03x05 - You Gotta Have Art

[bunniefuu]

Previously on the real world...

[ Mohammed ] midnight voices is like san francisco,

It's just a melting pot of a whole bunch of people who have fun.

[ Rachel ] what do you do ?

[ Judd ] I'm a cartoonist.

Who do you work for ?no one yet.

First meeting pam, she seemed really sweet.

I think I was nervous too.

Ooh.

This is the true story...

True story.

Of seven strangers...

Picked to live in a house...

And have their lives taped...

Oh, lucy, I'm home !

To find out what happens...

When people stop being polite...

And start getting real.

Mtv's the real world, san francisco.

[ Judd ] chuggin' mightily along, looking for work.

I can tell you right now.

Yes, call me.

I could use the help just to get in a couple doors.

Persistence.

The generation x -something cartoons.

Good, how are you ?good

Actually, I could do something really funny with one-minute cartoons with them.

I mean, if you try to twist something

Out of your own element then it's gonna end up sucking anyway so...

I want as large an audience as possible.

I want a lot of people to read, watch,

Get in touch with what I'm doing.

I like "I think I swallowed my retainer" for some reason.

It's very difficult to do what he's been doing

Which is something that i, personally,

I don't think I could do which is

You just keep plugging away and sending your stuff out

And hoping that somewhere it's gonna work.

Judd's a hard worker, man.

If anybody's been up at his desk every day

Working three hours a day, it's judd.

I called the examiner and they immediately tell me

That they're looking for a weekly cartoonist,

That the cartoonist they just had, left

And they were looking at a new strip.

This is kay raven, one of the editors here.

Hi, nice to meet you.judd winick.

[ Editor ] called "nuts and bolts".

Laugh, gary.

[ Laughs ]

Kind of a slacker thing.

[ Cory ] "honey, we got minstrels again" ?

What does that mean ?

I don't get it.

Minstrels were singers from, uh, you know,

The knights of the round table.

It's just funny.

He looks in the toilet, "honey, we got minstrels again !"

That's funny, that's comedy.

Wow, that's great, man.

And you've put a book out ?

Yeah, I put it out at school.

That was the point where my head was most swelled.

That's how I feel about my first album, I look at it and I go, "rrrr".

Right.

[ Mohammed ] what are you talkin' about !?

[ Laughing ]

[ Puck ] ... Drinkin' in the back of a car.

Man, you can laugh and play it off,

But you know I'm right.

Puck was stereotyping all rap

And saying all the stuff that's in rap is like,

Big pants and big jackets

And people trying to go out and steal women's purses--

These are his exact words.

The image of "yo man, I'm cool, yo, what's up ?"

[ Mohammed ] what image-- ?

Yo man, yo, what's up, g ?

My booty's hangin' out too, man.

Got a big image going, I'm not into that.

If I saw three guys that were dressed like you

And then I'm gonna go,

"Oh, that must mean that he's like this rocker-dude

And he's gonna like, bash me over my head"

Or something or whatever, right ?

My image does not violate anybody else's rights, man.

Okay, what you're saying, right--

My image is flashy, I'll admit that.

I was kind of rubbing him the wrong way,

I was being harsh, but right on the tv while I'm doing it

Is the same kind of rap I'm talking about

Because I'm talking about the image that a rap guy's gonna put off that's negative

For a kid that doesn't know about life.

Hey, will you just let me talk

And quit interjecting across me ?

You're saying that all rap music--

I didn't, I didn't say that.

Don't put words in my mouth.

These guys should be more professional, man.

As an artist and not try to sell out quite so hard

That they need to portray this cool-- wait, man !

Will you quit interrupting me ?

For one sentence, please.

Go. And then you talk.

Go.and then I talk and then you talk.

You can't talk at the same time

'Cause the radio won't work like that.i understand.

Go, go. You like to do that too.

You're doing it right now.

I'm trying to !

I'm trying to wait for a nice big gap to get in.

Aahh...

