#1
Posted: 9/8/13 at 8:47am
I must seem really uninformed but I'd really like to know what the theatre term 'mugging' means.
What does 'mugging' mean?
#2
Posted: 9/8/13 at 8:57am
mug1
m?g/
verbinformal
gerund or present participle: mugging
1.
attack and rob (someone) in a public place.
"he was mugged by three men who stole his bike"
synonyms: assault, attack, set upon, beat up, rob; More
dated
fight or hit (someone).
2.
make faces, esp. silly or exaggerated ones, before an audience or a camera.
"he mugged for the camera"
m?g/
verbinformal
gerund or present participle: mugging
1.
attack and rob (someone) in a public place.
"he was mugged by three men who stole his bike"
synonyms: assault, attack, set upon, beat up, rob; More
dated
fight or hit (someone).
2.
make faces, esp. silly or exaggerated ones, before an audience or a camera.
"he mugged for the camera"
"Tracy... Hold Mama's waffles."
#3
Posted: 9/8/13 at 9:00am
In other words, what Kathy Lee Gifford does for a living.
<-----I'M TOTES ROLLING MY EYES
#4
Posted: 9/8/13 at 9:00am
Overacting.
"Mug" is a slang term for "face." "Mugging" is using outrageous facial expressions to grab attention, as in the term "Mugging for the camera."
That's one explanation, at least. I'm sure the greater minds here will have others, as well.
(< example of "mugging.)
"Mug" is a slang term for "face." "Mugging" is using outrageous facial expressions to grab attention, as in the term "Mugging for the camera."
That's one explanation, at least. I'm sure the greater minds here will have others, as well.
(< example of "mugging.)
Cheyenne Jackson tickled me. AFTER ordering SoMMS a drink but NOT tickling him, and hanging out with Girly in his dressing room (where he DIDN'T tickle her) but BEFORE we got married. To others. And then he tweeted Boobs. He also tweeted he's good friends with some chick on "The Voice" who just happens to be good friends with Tink's ex. And I'm still married. Oh, and this just in: "Pettiness, spite, malice ....Such ugly emotions... So sad." - After Eight, talking about MEEEEEEEE!!! I'm so honored! :-)
#5
Posted: 9/8/13 at 9:33am
I think that it's making exagerrated facial expressions deliberately aimed not at another character but at the audience.
CZJ at opening night party for A Little Night Music, Dec 13, 2009.
#7
Posted: 9/8/13 at 11:17am
Lucille Ball in "I Love Lucy" was the perfect example of mugging. In fact, she had different names for her mugging.
When she screwed up her face and cried "But Ricky" she called that the Puddle.
When she curled up her lip and went "Ewwwww" that was the Spider.
The third one I've forgotten the name for, but it was when she knew something was wrong and she got that open mouth and bug eyes.
When she screwed up her face and cried "But Ricky" she called that the Puddle.
When she curled up her lip and went "Ewwwww" that was the Spider.
The third one I've forgotten the name for, but it was when she knew something was wrong and she got that open mouth and bug eyes.
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
Updated On: 9/8/13 at 11:17 AM
#9
Posted: 9/8/13 at 12:57pm
I don't consider what Lucy did as mugging because I look at the term "mugging" as something negative, as I pointed out with Kathy lee Gifford. It is done by performers who are extremely self conscious and not a comedic genius such asLucille Ball.
<-----I'M TOTES ROLLING MY EYES
#10
Posted: 9/8/13 at 1:01pm
I would agree - I have always thought of mugging as a negative thing. Face pulling that takes you out of the moment. If it works in context I wouldn't call it mugging.
#11
Posted: 9/8/13 at 1:20pm
Actually mugging wasn't negative until the "acting" teachers made it so. Uta Hagen, Lee Strasberg, Stella Adler, etc all came along and brought natural acting to the theater which didn't include mugging.
Mugging was very popular in the British Music Halls, in American Vaudeville, in Yiddish Theatre. What Lucille Ball did was mugging because it was instinctual and she hadn't been taught natural acting. You will also see Carol Burnett do it to great effect, especially when she is playing the parody of Norma Desmond.
