If you've ever wondered how much of Tracy Morgan's shtick is an act, or if he can even stand outside of his stage self, his interview on Fresh Air will set it that straight. Around 13:00, he breaks down crying talking about his mother. Even Terry Gross is shocked. It's sorta amazing:
He also apparently broke down at a Barnes and Noble reading.
I am not sure 'I Am the New Black' is anyway funny its more offensive or have I missed something.
posted by John at 3:23 PM on October 25, 2009 
How does crying exempt one from charges of schtick, or "putting on an act?" Especially when one is promoting a memoir? I don't know (don't care?) if his tears in the Gross interview were authentic, but in listening, the possibility that they weren't definitely occurred to me.
posted by Richard Lead at 2:19 PM on October 27, 2009
Totally true. He still might be "faking it," but my point is that he has a different personality in this interview from his "stage" personality.
(Or to put it differently, everything requires "quotes.")
posted by Rex at 2:28 PM on October 27, 2009
He broke down this week in an interview with Jian Ghomeshi on CBC's Q program as well. Sounding more and more like schtick to me.
posted by maureen at 12:54 PM on October 31, 2009
it seems authentic to me but i don't think it separates him at all from his stage persona, he cries all the time on 30 rock.
posted by cynthia at 12:58 PM on November 1, 2009
You know, I was excited about this book coming out. Then read/heard more details of his hard life and was stunned. Losing a parent at an early age is not something you get over or can fake. Anyone calling this a schtick had better understand what its like to actually lose a parent.
In the spring of 1993 I lost my mom and six months later, my dad. In fact, my dad contracted AIDS/HIV from a blood transfusion during surgery in the 1980s. Tracys dad contracted it from his heroin use. Never in a million years did I expect to share a sad common past with someone on SNL I laughed at and admired. But there you go.
So yeah, I can assure you every time I meet someone and the topic comes up, the sadness is quite real.
I know a lot of folks reading this blog are NYC media folks who might see every public move by someone in the spotlight as a cynical move to heighten their careers. But sadly, some of us are not posing when it comes to where they came from at the emotional roller-coaster they've been on.
Which is all to say, call Tracy out on his screwed up marriages. But as far as his life/fathers death goes, I dont think hed fake tears over that to sell books. If anything, its clear its turned people off to the book because they expect him to be funny and wacky. Welcome to the other side of comedy folks!
posted by Jack at 12:01 AM on November 10, 2009
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