It's always, "send the work,

If we like it we'll get back to you", which sucks.

He's like, chained actually to the desk

By like, three links of chain ?

That's called "stress".

Stress ? That's the name of the piece.

I think judd is a hilarious guy, man,

I don't know where he comes up with some of the stuff he says.

[ Judd ] I'm eating pasta five nights a week, I need help.

Couple a hundred dollars here and there, be fine.

I don't have to live high on the hog.

Simple pleasures, that's all I ask.

I got all these little things going on,

But none of it seems like it's gonna come through 'cause it--

One damn thing after another just falling through.

Looking at you, I wouldn't say that you were scared.

I think that's why I find things funny.right.

'Cause they just make me so nervous,

It's the only way I can deal with it.

Basically, I came out of college

And everything was going right according to plan,

Everything was perfect.

I had a comic strip for four years, everyone liked it.

I put out a book, everyone in school enjoyed that too,

It sold out really quick.

In the process of putting the book together

I got a contract with universal.

So it was all falling together.

And, at the first of the year they made a decision to drop me,

That they were gonna pass, y'know,

Release me from my contract and pass on the comic strip.

With practically no warning,

Everything was fine up until then, just like that.

And I had to move back home for...

Well, it was about six months until I came out here.

And, it wasn't a good feeling.

It really-- I felt like a consummate failure.

Good night, pedro.

Good night, man.

[ Phone rings ]

Hello ?hi, this is greg.

Greg, hold on, okay ?

All right, thanks.

Judd ? It's greg.

I have a high school friend who works for a company

Called "greystone communications."

So I gave greg a call and said, "why not pitch my comic strip

As an animated project to your production company ?"

The idea being sort of a generation x "simpsons".

So, they were very interested,

Thought this would be a very "viable property",

As they say in los angeles.

All right. All right, I'll see you tonight.

Go get 'em !

Good luck.

[ Judd ] what I do know is this is the only thing I can do.

I'm supposed to be a cartoonist.

And with that, I'm kind of working without a net.

I have nothing to fall back on.

I either do this or I don't do anything.

What's going on here I can do on television.

It's a lot more liberating.

I was sh**ting for kind of a -something "simpsons".

I know if I do it, it'll do well.

And then there's movies and merchandise

And cover of "rolling stone" in two years.

[ Laughter ]

When going into any place and looking to sell work

The idea is to make myself seem

As the hottest property around.

That, not only am I up-and-coming

That things are starting to happen.

That's why I was not impressed when everyone was talking about

"Seinfeld, wasn't that so dead on ?"

I go, "so easy."

He said, "coulda written that standing on my head."

I think in john you'll find an agent that is,

He's aggressive, but he's not over the top.

I would not expect to be, like bowled over by this...

This "hollywood-type" agent.

I don't know if you know our relationship.

The william morris agency represents greystone communications.

I wanted to talk to you and find out what you wanted to do,

What area you wanted to move into.

I want to do, kind of a -something "simpsons".

That's "doonesbury" for the 's.

And I think the idea is great.

I look at it in a musical context

'Cause I see this as a musical series.

I'm hearing jellyfish, I'm hearing the posies,

And I'm hearing these different types of groups.

Okay, we're on the same wavelength then.

You could do a little , , minute presentation.

Just the idea, "we're the generation that can eat cereal all day.

That's the sales tool.

What if we photograph some of the stills

And give them, give the characters voices.

All right, then I can get to work.

Start tomorrow.

This is... Judd's passion.

You got that right.

I mean that's-- passion sells.

It really does.

Hi.

We came to pick you up, dude, 'cause you're the best.

How are you ?

I enjoyed myself, I don't know about you.

[ Judd ] they picked me up at the airport

After I'd come back from los angeles.

And I wanted to talk about it,

And I wanted to discuss it with them.

I wanted to talk about my fears and my excitement.

Before I got a word out

Puck tells this fascinating story about sitting next to a woman and farting.

It was cool, they bought me lunch.[ Spits ]

Do you wanna know what I did today or do you wanna babble-- ?

