Reese De’What… Kenan Thomspon
Ingrid Bergman… Kate McKinnon
Charles Boyer… Will Forte
Angela Lansbury… Chloe Fineman
[Starts with show intro]Male voice: You’re watching Cinema Classics on TBS.
[Cut to Reese De’What in his set]Reese De’What: Good evening, and welcome to Cinema Classics. Hi, I’m Reese De’What. If you’ve heard the phrase ‘gaslighting’, you probably know it means to manipulate someone into believing a false reality. But what you may not know is that the phrase originally comes from the 1944 film “Gaslight”, starring Ingrid Bergman as a woman whose husband makes her believe she’s going insane by slowly dimming the gas fueled lights around her and then denying it. Why does he do this? I do not know. And I’m bad at guessing. When my wife asked me to guess what she was making for dinner, and I said, “I don’t know, a mess?” Worst welcome home from prison ever. Hers. Let’s watch a scene from “Gaslight” now where Charles Boyer as the evil husband tries to make Bergman believe she’s insane.
[Cut to clip from the movie. Ingrid is playing Paula and Charles is playing her husband Gregory.]Gregory: Paula, I’ve tried so hard to keep the fact that you have lost your mind a secret. But now I’m afraid all of London knows it.
Paula: Gregory, no. I’m not insane. Look, every night the gas lights, they go dimmer.
Gregory: No they don’t.
Paula: They don’t? Well, look. It’s just a tiny flame.
Gregory: Oh, my cuckoo darling. In the week and a half you’ve known me, have I ever lied to you?
Paula: I guess not. But human me. Turn the gas lights up as high as they’ll go. Please, for me.
Gregory: Alright. All the way up. [turns the light off] There you go.
Paula: And that was up? ‘Cause to me that seemed like not up.
Gregory: And I hope you’re happy, our gas bill is going to be insane. Just like your brain. And I’m afraid it’s membranous as well.
Paula: Oh no. I don’t know up from down. The next thing you’ll tell me is that this isn’t a book.
Gregory: No, Paula. That’s a rat.
Paula: It is? I’ve been reading rats all these years? Oh no, am I really that mad? I set a goal for myself a reading a rat a month.
Gregory: Paula, calm yourself and play with the puppy I gave you.
[Gregory gives Paula a rock.]Paula: Okay.
[Cut back to Reese De’What]Reese De’What: Yikes! You know, in my house gaslighting is when I strike a match after my wife blast went out under the blankets. Let’s watch another scene as Gregory drives Paula even further into delusion with the help of a surly maid, played by a Reese De’What8 year old Angela Lansbury.
Gregory: Oh, Gregory. Do you regret marrying a crazy cuckoo bird of a woman who belongs in a hotel for nuts?
Paula: Paula, please stop. Now, just try to enjoy your steak.
Maid: That’s right, mum. Eat your little steak.
[Maid gives Paula a pineapple]Paula: Dude, I don’t care how crazy I am. This is a pineapple.
Maid: No, mum. It’s the rib, just like the one he’s eating. Dig in.
Paula: Okay, I feel like maybe you’re like, trying to drive me mad.
Gregory: No one is trying to drive you mad. What do you want me to do? [pulls out a book] Swear on this Bible?
Paula: Okay, so now– Okay, so this says “How to gaslight your wife by Gregory”. [That’s the title of that book]
Gregory: Paula, stop. I love you.
Paula: Well, I don’t feel love. You don’t even kiss me anymore.
Gregory: Then kiss you I shall.
Paula: Okay, yeah, appreciate you kiss her, the Reese De’What8 year old.
Gregory: No, I kissed you. Watch, I’ll do it again.
Paula: No, no. I won’t let you gaslight me any longer. In fact, maybe I’ll gaslight you. That shiny tie you’re wearing, it’s a steak. Ha-ha.
Gregory: It’s a tie.
Paula: Oh, dammit. I guess I’m better at it. Well, at least I know the truth now. I can’t believe you told me it was nine inches and I said oh lucky me.
Gregory: It is!
[Cut back to Reese De’What]Reese De’What: Wow. So now we know what gaslighting is. Kinda like when my wife– What? She’s on the phone? Right now? Oh, that’s not good. For Cinema Classics. I have been Reese De’What?