Phrase Meaning – What Does ‘What Gets You By’ Mean?

The commentator, Mark Jones, is either referencing, or just imitating, the 2018 song "I Might Need Security" by Chance the Rapper. The second verse starts:

I don't get no paper, I gotta sign at the bottom

Still in my bag like the fries at the bottom

Since I can't find an earlier version, my assumption is that Chance came up with the simile, which connects two things:

• The observation that there are often french fries at the bottom of a fast-food bag.
• The slang term "to be in (one's) bag."

"To be in one's bag" means "to be focused" or "to do something to one's highest level of ability" (The Online Slang Dictionary, Urban Dictionary). It's also possible the line alludes to money (as does "paper" in the previous line), through another slang term, "the bag," often seen in phrases like "secure the bag" and "fumble the bag." Though Chance himself wrote an explanation of the line, he did not clarify specifically what he meant by "in my bag."

The majority of American English speakers are likely not familiar with the phrase "in his bag." All of the terms discussed in the previous paragraph are part of hip hop culture and might have even deeper roots in Black English. I don't know if there is a connection to an older use of "my bag" to mean one's personal style or preference, which dates back to the 1960s and jazz culture.

So, what does Mark Jones' usage mean in the context of commentating Curry's shot?

• "In his bag" could mean that Steph is "in the zone" -- focused and making an impressive series of moves leading up to the shot. However, given that Mark Jones is 60 years old and may not be an avid hip hop listener (pure speculation!) he could also have been thinking of the idiom "bag of tricks," which would have much the same meaning here.
• "Like the fries are at the bottom" is the simile, inspired by Chance the Rapper, which connects with the literal meaning of "in his bag." Jones may have inserted the "are" inadvertently, but it (sort of) works either way -- if the fries were at the bottom, one could be (reaching) into one's bag to grab them.
• "Deep" could be referring to the shot (in basketball terms, a "deep" shot is one from far away) or to the not-yet-mentioned fries (deep in the bag).

Lastly, why does Jones use the simile at all? It's a form of emphasis. Even if it's not explicit hyperbole (e.g. "he's driving into the lane with the force of a freight train"), using figurative language adds emphasis for the sole reason that it is less used. NBA commentators use words like "incredible," "amazing," etc so frequently that using something a bit unusual can seem more appropriate in truly extraordinary moments, such as Curry's shot to clinch the win. Another example of a similar phenomenon is Mike Breen yelling "Bang!" after big shots, or various commentators saying "he shoots from <insert nearby city>" instead of "he shoots a long three."

“It was hard for me to see the humor and camp in something that was so bloody. In real life, none of it was camp. It was at times absurd, but ultimately it was tragic.”

Ford uses a number or words figuratively in that sentence, and I think it makes it hard for someone to understand it if they are just looking at the meaning of each word.

It was hard for me to see the humor and camp...

It was emotionally difficult for me to watch a portrayal of those events that made them seem funny or "campy"...

something that was so bloody...

"Bloody" here is figurative. For example, we could say "he tore my heart out" to explain a strong emotional pain. It was bloody in the sense that they were hurting each other emotionally, not physically (I think, I am unfamiliar with the story).

In real life, none of it was camp. It was at times absurd, but ultimately it was tragic.

Some of the events were absurd, but not in an amusing way. It was actually really sad.

Basically, Ford seems to think the movie made the story inappropriately amusing when it was really quite sad.

"Camp" in both senses is exaggerating the absurdity of a situation to make it funny. In the architecture source, it means exaggerating building features so they were gaudy and like a cartoon. In a movie, it might mean exaggerating someone's personality or clothing choices so that it was so absurd it makes people laugh.

In general, people have a hard time explaining precisely what makes something "campy". IMDB has a list of campy TV shows that might help explain it by example.