Wednesday was Michael Jackson’s birthday, and people were celebrating the King of Pop by listening to his music, sharing pictures on social media, and remembering the best anecdotes associated with one of the biggest names in show business. We’ll have to celebrate a hundred more Jackson birthdays before we run out of material, especially because people keep giving the old stuff a remix.
Comedian Roy Wood Jr. used the King’s birthday to ponder an alternate reality timeline in which the classic music video for “Thriller” was retold as some woman’s long Twitter thread about a terrible date. Goodness knows there are plenty of terrible date stories on Twitter, and looked at objectively, “Thriller” is a terrible date. For everybody.
What if 'Thriller' actually happened & Michael Jackson's date Ola Ray tweeted about the next day.
"YALL! Lemme tell you about this broke ass wolf negro that tried to maul me last night. THREAD" pic.twitter.com/Ox7lK3DrhD
— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) August 29, 2018
Excellent points are made, like why did my dude run out gas right there on the highway?
I thought he was playing ya'll but this broke ass fool was REALLY outta gas!!!! So now we walking. it's cold, he don't even offer me his coat. But then! he flipped the script! he turned around and asked me to be his woman! He had this nice ass ring from Ross: Dress for Less pic.twitter.com/JOGUcI4h2W
— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) August 29, 2018
It’s also true that if you’re a werewolf and it’s your time to transform, you shouldn’t be scheduling dates. I don’t make plans to hang out during my time of the month, so please be respectful, werewolves.
Meanwhile he running through the woods tearing up trees n shit. wasn't no where I could hide. You know they say them werewolves be smelling shit real good. So I find a movie theatre and dipped off in there. He followed me in there. but by then he was regular again. pic.twitter.com/XhYYkWEAZ8
— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) August 29, 2018
But the date continued:
"I know ya'll calling me crazy but understand, You can't just write a man off for accidentally turning into a supernatural creature. Thats why half of ya'll single. I took my bonnet was off, I was gonna give him some. I was having so much i didnt even notice the grave yard…" pic.twitter.com/kj6XRGZXOZ
— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) August 29, 2018
Anyone would be pissed to find out they were on a date with a broke artist who rehearses scary zombie dances all day instead of looking for a job:
Now they dancing. This mean he been having rehearsals! You aint got no time to get a job to gas up yo car but you got time to rehearse 8-counts with zombies? Ya'll I was done.Sad part is that one of the zombies trying to eat me was a black lady so much for us sticking together pic.twitter.com/8aIIGo3x8p
— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) August 29, 2018
Olay Ray is just looking out for the other ladies:
We don't talk anymore but I just wanted to share my story so the rest of ya'll can be safe. If you meet this dude name Gerald from the westside that got a red jacket and a blue convertible leave him alone. TRUST ME…. or go out with him in the daytime. Ya'll Be blessed"- Ola Ray pic.twitter.com/ohCsaK7bkv
— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) August 29, 2018
What’s funny (besides this whole thread) is that Wood wrote he’s been trying to sell this idea on stage, but the audience never laughs:
If you heard the crickets when I tried to explain this premise on stage. REPEATEDLY for over a year. might as well burn it on twitter. LOL
— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) August 30, 2018
Picturing Wood trying to explain the idea of a Twitter thread based on a music video to a silent audience is hilarious to me. Some ideas just do better on Twitter. The entire concept of “Thriller” has done pretty well over the years on its own, if the millions of parodies, tributes, and rip-offs are any indication. But as the story of a date gone south? It’s perfect.
I bet no one would take the warning anyway: we’d all date werewolf Michael Jackson.
Here’s the full video, so you can contrast and compare to your last night out: