20 Things You Somehow Missed In The Mask
7. The Rodney King Reference
Topical humour is always a risky bet in comedies, but at least in the case of The Mask, this gag is broad enough that it makes sense even if you don't appreciate what it's specifically referring to.
When the cops catch The Mask in the park, they slap handcuffs on him and start searching him, at which point he flinches in pain and quips, "Where's a camcorder when you need it?"
Benign though it might seem, this was actually a nod to the headline-making 1991 police beating of a Black man, Rodney King, which was caught on camera and eventually led to the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
Again, though, the joke smartly works on purely standalone terms for younger viewers and also those watching the film decades removed from its original context.