美国国家公共电台 NPR Cheech Marin On How His Famed Comic Collaboration Was Like Chicano Art

 

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

And it's David here with an invite. Come with me up a winding¹ hill in LA to a house high above where the ocean meets the mountains. A woman is standing² outside the gate. It's publicist Yvette Shearer³. And she's with the man we are here to see.

Thank you.

YVETTE SHEARER: Cheech Marin.

GREENE: Cheech Marin. I'm David Greene.

CHEECH MARIN: David.

GREENE: Nice to meet you. Thanks for having us.

DANNY: Danny.

MARIN: Danny.

JUSTIN: Justin.

MARIN: David, Danny, Justin. OK. Come on in.

GREENE: Yup, Cheech Marin. Solid guy, I mean, he's getting all our names right. He is also part of one of comedy's most famous duos.

You've got a Cheech and Chong T-shirt on. I love it. Do you wear that all the time?

MARIN: I'm a big fan.

GREENE: (Laughter).

So he bought this gorgeous house for the walls. Yeah, the walls.

MARIN: I didn't even walk out to see the view. The view is spectacular.

GREENE: But you knew you loved it for this - for the walls.

MARIN: For that reason alone.

GREENE: It's for his art collection. He has hung canvases with the eye of a curator. He's been supporting Chicano art for years. And he has a collection that's toured museums all over the place. He was hard pressed to pick a favorite piece but we made him.

MARIN: This may be my favorite painting.

GREENE: OK. Now you're admitting it.

MARIN: This is a painting called "Un Tarde Mayoke" (ph), a afternoon in Mayoke (ph) in Mexico. And it's like a backyard barbecue. But it is Norman Rockwell with jalapenos, you know.

GREENE: (Laughter). So also on display were copies of his new book on the coffee table. There's a photo of the 70-year-old on the cover smashing a pinata of himself. It's a younger version with the 1970s mustache, a beanie, suspenders. His new memoir⁴ is called "Cheech Is Not My Real Name: ...But Don't Call Me Chong."

MARIN: Cheech is my nickname and always has been in my family, short for chicharron or deep fried pigskin. You know, pork rinds, you see them in the store. You can buy them in a bag. And when I came home from the hospital, I was like a couple days old or something, my uncle came over. And he looked in the crib. And he said in Spanish, (speaking Spanish) looks like a little chicharron, you know.

GREENE: And one of the funniest stories in the book is actually when he and his partner Tommy Chong get the epiphany about what to call themselves. They were in Vancouver, Canada, leaving a gig at a topless bar in Tommy Chong's dad's car. And they were crossing a bridge that was technically⁵ closed for construction. It was raining. And the windshield wipers didn't work.

MARIN: And so they had hooked up a wire coat hanger⁶. And they bent⁷ it around out of the window. And you operated it by hand.

GREENE: You're moving the windshield wipers by hand...

MARIN: By hand, yeah.

GREENE: ...As you're talking about the name of your group?

MARIN: Yeah, Cheech and Chong. That's it. We're going to be big. We're going to be giant, yeah (laughter) as we're - as we're driving across a condemned⁸ bridge. But that was a perfect metaphor⁹ for Cheech and Chong.

GREENE: Why do you say that?

MARIN: Well, it's because it's these Chicano Chinese-Canadian improvisational¹⁰ strip bar guys are going to conquer the world, you know. (Laughter) Good luck with that one.

GREENE: Well, they went on to become, among other things, movies' most famous stoners. And to think Cheech grew up the son of an LAPD cop. It was only about 20 miles from the beautiful home we were visiting, but it feels like a lot farther.

MARIN: Oh, yeah. It is a world away, you know. It was tough. You know, 'cause like when you get out of the world, you find out that, you know, everybody - especially if they come from Los Angeles. And they always want to establish their street cred in some kind of conversation with you. You know, and they go, oh, yeah, where are you from? I said South Central. South - oh, yeah, where? I go, 36 and San Pedro. They go, oh, yeah, that's South Central.

