At SDCC this week a fan of Bryan Cranston tried to ask him how he liked filming AMC's Breaking Bad in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the fan’s home town, but he got a little over excited and started to uncomfortably keep talking. Cranston’s response has to be viewed to be fully appreciated.
It’s the mic drop at the end which makes it art. The only thing more perfect would have been if he’d actually ended the Q&A right there and walked off the stage.
Panel Q & A at conventions is a delicate thing. You’re standing in front of a celebrity you love and you have the opportunity to ask them anything you want. On a microphone. In front of a bunch of strangers. You want to ask a good question and sound intelligent and thoughtful. You want to let that person know you’re a fan and that you appreciate them, but you don’t want to get too excited, because then you start to babble and your question comes out bad and then the celebrity you love has to deal with you being an idiot. Not that we know anything about any of this.
While the joke at the kid’s expense is a little harsh it doesn’t look like Cranston is intentionally trying to be cruel, although initially there is absolutely a glint in his eye which says that he enjoyed that. It was a perfect line to be sure. Over the laughter and applause of the audience you can here the gentlemen from Albuquerque take issue with the “yo mamma” joke. Hopefully he didn’t stay mad too long. Sometimes entertainment comes at other people’s expense, it’s called comedy kid, and by the way, you’re famous now.
It’s possible Cranston was annoyed by the question because he wasn’t looking to answer any Breaking Bad related questions, and that led to snappy response. You have to assume the guy gets inundated with fan questions about the show, and that wasn’t what he was there to talk about at that moment. The panel he was at was to promote Supermansion a new stop motion animation series he is working on for Crackle with Robot Chicken creators Seth Green and Matt Senreich. Another piece of Q & A etiquette, unless previously stated as acceptable, you always want to keep your questions on the panel topic.
So remember kids, always practice proper Q & A decorum. Keep your questions, clear, concise and on topic. Don’t geek out, and you’ll be fine. Otherwise you’ll end up on YouTube getting the smack laid down on you by Heisenberg. Lesson over.
