Reefer madness redux: Cheech and Chong return
By Dave Dondoneau
TGIF Editor
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Honestly, writing a story about Cheech and Chong without using drug references is not possible.
Yes, they are now senior citizens, nearly three decades removed from their last tour together, and Tommy Chong has publicly stated that even though he's now one of pot's biggest advocates, he hasn't touched the stuff since federal agents stormed his home in 2003 and he wound up spending nine months in prison for selling drug paraphernalia (more on that later).
And yes, both are successful individually. Richard "Cheech" Marin, for example, is an actor who caddied for Kevin Costner in "Tin Cup" and seems to be a favorite of director Quentin Tarantino with roles in "Grindhouse," "Desperado" and "From Dusk Till Dawn." And let's not even begin to get into his voiceover career.
But let's be honest. The name of their tour that comes to the Waikiki Shell Thursday is "Cheech and Chong: Light Up America."
That zero drug reference/tolerance policy? Doomed from the start.
You've got "Cheech and Chong, Up in Smoke." "Cheech and Chong, Still Smoking." Possibly next up: "Cheech and Chong, "Grumpy Old Stoners." (More later).
You may be wondering how these guys have been able to build a career on stoner-type humor, oblivious to the world outside the cannabis — and we're not talking about its soothing power for cancer patients. So here is every cheesy pop culture pot reference suitable to define who these guys are and where they've been the past four decades.
'DAZED AND CONFUSED'
The 1993 stoner/drunk film has a huge cult following, but to C&C fans, dazed and confused must have been what the comedy duo was thinking when they parted ways 27 years ago, ending a hugely popular partnership that spawned seven movies, 10 comedy albums and pioneered the way for flicks like, well, "Dazed and Confused."
So, what happened?
"We got sick of each other," Chong said matter-of-factly during a telephone interview with both men. "We stayed in touch because people made sure Cheech knew what I was doing, and I knew what he was doing ... even if we didn't want to know. There's just a lot of anal people out there who wanted us back together. It's like when salt and pepper shakers aren't sitting together. It drives people crazy."
QUOTES THAT LAST
"All I need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and I'm fine." — The epic quote is one of Sean Penn's funnier, clueless moments, when he had a sense of humor as Jeff Spicoli in the 1982 flick "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."
Stoner quotes, however, basically started with some of Cheech and Chong's memorable bits:
Until now.
'UP IN SMOKE'
Their first movie set the standard for stoner flicks. YouTube the trailer from 1978 and, somehow, it's still relevant and funny today. Back then they tried to bring the first van built entirely of marijuana across the Mexican border and into the United States.
It grossed more than $41 million and spawned several sequels, pretty much defining their movie themes and careers.
'MAUI WOWIE'
Yep, Chong uttered those words in "Up in Smoke," when he told Cheech what was in maybe the world's largest joint while they were driving down the highway in a smoke-filled car.
But "wowie" also describes their lives.
Cheech had never played golf prior to teaming with Costner in 1996 for "Tin Cup," but he's now a 9-handicap who plans to play some golf while he's in the Islands.
That Chong mentioned Maui isn't surprising. He frequents the Islands often and can be seen in local "Natural High" commercials. He was also "Leo" on "That '70s Show."
"Wowie" is also a way to describe Chong's September 2003 arrest for selling drug paraphernalia through his family business. He spent nine months in federal lockup, was fined $20,000 and forfeited his Internet domain name, www.Chongglass.com, along with more than $100,000 in cash and all of the paraphernalia seized when federal agents stormed his home.
"It was like a cold shower," Chong said. "It changed my whole way of thinking. I was just a bit of a 'let life take me where it takes me,' guy, but when that hit me, I became more of an activist."
The arrest and sentence delayed their initial reunion, too.
"We had some talks over the years, but they always seemed to end in fights and then the arrest," Chong said. "We finally got together again because of our families. My daughter intercepted an e-mail and replied for me without my knowing it. Next thing you know, we're talking. I missed him. He's always going to be a part of my life."
'HALF BAKED'
The 1998 flick probably tackled pot smoking more than any other film since Cheech and Chong first teamed up.
And they promise they're not done. Thursday's concert is part of a reunion tour where they are performing more than 100 live shows, and when the tour ends, a movie will follow, they said.
"Maybe Grumpy Old Stoners," Cheech quipped.
"Or 'Faster and Furiouser,' " Chong added.
