I am sorry for not posting this sooner. It’s been crazy around here. Aside from that, I like to invite you to catch the pilot episode of “The Michael Wong Show“ below. A normal broadcast of his show lasted an average of 30 minutes. Being just a pilot, it is half that. In just that short time, we were treated to a whopping, four guests. Michael must have given all he had to showcase the kind of entertainment he planned on offering. As previously mentioned, only one guest had the privilege of showing up twice on his show. Michael has claimed for many years that without the appearance on his show, Rap Master Funk Ass P wouldn’t be where he is today. Rap Master Funk Ass P denies the rumors what Michael says. During an interview with Rolling Stones magazine, Rap Master Funk Ass P said this.
Before I appeared on that (censored) show, I was a very well-known rapper in the underground world of music. I chose to appear on the show to get my music out there to the general public. I was a star well before that and was destined to be a star even if I never agreed on appearing on his show. I have all the respect for Mr. Wong. It is easy to tell who the real star is. I do two shows a day. Michael did two shows his entire life time. Do the math. He didn’t make me a star. He just happened to land an up and comer.
Harsh words from the now, Christian Rap star. The battle between Wong and Funk Ass P was ongoing for many years. After Rap Master Funk Ass P found Jesus and switched to a more suitable style of music, he retracted his statement and thanked Michael for giving him the opportunity to showcase his music and his talent.
“The Michael Wong Show” first aired on, June 9th 1998. The pilot episode is not dated but can be dated back to at least early April or May of the same year. The pilot was without an opening introduction and the second assistant, Shaggy wasn’t hired until the show actually went live. The show started instantly. The first guest Michael Wong had on was The Man from Oklahoma. His name was never mentioned on air. I tried to track him down for a few words about the show but had no luck. If you know him, please contact me so I can set up an interview with him. Watching the clip of Michael and the man from Oklahoma, you can tell Michael was nervous with doing his first interview of a guest. He made a reference, not once but twice to origami.
In China, we do origami….dance.
It’s better to have a scripted show but it was reported that Michael refused to use cue cards. You can tell often that Michael stumbled over a few words and had to think before he tried to be funny when he really wasn’t. I am not saying he isn’t funny. The show is quite funny. But I just wished he used cue cards to make the show seem a little more stable than just something that looked liked it was tossed together one night.
The Man from Oklahoma left suddenly. Michael clapped and called out his next guest. His next guest was none other than Rap Master Funk Ass P. Funk Ass P came out on the set with enough energy to power a city. It was a bit of a let down that Rap Master Funk Ass P didn’t have much time to talk about himself or his career in the music world. Michael quickly asked him to perform a song for the “Chinese People”. It is just another reason to believe Michael is having a tough time adjusting to a life on the television.
Rap Master Funk Ass P performed his song, “My Sister P”. He didn’t perform the whole song. He sang maybe but one verse before high tailing it out of there. You can catch his full performance when I post the next chapter to “The Michael Wong“. I will have to say, it is a great song. You have to hear it. The song is not available on iTunes. There is a legal battle going on between Rap Master Funk Ass P and his previous record label. The rights to the song are said to belong to Funk Ass P but under his contract with “Prospect Pioneer Records”, it was agreed that all recordings belong to them. If the lawsuit ever gets settled, I highly suggest you download it. You’re welcome to download the version I have on my site. It isn’t studio quality but it is still one of the greatest hits he ever wrote.
My Sister P – Rap Master Funk Ass P (Click to listen to the track. You can also download it.)
Even with it being just a pilot, Michael Wong did have a few sponsors to help fund his cable access show. Aside from the Chinese Tea, Michael aired three commercials during his pilot episode. After “Johnson & Johnson” heard about the show and the content during its broadcast, it quickly pulled its’ name from a very small list of people who actually helped sponsor the show. The company declined to go in to details but when asked why they pulled their ads from the show,
We’re a family orientated business. This show is not.
-Representative from Johnson & Johnson , 1998
Below are the three commercials that aired during the broadcast. I will note that this is the only time the PSA aired on television. The Catholic Church deemed it a sin to promote something of that nature. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Catholic Church was involved with the downfall of the show. The pilot is mild compared to what the real show was like. I grouped all the commercial together into one video. It was easier that way. It’s nice to go back and watch commercials from the past. I enjoy it when I am watching an old movie on tape and we have commercials recorded. Strange seeing them. But when they aired, we were in awe with the selling gimmicks they had. By today’s standards, these commercials are lame. Enjoy this brief break and watch them. We’ll return with his last two guests after the break.
Welcome back to the post. Without making this post too long, I am going to break it up into two parts. I’ll post the second and last part to the pilot within the next day. The two full episodes will be added later this week. It is easy to see why the show was picked up by the studios. Even with Michael struggling, he still showed us how to have a good time. There is no top ten list in the pilot. There is no opening credits. It’s a very raw performance. With no real budget, Michael himself was forced to work the cameras. You can spot it often when he takes control of the camera. Even the editing departments is missing. Maybe if the show ever does come back, he’ll be able to hire them.
pitweston
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