When Jamal (Guest Star Darius McCraryDarius Creston McCrary is an American film and television actor and singer. McCrary is best known for his role as Eddie Winslow on the television series Family Matters.-Career:...
and Kellie Shanygne WilliamsKellie Shanygne Williams is an American actress best known for her role as Laura Winslow on the television series Family Matters.-Biography:After Family Matters, she began acting in the ABC television show What About Joan....
) open the Closet Door on the cliffhanger of the series which was due to The CWThe CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
a merge of UPNUnited Paramount Network was a television network that broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States, being in production for over eleven years. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries. It was later owned by CBS Corporation. Its first night of broadcasting was...
and The WBThe WB Television Network, or simply The WB, was a television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture of Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. As a replacement, on January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
On "Daughter Don't Preach" on May 11, 2006 on the defunct UPNUnited Paramount Network was a television network that broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States, being in production for over eleven years. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries. It was later owned by CBS Corporation. Its first night of broadcasting was...
.
- On September 26, 2006, "Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, actor, comedian, and satirist. Yankovic is known in particular for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
released a parody entitled "Trapped in the Drive-Thru"Trapped in the Drive-Thru" is a song from "Weird Al" Yankovic's twelfth studio album Straight Outta Lynwood, which was released on September 26, 2006. This song is a parody of "Trapped in the Closet" by R. Kelly...
" on his album Straight Outta LynwoodStraight Outta Lynwood is the twelfth album by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released on September 26 2006 in the U.S. by Volcano Records, on September 30, 2006 in Australia, on October 3 in Canada, on October 6 2006 in New Zealand, November 13 2006 in the United Kingdom, and November 24 2006 in...
. The song is 10 minutes and 51 seconds long, and divided into three chapters. On March 19, 2007, an animated music video was released through MySpaceMySpace is a social networking website. Its headquarters are in Beverly Hills, California, USA, where it shares an office building with its immediate owner, Fox Interactive Media, which is owned by News Corporation. MySpace became the most popular social networking site in the United...
. "Weird Al" YankovicAlfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, actor, comedian, and satirist. Yankovic is known in particular for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
alludes to the Bridget/Big Man drama from Chapter 9 in his song "Confessions Part III" from the same album.
- In a Chicago production called Shakesploitation 2 (where Shakespeare's plays are rewritten in the genre of 1970s exploitation films) one of the segments is a telling of Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young "star-cross'd lovers" whose untimely deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet and Macbeth, is...
in the style of "Trapped in the Closet."
- On the September 10, 2007 episode of "The Daily Show
The Daily Show, known in its current incarnation as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central in the United States. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn...
with Jon StewartJonathan "Jon" Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
", a segment covering the scandal surrounding Senator Larry CraigLarry Edwin Craig is a former Republican politician from the U.S. state of Idaho. He served 18 years in the U.S. Senate , preceded by ten years in the U.S. House, representing Idaho's first district . His 28 years in the Congress rank as the second-longest in Idaho history, trailing only William...
allegedly soliciting sex in the men's restroom (called "Trapped in the Men's Room") featured an R. Kelly look- and sound-alike singing a version of the song with modified lyrics to cover the scandal.
- Earlier parallels to "Trapped in the Closet" can be found in the webwork
webwork can refer to:* A webwork plot is a type of literary form defined and practiced by Harry Stephen Keeler.* WeBWorK is a "web-based homework system" by University of Rochester....
novels of fellow Chicagoan Harry Stephen KeelerHarry Stephen Keeler was a prolific but little-known American author.- Biography :Born in Chicago in 1890, Keeler spent his childhood exclusively in this city, which was so beloved by the author that a large number of his works took place in and around it...
.
External links