and i'm sitting there, like, what the fuck?

Through out time, humanity celebrates its own mediocrity. Those who have nothing to say and stand out in the least are those who are most welcome among the fold. Yes, even among the masses, there are the special few who are elevated into realm of royalty (in the modern age these people are celebrities and politicians and Paris Hilton), but the ones who are different are cast aside. Shunned from the flock no matter their acumen or level of genius. Rarely do we have a person who manages to be wildly bizarre and still easily accessible to the laymen. Luckily, our generation has R. Kelly.

I'm probably the last person to finally see his epic hip-hopera Trapped in the Closet, but I'd still like to chime in with a few thoughts, having just watched the longform video in its entirety and then going back through it with Kells' commentary, and then watching the "behind the scenes" featurette (during which, the actress who plays Bridget tearfully expresses her joy to be a part of the project).

Really, what we have here is a work of a deeply troubled man. Trapped in the Closet is a stunning examination of love and fidelity and how it is viewed in today's society. Yes, there are cliffhangers. Yes, there are lighter moments such as the introduction of Nosey Neighbor Rosie. Yes, there's a midget hiding in the kitchen cabinet. But beneath these entertaining jaunts, there is a darker side, a brooding picture of a man's view on how we--be we homosexual clergymen or a sweet young thang who likes to shake her booty on the dancefloor--treat the people we love most.

I think chapter five was perhaps the most telling. Kells (playing Sylvester) returns home after believing his wife is being unfaithful (nevermind that Sylvester himself woke up in another woman's bed in the film's opening chapter), and finds her in the shower. His jealous mind projects a man who really isn't there in the shower with her. Sylvester relates why he barged in on her like that, unfortunately obscuring our view of her glistening naked body as he did so. She reminds him that her brother Twan, a yoked-out and lovable thug who's just looking to blast a fool, just got out of prison that day and is staying with them. Relieved, they get it on.

Again, Kells body obscures his wife's nubile yummy parts as he lays on top of her, which is troubling, but not as troubling as the fact that even while he is in his bed with his loving (and did i mention naked?) wife, he's still fully dressed. It's as if he's pleading, "can I really trust anyone?"

After that, shit goes down. He finds a ru-UUU-ber under the sheets in his bed, signifying that he has been cuckholded, and when the disrespectin' fool shows up, Kells has to pull his Ber-EH-EH-tta. Still, I think of Kells enraptured in makeup nookie, feeling so insecure that he's still fully dressed, and a tear comes up out my eye.