GREENE: That's real South Central.

MARIN: (Laughter) Yeah, I - there's no argument.

GREENE: I love your biography in the book because it talks about all the various things you are. Singer is not the first thing people would say.

MARIN: That was the first career I had. I was a singer. I was this little 5-year-old kid that could sing in tune¹¹. And it's something that came most naturally to me of anything I've ever done.

GREENE: Is there a song you could sing for - I don't know if it's a favorite that you'd...

MARIN: OK. I'll sing you the first song I ever recorded. Imagine I'm 5 years old.

GREENE: OK.

MARIN: And it was (singing in Spanish).

GREENE: It's beautiful.

MARIN: I was a young Frank Sinatra, Chicano Frank Sinatra, singing standards on the street (laughter).

GREENE: (Laughter).

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "UP IN SMOKE")

MARIN: (As Pedro De Pacas, singing) And I said guacamole in my shoes. Guacamole in my shoe. (Speaking Spanish). [Expletive] is that a joint¹², man?

GREENE: I was watching "Up In Smoke," you know, the first movie you guys did. And it's so over-the-top absurd. You wouldn't immediately think this is really smart comedy.

MARIN: Oh, yeah.

GREENE: But you convinced me in the book that there's so much more behind absurd comedy like that.

MARIN: I thought it was the most intelligent comedy that was being purveyed¹³ at the time because it is very much like Chicano art - sophisticated and primitive¹⁴ simultaneously¹⁵. The scenes would play out and so that the comedy would be absorbed, rather than having it jammed down you. And this is where the laugh goes. Now laugh. You know, you laugh where you want to when you realize the absurdity¹⁶ of the scene.

GREENE: You've described your relationship with Tommy Chong as like brothers.

MARIN: Yeah.

GREENE: And you describe really openly how that relationship deteriorated¹⁷.

MARIN: Yeah.

GREENE: How tough was that?

MARIN: It was very tough for me. You know, I - we weren't best friends. You know, we didn't grow up together, like, he's my best friend. I love him. I loved him a lot. But I was perturbed¹⁸ by him a lot, you know. We were brothers. And sometimes you can hate your brother and get in a fight with him and like, you know, but you always got his back 'cause he's your brother. No matter what we were going through personally, when we got on stage, all that disappeared.

(SOUNDBITE OF COMEDY ALBUM, "CHEECH AND CHONG")

MARIN: Hey, come on, man.

TOMMY CHONG: Who is it?

MARIN: Dave, man, open up.

CHONG: Dave?

MARIN: Yeah, Dave.

CHONG: Dave's not here.

MARIN: What the - no, man, I am Dave, man, will you - come on.

(SOUNDBITE OF KNOCKING)

GREENE: I just think back over your career. You voiced a hyena¹⁹ in "Lion King." You were in "Nash Bridges" with Don Johnson. You were with Kevin Costner and Rune Russo in "Tin Cup." Is there one thing you're most proud of?

MARIN: You know, maybe "Born In East L.A."

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

GREENE: Yeah, Cheech's video from the '80s about an immigration officer who's trying to kick a U.S. citizen out of the country.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "BORN IN EAST L.A.")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) Where were you born?

MARIN: (As Rudy, singing) I was born in east LA, man. I was born in east LA.

GREENE: So political commentary, you're proud of that, I mean...

MARIN: Yeah. Without coming out and banging out - my philosophy has always been to slip it in their coffee. You know, you get the effect. It's like edibles²⁰ (laughter). You know, you don't have to smoke it. You know, you could just eat like a little macaroon. So that was my goal, to slip it in their coffee.

GREENE: This has been a real pleasure. Thank you.

MARIN: No, thank you very much. My pleasure.

GREENE: That was the incomparable Cheech Marin. His memoir is "Cheech Is Not My Real Name: ...But Don't Call Me Chong." And, you know, we didn't even get to the chapter on the time he smoked Anderson Cooper on "Jeopardy²¹!" I'm just saying.