You wanna spit more, eat more peanut butter jelly beans ?

And babble about your ma ?

It hurt, you know, it was my day.

I went and did something, pretty big.

And no one seemed to care.

Thank you.

[ Dialogue inaudible ]

So you were up till four.

I just wanted to get out of the house, go to a café

And read about cell animation, line animation.

You're gonna be a drawing sl*ve.

Yeah, basically, I hope to be.

If I don't screw it up.

You're not gonna screw it up.

She's really cool.

She's also kind of sensitive and she's also funny.

And we get along.

Judd and I have been talking a lot lately.

So he's been hearing my angst on and off and so,

I think he was happy

That I came in looking happy for a change

'Cause I was really bummed out.

I'm much happier.

You're glowing.

No, I swear to god.

If I didn't know better I'd say you had sex.

If I didn't know better.

You should see me after I have sex.

[ Laughs ]

I'm getting ready to go to "the bammys."

"The bammys" are the bay area music awards.

They're like the grammys in the bay area.

Do I look like a stud ?

You are a stud.

It doesn't matter what you wear,

You go buck-naked you're still a stud.

[ Everyone talking ]

My boyfriend's comin' into town.

But thanks for thinking about me.

[ Puck ] can I see some tickets just so I know ?

Puck, it's all handled, dude.

Chill.

[ Cheering & clapping ]

[ Rachel ] cory, he's over there.

He's got the long hair right here,

He's talking to some guy right there.

He just smiled at me, shut up.

[ Mohammed ] in terms of selling midnight voices

I think that I'm pretty good at it.

I mean, I'm the agent for us in terms of getting gigs,

I'm the one who goes out and calls all the clubs.

But in dealing with people who don't know the band that well

I think that I'm relatively skilled

In selling the band to someone.

And we're on the second album, we already put out one album,

So it's our second album.

So yeah, check it, man, it's gonna be a hot show.

That's good psychology, 'cause you're--

Y'know, if you do something together

You'll all focus on the goal together.

[ Pam ] christopher is my boyfriend.

And we're going on eight years now

Of a long distance relationship.

We started going out during the senior year of high school.

And the relationship works okay long distance

'Cause we know how to make a long distance thing work,

By now, after doing it for this many years.

Judd reminds me of chris.

They're both very liberal.

They're both funny and,

They probably have very similar political views,

They both listen to randy newman.

They are, at base, really nice guys

Who have let women walk on them.

[ Pam ] c'mon, judd ! Come and get me !

I really, I really love pam, she's great.

[ Pam ] judd is the kind of guy

That I would see in a bar and not target,

But he's the kind of guy that if he were my friend

I'd probably get involved with him, yeah.

If I wasn't dating anyone.

We're not going anywhere as you noticed.

We are standing still.

[ Mohammed ] saturday night, the kennel club, midnight voices.

Everybody in the house went to our show on saturday.

And I kind of wanted them to see my band

So they could see what my love is, y'know.

'Cause a lot of times, if you know what someone's love is

Then you know what drives them.

[ Mc ] let's give it up for midnight voices !

The gig that we had on saturday

Was for a convention called "the gavin convention".

And, a lot of a & r people and stuff come

To look at groups, that kind of stuff.

So it's sort of a showcase for all those groups.

[ Rachel ] mohammed's performance,

The whole band, the whole show was... Superb.

This guy opened up, it was negative

And I had a bad taste in my mouth because of it.

And I was like, "that's what I don't like in rap music."

And then mohammed came out

And had a drama and music thing going

That was really positive.

And he looked down at me and I gave him,

"Yeah, your stuff is good."

♪ Walkin' around freedom west getting mad respect ♪

♪ And as the story goes well, you know ♪

♪ My boy f.c. Ended up in bruno ♪

♪ Sent to quentin to start repentin' ♪

♪ He wrote me just the other day ♪

♪ He said when he gets out

♪ He wants to help some brothers get out and stay out ♪

♪ He said all the boys that you never see ♪

♪ Well, mo that where they be ♪

♪ Just like ronnie

♪ Just like ronnie

[ Mohammed ] it was good because it was like, just jamming, y'know.

