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Almost all human beings, in one way or another, are infatuated with superstars. Whether it is their smile, their physical appearance, or even their voice, celebrities inspire a feeling that we can easily relate to. The world is particularly interested in those we see projected on large cinema screens. We read with curiosity about their daily lives in entertainment news and, from time to time, we hear about the scandals in which they are involved. Similarly, many people are entranced by the idea of making it on television at some point in their lives. We regularly consume audiovisual content of all kinds, so it’s to be expected that we would be fascinated by the idea of achieving fame. This pushes us to think of situations as idyllic as they are bizarre, placing us on the same pedestals that our beloved stars occupy.
Some people would be willing to go to extremes to reach those five minutes of glory, and Rupert Pupkin is no exception. This peculiar and delirious man, embodied by Robert De Niro, aspires to become a successful comedian. During his journey through New York City, we witness his many attempts to achieve stardom. These efforts have a common goal: to appear on Jerry Langford’s (Jerry Lewis) television show. Pupkin considers Langford his mentor, even though he ignores Rupert on several occasions. Tired of being rejected by his favorite celebrity, Rupert decides to kidnap him and take his place for one night. This is the story told by Martin Scorsese’s The King of Comedy.
In this film, we follow this burgeoning individual amid his unexpected rise. But during his apparent quest for popularity, we notice something. Rupert is not just looking to ‘be famous;’ his true goal is much more transcendent. His ontological purpose goes beyond appearing in newspaper headlines or showing up in evening talk shows. In this world, harsh and distracted, he wants to be seen and remembered fondly. Just like him, we too yearn to be recorded in the pages of history.
The thematic ideas in The King of Comedy are clearly spun from the very beginning of the movie. It all starts with a broadcast of The Jerry Langford Show. At this point, Scorsese’s willingness to draw a parallel between the activity that the film’s spectators are carrying out and what’s happening onscreen becomes clear: we are witnessing a spectacle. This becomes a kind of metacommentary on the contemplative nature of today’s society. But soon it turns into a far more personal matter.
Jerry is besieged by an entourage of fans who want his autograph. While he’s trying to leave the TV studio in his car, a groupie pounces on him. Taking advantage of the situation, Pupkin aids Jerry. As the crazed woman screams inside the vehicle and the protagonist watches her from outside, the camera freezes and the opening credits start rolling. They are accompanied by Ray Charles’ Come Rain or Come Shine. This melancholic musical piece establishes the film’s leitmotif. If you look into the song’s lyrics, you will find verses like the following:
“I guess when you met me
It was just one of those things
But don’t you ever bet me
‘Cause I’m gonna be true if you let me
You’re gonna love me, like nobody’s loved me
Come rain or come shine.”
The song encapsulates the basic motivation of De Niro’s character, and its verses settle it early on in the movie. Rupert has long waited for his time to ‘shine.’ He expects to be someone prestigious and easily recognized. But said craving is not founded by superficial reasons. On the contrary, it could be argued that Pupkin’s ambition lacks any vanity. This becomes clear when he goes on television at the end of the film. Only then we find out about his troubled past.
His life has been plagued by problems of all kinds. Rupert had a nasty, loveless childhood. No one has recognized him as a valuable person and he thinks his existence has not been decisive in the great scheme of things. So how could Rupert get an apathetic society to acknowledge his identity? In this case, the most effective option is to draw upon the mass medium of television.
In one of Pupkin’s occasional hallucinations, Jerry asks him about his method for crafting good jokes. His response is, “I think it’s that I look at my whole life and I see the awful, terrible things and turn it into something funny.” These social and emotional difficulties have played against him and taken their toll on Rupert’s mental state. Indeed, his psychological manifestations play a fundamental role in the plot. Rupert ‘argues’ with his mother, although she actually died nine years before the events presented in the movie. When he’s at home, he talks to cardboard figures of his favorite celebrities. In what is probably the most thematically important sequence in the entire film, we see Pupkin rehearse a stand-up comedy routine in front of a large wallpapered surface. In it, a huge crowd of people is portrayed, cheerful and enthusiastic, while the camera does a tracking shot. It looks like an infinitely large room that shelters an insane man within its white walls. Most disturbing of all is the sound of the supposed audience laughing non-stop. The noise is so loud that it manages to drown out the very voice of that comedian who delights them with his jokes.
