Exhale, yes you, exhale! The time is finally here and we can all stop holding our collective breaths. The sequel to the funniest comedy movie ever premieres this weekend. Coming 2 America comes to us via Amazon Prime where we all get brought up to speed on life after Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) and Lisa Mcdowell’s (Shari Headley) wedding thirty-two years ago. Now under normal circumstances, there’s no question that we would all pack out movie theaters nationwide to watch this sequel as one big ass family. Things are different now however, and as we continue to navigate this new normal safely, we'll all be watching—from home. So in order to pay proper homage and make this premier as monumental as it can be, I came up with a list. Here are  the six funniest ways to celebrate and watch Coming 2 America this weekend. It embodies the pride that we all feel for this franchise and in many ways will transport us back to a simpler and lighter time. 

Let Your Soul Glo!

 Courtesy: Reddit

I mean it’s only right, you see the couch, you know exactly where I’m going with this. I absolutely expect to hear a reprise of the “Soul Glo” jingle in Coming 2 America. The song itself is a cult classic, and what better way to show your love for the storied brand than to have you and the whole family put an activator in your hair as you sing “feeling oh so silky smooth, just let it shine through” right?

Take A Trip to The Golden Arcs

Courtesy: Secret Los Angeles

Now we know that McDowell’s was a playful spoof of McDonald’s and maybe, just maybe you’re off that now. But what’s the joy in watching a new movie without snacks? I suggest going to your local McDonald’s and ordering your favorite guilty pleasures. If you’re really a purist, get you a Big Mac and take the sesame seeds off of the bun, there’s your Big Mc!

Sexual Chocolate Karaoke

Courtesy: Movieclips.com

For those of you who are fortunate enough to live in temperate climates, check this one out. I suggest getting your hands on a projector and playing this movie out in your yard. Of course I want you all to stay safe, so be selective and create an intimate guest list, nothing too crazy. Have your guests get COVID tested and prior to playing the movie, do Karaoke and have guests act out scenes from the original movie that they love.

Simple Dress Up

Courtesy: Detroit Free Press

Throughout Coming 2 America’s press run the last couple of weeks you can hear Eddie always mention that he noticed the pop culture phenomenon the movie became when he saw folks dressing up as characters for halloween. Once he saw fast food restaurants adopting the McDowell’s franchise name in honor of the holiday, he realized the reach of the movie. Well, why not celebrate the sequel’s premier by getting dressed up as your favorite character, hell, if you really want to get in the mood, put on a late 80’s playlist of party music. You’ll be glad that you did.

Trivia

Courtesy: Huffington Post

An easy and interactive way to create a fun viewing experience is to simply come up with a Coming To America Trivia game. Use the facts that you know about the movie and create questions for your friends and family to answer. You can do this on a proverbial Zoom watch party, or if you live with your folks you can play with them in the crib. But it’s a great way to break up the predictable and monotonous days that we experience.

Watch With People Who Watched In 1988

Courtesy: Youtube

The original Coming To America was huge, it grossed more than $120 million at the box office...in 1988, so you absolutely have some family who actually went to see it in theaters. If you aren’t up to doing all the wacky stuff here that I listed, then treat this moment as a time to kick it with your loved ones. Have some of your older heads share stories with you about what their lives were like at the time and what the movie represented to them.

I can’t wait to see what memes are generated from the release of this flick. Coming 2 America really might be the most long awaited sequel that we never knew we would actually have. The time is here, and it’s another opportunity to celebrate our legends and our greatness as writers and designers and linguists, and comics. Let’s create new memories this time around that can even rival the memories made from the first go around. I hope you all are as excited as  I am, I’ve been ready.