Jamaica Gleaner
Published: Sunday | November 8, 2009
Home : Entertainment
Politics, current events critical to appeal

Ity (left) and Fancy Cat in a skit from the show. - Contributed

'The Ity and Fancy Cat Show' utilises footage of news items with the duo's spin, naturally. Ity pointed out that it was done in the US as a matter of course, but nobody took that route before in Jamaica. "People too fraid to touch certain things in this culture here. So we really, really happy at this juncture to say we do it and it was received warmly. Wi nuh get not one negative comment to say 'You shouldn't do dat idea'," Ity said.

And he said that goes for issues we are nervous about, like those dealing with the prime minister, because there is no prior reference point to say it had already been done on television. It had been in reviews, but the size and scope of the audience are totally different.

open-ended strategy

Still, they sometimes employ a sort of open-ended strategy, leaving interpretation up to the audience. Like when they have former prime minister, P.J. Patterson, saying "Ity and Fancy Cat are very funny. I too am funny". With the comedic context set, the 'funny' becomes whatever an individual wants it to be.

The personal feedback they have got has been a reward in itself. "Me go country, me deh a hotel an' a man tell me 'Big man, yu mek me cyaa go bar early again. Me tell dem me not coming bar till 10 o'clock," Ity said. Fancy Cat testified, "One man was like him sit down an a watch the show an laugh so much him fegot sey him no have no Sunday money."

It has even dislodged young men from their 'ends', as Cat said, "Me bredren from out a Standpipe sey 'Cat, trus me, di I tek me from offa di corner. When me sey offa di corner a Stanpipe me live an when you tek me offa di corner' ... it deep man, memba." Ity added, "a brethren call me from dung a Denham Town, sey 'yow, we deh a rooks cause a Friday night an from him sey yow, yow, Ity an Fancy Cat y'nuh', corner empty. Everybody gone".

good reviews

What seems to have moved Fancy Cat most, though, is "one time me on the road and a teacher come up to me and say, 'you guys are so great! We were having speech day in class and the students did one of you guys' skits. Keep doing it. You're doing great!' I was like thanks, y'nuh. But is like you a sey to yourself 'Jah know, if a little lady can come an sey di entire class a do this, can you imagine? If you have it on a Sunday, you can imagine how much people?"

Then there is the Facebook feedback.

Every staging of The Ity and Fancy Cat Show has an opening skit, three main skits, a hidden camera (which takes a peek at people in some ticklish spots), Ity and Fancy Cat doing a bit of straight-out comedy and the 'Big Stand' (a clip of a comedian from anywhere around the world performing).

There has been an element of 'good accident' as well. "We learn also, we have to keep some elements of it current," Ity said. At one point they were going to pre-package the show and then just show the episodes. "But we left some - accidentally, but it was a good accident. We put in stuff that really connect with the Jamaican people and we say, 'Hey!'."

- M.C.
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