1 winding   

n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈

参考例句：

• A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
• The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。

2 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

3 shearer   

n.剪羊毛的人；剪切机

参考例句：

• A bad shearer never had a good sickle. 拙匠无利器。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Eventually, Shearer lost faith, dropping him to the bench. 最终，希勒不再信任他，把他换下场。 来自互联网

4 memoir   

n.[pl.]回忆录，自传；记事录

参考例句：

• He has just published a memoir in honour of his captain.他刚刚出了一本传记来纪念他的队长。
• In her memoir,the actress wrote about the bittersweet memories of her first love.在那个女演员的自传中，她写到了自己苦乐掺半的初恋。

5 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

6 hanger   

n.吊架，吊轴承；挂钩

参考例句：

• I hung my coat up on a hanger.我把外衣挂在挂钩上。
• The ship is fitted with a large helicopter hanger and flight deck.这艘船配备有一个较大的直升飞机悬挂装置和飞行甲板。

7 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

8 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

9 metaphor   

n.隐喻，暗喻

参考例句：

• Using metaphor,we say that computers have senses and a memory.打个比方，我们可以说计算机有感觉和记忆力。
• In poetry the rose is often a metaphor for love.玫瑰在诗中通常作为爱的象征。

10 improvisational   

adj. 即兴的

参考例句：

• I have never been at games like charades or improvisational acting. 您从来都唔擅长玩“有口难言”或者“即席表演”之类既游戏。
• I'm practicing self-control, those random and improvisational acts aren't allowed. 我在练习控制自己，那些随意的、即兴的举动是不允许的。

11 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

12 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

13 purveyed   

v.提供，供应( purvey的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• In the internet's case, the rubbish purveyed is limitless and illimitable. 从互联网的方面说，供应的垃圾是无限和不可限制的。 来自互联网

14 primitive   

adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物

参考例句：

• It is a primitive instinct to flee a place of danger.逃离危险的地方是一种原始本能。
• His book describes the march of the civilization of a primitive society.他的著作描述了一个原始社会的开化过程。

15 simultaneously   

adv.同时发生地，同时进行地

参考例句：

• The radar beam can track a number of targets almost simultaneously.雷达波几乎可以同时追着多个目标。
• The Windows allow a computer user to execute multiple programs simultaneously.Windows允许计算机用户同时运行多个程序。

16 absurdity   

n.荒谬，愚蠢；谬论

参考例句：

• The proposal borders upon the absurdity.这提议近乎荒谬。
• The absurdity of the situation made everyone laugh.情况的荒谬可笑使每个人都笑了。

17 deteriorated   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Her health deteriorated rapidly, and she died shortly afterwards. 她的健康状况急剧恶化，不久便去世了。
• His condition steadily deteriorated. 他的病情恶化，日甚一日。

18 perturbed   

adj.烦燥不安的v.使（某人）烦恼，不安( perturb的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I am deeply perturbed by the alarming way the situation developing. 我对形势令人忧虑的发展深感不安。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mother was much perturbed by my illness. 母亲为我的病甚感烦恼不安。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

19 hyena   

n.土狼，鬣狗

参考例句：

• African hyena noted for its distinctive howl.非洲鬣狗，以其特别的嚎叫而闻名。
• The hyena's public image is not aided by its ridiculous appearance.鬣狗滑稽的外表无助于改善它在公众心中的形象。

20 edibles   

可以吃的，可食用的( edible的名词复数 )； 食物

参考例句：

• They freely offered for sale what edibles they had. 他们很自愿地把他们的一点点可吃的东西卖给我们。
• Our edibles the wild vegetable. 我们只能吃野菜。

21 jeopardy   

n.危险；危难

参考例句：

• His foolish behaviour may put his whole future in jeopardy.他愚蠢的行为可能毁了他一生的前程。
• It is precisely at this juncture that the boss finds himself in double jeopardy.恰恰在这个关键时刻，上司发现自己处于进退两难的境地。