Rupert is ambitious and daring, so much so that he kidnaps his idol to achieve his goal of appearing on television. As part of his philosophy, he cannot rest until he manages to be ‘someone relevant’ in society. Even when Rupert Pupkin introduces himself to Jerry, he says: “I know the name doesn’t mean very much to you, but it means an awful lot to me.” Similarly, the fact that the protagonist has such a ridiculous name contributes to the construction of allegories. At various points in the movie, some people say his name wrong, resulting in even more absurd versions than the original. But as Rupert becomes better known for the criminal acts he commits, the characters around him stop mispronouncing it. This is when identity begins to be an integral part of the film’s message.
As the years go by, we become more and more aware of our own lives. Hence, The King of Comedy states that we as human beings hope that someday someone will recognize us for who we really are, without any introduction or prior gesture. For example, the character played by De Niro wants to be a TV comedian. However, it should be noted that the movie does not only try to convey an idea about the imperious desire we have to be famous but also seeks to convey a much deeper message. We wish to assert a part of ourselves onto others. We have a latent existential need to legitimize our own identity through the social relations we have with other people, almost as if we wanted to passively inhabit a part of their consciousness.
It is important to emphasize that one cannot know everything about the people that inhabit show business. However, many people are convinced that it is possible. Oftentimes the ‘unpolluted’ personalities of many singers and actors turn out to be just a facade and, as a consequence, their fans get discouraged because their idols lost that ‘purity’ granted by the screens and the stages. This is why the seeming mundanity of everyday life contrasts with the apparent greatness that fame brings. Hollywood’s stereotype of perfection is what often leads us to daydream with those we don’t know face to face. We all have a favorite celebrity for which we feel a special fondness for. We are very interested in them, even though they are also flesh and blood people, just like us.
When Rupert is about to perform on Jerry’s show, he causes huge strife for the TV network. They don’t know what will happen. The executives wonder if it’s worth the risk. They even argue whether Jerry Langford’s life is valuable enough in comparison to having a delusional man on screen for ten minutes. Nevertheless, they soon discover that Pupkin’s intervention was harmless and that he only wanted to hijack the program to use it as a method of catharsis. After that, what is foretold in the film’s tagline comes full circle: “Nobody knows Rupert Pupkin, but after 11:30 tonight no one will ever forget him.”
This is when the verses from Come Rain or Come Shine make the most sense. Before pointing out where Jerry is being held against his will (without ever being in any real danger), Rupert asks to visit Rita, a woman with whom he had developed a short romantic relationship at the beginning of the film. And, just as Ray Charles prophesied in his song, the protagonist demonstrates to her that he has achieved his goal and is now famous. His short TV intervention becomes a great success, despite the fact that one of the police officers who arrested him said the jokes were lousy. Now the self-proclaimed ‘King of Comedy’ is praised by the public, even though he has committed a crime. In this context, spectacle beats criminal justice, since De Niro’s character gets out of jail early and gets a show of his own.
Now overwhelmed by victory, as the deafening applause does not allow him to start his show, Pupkin finds himself in a maelstrom. Thus, the magnitude of the situation induces him into paralyzing happiness. At that point, the movie cuts to black. Scorsese poses the following question: did the events presented in the film’s ending really happen or were they a mental machination of the protagonist? With an imagination as wide and a determination as strong as Rupert’s, both options are possible.
Taking all of the above into account, the movie not only examines contemporary celebrity worship but also explores many corners of human nature. It is a black comedy that asks several questions: is success harvested with persistence or is it obtained by pure luck? Is it worth it to be recognized? Are there people who are destined for greatness and others who are not? These are all hard-hitting inquiries raised by a 1982 feature film that is still relevant today and whose implications survive with vigor and grace.
In such a large universe, a single life can seem insignificant. It seems that the only way to stand out from the crowd is to be famous. However, The King of Comedy advocates the role we play as human beings in an uncertain reality. It teaches us that our lives have a great deal of value and that it is thanks to others that existence can become even more meaningful. We don’t need to become actors or participate in media scandals, we just need to live with sincerity, convinced that our actions, however small they may seem, leave a mark on the world.
The King of Comedy invites us to think about the role we have in society and the relationships we have with others. In this sense, Pupkin is not very different from us, as crazy as he may be. We all want our identity to endure over time. Although each person seems tiny when compared to the vastness of the cosmos, this small world we live in turns out to be a very comfortable spot if we decide to enjoy it with the right people.