Mugging is a negative thing when done out of the context of comedy (you see it in soap operas) or when it's done one too many times (yes I'm looking at you Nathan Lane).
With Kathy Lee Gifford, she hasn't refined the technique of mugging and doesn't know how to properly use it, therefore she doesn't do it correctly.
Mugging was very popular in the British Music Halls, in American Vaudeville, in Yiddish Theatre. What Lucille Ball did was mugging because it was instinctual and she hadn't been taught natural acting. You will also see Carol Burnett do it to great effect, especially when she is playing the parody of Norma Desmond.
Mugging is a negative thing when done out of the context of comedy (you see it in soap operas) or when it's done one too many times (yes I'm looking at you Nathan Lane).
With Kathy Lee Gifford, she hasn't refined the technique of mugging and doesn't know how to properly use it, therefore she doesn't do it correctly.
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
Updated On: 9/8/13 at 01:20 PM
#13
Posted: 9/8/13 at 1:27pm
I think kathy Lee is an expert at mugging at its worst. She could teach a class in it.
<-----I'M TOTES ROLLING MY EYES
#15
Posted: 9/8/13 at 1:30pm
can anyone tell me what cough means? In terms of performance...
#16
Posted: 9/8/13 at 1:32pm
Mugging is very much by instinct. I took an acting class where one of the students was a black woman who really had the instinct for it. With one look, she could have the audience screaming with laughter. It was wonderful watching her because she knew how to control it and work it for maximum effect in a scene.
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
#17
Posted: 9/8/13 at 1:33pm
I am not a fan of Kathy Lee but she isn't really an actress, is she? She's a television host. I've never seen her on stage or in a movie where I would say she was "mugging". I am just wondering why people are singling her out for mugging when she isn't even primarily an actress.
#18
Posted: 9/8/13 at 1:42pm
Actually, a lot of people get mugging mixed up with "signaling". Signaling is when you tell the audience what you're about to do. "I'm getting ready to cry. Watch me cry." You see this a lot in community theater because they don't trust themselves to be in the moment.
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
#19
Posted: 9/8/13 at 2:07pm
" I am just wondering why people are singling her out for mugging when she isn't even primarily an actress."
You're arguing semantics. I don't care what you call her. She's on tv, there's a camera. She's quite well known for mugging. Haven't you ever seen one of the skits on SNL making fun of her constant mugging?
You're arguing semantics. I don't care what you call her. She's on tv, there's a camera. She's quite well known for mugging. Haven't you ever seen one of the skits on SNL making fun of her constant mugging?
<-----I'M TOTES ROLLING MY EYES
#20
Posted: 9/8/13 at 2:11pm
"Actually, a lot of people get mugging mixed up with "signaling". Signaling is when you tell the audience what you're about to do. "I'm getting ready to cry. Watch me cry."
Well, I know that I"m DEFINITELY not talking about Kathy Lee Gifford doing that. God, if HOda says something, Gifford will roll her eyes out of her head into the camera. oy vey
Well, I know that I"m DEFINITELY not talking about Kathy Lee Gifford doing that. God, if HOda says something, Gifford will roll her eyes out of her head into the camera. oy vey
<-----I'M TOTES ROLLING MY EYES
#21
Posted: 9/8/13 at 2:21pm
Kathy Lee's problem is that she doesn't know how to fit her performance to her co-host. She still thinks she's playing off of Regis where all those larger than life reactions worked in the context of relating to him.
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
#22
Posted: 9/8/13 at 5:07pm
Nope. I haven't seen a SNL skit about Kathy Lee, and I think the performance of a celebrity on TV on a talk show is not the same as the performance of an actor on stage.
#23
Posted: 9/8/13 at 5:39pm
I thought we were answering the question which is the title of this thread -"what is mugging."
so whatever.
so whatever.
<-----I'M TOTES ROLLING MY EYES
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