The Pink Panther 2 opens on Friday. Below are 21 publicity stills for the film. I find nearly every one of them to be astounding. I cannot comprehend the fact that the man who did this and (NSFW?) this is, somehow, also the man pictured below. My brain will simply not accept it.

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With honor and distinction, Erik Henriksen served as the executive editor of the Portland Mercury from 2004 to 2020. He can now be found at henriksenactual.com.

10 replies on “For His Next Case, Inspector Clouseau Will Attempt to Discover How Steve Martin’s Dignity Died.”

  1. As Rasheed Wallace would say, “CTC” – Cut the Check.

    Everybody needs to make money, including Steve Martin & his talent for physical comedy is well-suited for the role of the Pink Panther… so give him a break.

    I haven’t lost any respect for him. I’m just glad he’s doing something so I can watch him on Letterman and SNL.

  2. Actually, Erik, I think you are absolutely right. Steve Martin is supposed to be some kind of genius, but to find anything he’s done that made me laugh I’d have to go back to “The Jerk” or SNL in the 70s, or perhaps “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” in the 80s. If I were being really kind, I might also add “LA Story”, but only the first 10 minutes or so with all the LA jokes. (Streetlights flash, “Uh, like walk” or “Uh, like don’t walk.”) And this warmed over Clousseau makes me want to avert my eyes like it’s a surgery.

  5. seriously? his comedy hasn’t evolved at ALL over the years – not even to get worse as you suggest. he was the jim carrey of 30 years ago, and his comedy is still the same cheap jokes it always was.

    doesn’t mean i don’t like him – he’s an icon and definitely has his moments, but he’s not quite the fallen genius you make him out to be.

  6. Actually Kiala, you’re right. I loved ‘The Spanish Prisoner’. That’s a more serious Steve Martin role, of course, and I also liked what he did in that regard in ‘Grand Canyon’. I wonder if at this point in his career Martin would be better served as a dramatic actor.

    Stephentheh, you also make a fair point. But I distinctly remember Martin being held up as brilliant for decades, and I’ve never seen much evidence of it. It’s true that hackneyed physical comedy and slapstick have their place. But I don’t see Martin as having the physical comedy talent of a Jim Carrey either – and I’m no Jim Carrey defender.

    I think what’s gotten worse isn’t Martin or the state of cheap laughs, but the choices he makes about movies to appear in.

  7. I’m more intrigued by the recent NYT article that discusses Steve Martin’s apparent genius at playing the banjo. Something about being a master of the 5-claw playing method.

  8. It’s interesting that Martin, who is a genius (meant as a legit descriptor, not an accolade), made his fortune doing the dumbest sort of humor. He rightly analyzed that people were tired of the Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, Shelly Berman serious and/or political humor and were ready for humor having a lot in common with The 3 Stooges, Abbot & Costello, and other specialists in physical and dumb comedy.

    Interesting fact: Steve Martin has become a major art collector: click here to read about his exhibit at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

  10. This is what happens when you get old and stop taking drugs. Just look at Eddie Murphy. My fav Steve Martin movie is My Blue Heaven. “You know it’s dangerous for you to be here in the frozen food section. Cause you could MELT ALL THIS STUFF!”

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