This guy came down and checked us out,

To essentially report back to the label.

And he said it really warmed him up

And he liked it and he got into it.

Yeah, we got good some good response, man,

I think it's gonna... It's gonna be happening.

[ Judd ] I think I appreciate what mohammed does

And I think on a different level

'Cause I know how hard it is to create something.

I was working on scripts from my television project

With greystone, my l.a. Guys.

And I spent the entire day writing stuff up

And feeling pretty pleased as I did it.

Then I read it over later and go,

"Oh, this is garbage, this is horrible !"

And it's always a kind of-- it's kind of a slump

Or just a writer's block.

What did you do today ?

Uh... I wrote all morning.

It's all crap.

It's all crap ?

You're so mean to your writing !

Well, lately yeah, it's been garbage.

You can put a dress on a pig, but it's still a pig.

You know ?

You still save it, though, don't you, in case-- ?

Yeah, there's some stuff in there that's salvageable, not much.

Trying to be wacky and silly when I'd much rather watch television or pout.

[ Pedro ] I think he's extremely talented and uh...

I think as a person he's a great person.

I don't think he gives himself enough credit.

[ Judd ] I have been down this road before.

There's been two times I've actually gone to a major company

And they've been telling me how great my work is.

It's all very big talk in l.a.

I don't buy any of it 'cause no one's paying me yet.

Basically, I kind of sat down and figured out that I needed

To send my work out again to newspapers and syndicates.

I got one rejection so far.

But now and again it happens that they change their mind.

These are great.yeah.

[ Puck ] I put this jump together.

And then I go as fast as I can right off and just--

Cross up this mountain bike.

What up, judd ?!

Come here and tell me about your little examinerinterview.

You're speaking to the new weekly cartoonist

For the san francisco examiner.

All right !

Where's the champagne, buddy ?

Start up date, tentative, a week from wednesday.

Yeah, you're such a [ bleep ]-ing stud !

What, you got a job ?

I got it- I got a contract.

Wooo ! Where's our little horn ?

The examiner !yeah.

[ Puck ] do you get to write about what you want ?

Yeah, whatever the hell I want.

He got his cartoon into the examiner.

Which is-- which we had to explain to the people not from san francisco

That is the newspaper... In san francisco.

Congratulations, man.

Now his work is gonna be seen by a lot of people

And he can expand it even more

Because he has that as a foundation.

And we'll be seeing him every week.

Ohh !

I didn't know it was gonna be on the front cover.

Oh my god.

I know.

Oh, wow !

I love it... And it's totally judd--

My hands are shaking, I can't stop.

Oh my god, judd, it's so cool.

Looks cool, ma.

I'm sending copies home, lots of 'em.

My first major newspaper, it's been a good week.

[ Mohammed ] let's go, everybody snag a plate !

Cheers to judd's new job !

[ Whooping ]

[ Pam ] judd's cartoon in the examiner.

On the next real world:

[ Judd ] puck and rachel--

What the hell is going on ?!

Heather-- whew-- what a hottie.

[ Rachel ] if you wanna go with puck, heather, that's cool.

It's obviously what you wanna do.

Rachel-rachel-rachel.

[ Rachel ] puck interferes with all my relationships with men.

Are you puck ?

I'm puck.carlo.

Oh, this guy's gonna turn out to get punched tonight.

I can see it already.

"Caught shoving eggplants down the toilet again."

Uh...

[ Puck talking ]

Judd... "Laurel gets caught

Shoving eggplants down the toilet again."

Yeah ?

I don't get it.

Nothing to get, you don't find that funny ?

It's a big fat guy shoving eggplants down the toilet.

That's funny, that's comedy.

How did you get it ?

I don't know, it just sounded funny to me.

The "again" makes it funny,

As if he's done this before.

That's comedy !