“Where’s the black Liz Lemon?” Issa Rae asked herself as she looked for someone she could relate to on television. Mainstream audiences and even some within black culture have forgotten the lessons of The Cosby Show.
Audiences have shown themselves more comfortable with the sassy rude sister at the office or the sassy black friend at school. The non-threatening, supportive black friend at the bar or the pistol packing grandma who will knock some sense into your head are far more recognizable than a black Liz Lemon from 30 Rock. Smart black chicks with wry wit? Say what now?
Unfortunately, if black comics try something different, like Donald Glover in Mystery Team (2009), then they’re accused of “trying to be white.”
Concepts of irony, subtlety, or the slow burn of political humor are apparently reserved for others. Dave Chappelle was great at balancing intelligent satire with toilet jokes but, after years of re-runs, Chappelle Show seems like a long, long, time ago. Today, too many people are still waiting for the black comic to talk about how the roaches scatter when the lights come on, or the baby-mama references, and the uptight white folks jokes.
There’s no need for comedic snobbery, however. I laugh at all kinds of simple minded comedy which includes The Three Stooges and a liberal helping of dirty jokes. And what kind of green blooded Vulcan would I be if I didn’t appreciate a good fart gag every now and again? Certain episodes of Sanford and Son will always be classics. Such as, when Red Foxx appears in court and complains to the judge “There’s enough niggas in here to make a Tarzan movie.” Most episodes of Martin still crack me up. That is, until Gina sued Martin for sexual harassment and they never appeared in the same room together again and sh*t just got weird.
It’s hard to ignore that black comedy is evolving even though we don’t want to take our analysis too seriously. There appears to be a more progressive movement that’s light years ahead of Def Comedy Jam, The Steve Harvey Morning Show, and anything Mr. Madea has ever done. Black irony is nothing new. Dick Gregory, Godfrey Cambridge, Cosby and many others did it brilliantly in their stand up routines long ago. Richard Pryor mixed rich insight with profane wisdom. Awkward Black Girl, The Loiter Squad, and The Eric Andre Show, among others, have proved, once again, that there’s more than one way to be black and funny. For now, let’s look at The Eric Andre Show.
After that, he’s joined by his co-host, Hannibal Buress. Buress is a gifted comedian with writing credits from Saturday Night Live and his own stand up show on Comedy Central called Hannibal Buress: Animal Furnace. Hannibal is less like a traditional side kick to a talk show host and more like a laid back friend who comes over to chill because there’s nothing else better to do. Hannibal also serves the purpose of balancing Andre’s mania with astute off handed observations. He’s the surrogate for the viewer at home wondering what the hell is going on.
After he settles down, Eric will interview an odd collection of bad celebrity impersonators and performance art types who take themselves quite seriously. Some of these guests rarely seem to understand that they’re part of a bit. The street talent appears clueless that they’re pawns in an irreverent con meant to expose the b.s. constantly recycled by the entertainment industry. It’s as if they were herded into the studio to escape the elements and lured by the promise of a warm meal.
The funniest and most uncomfortable moments of the show are the man in the street segments. During these times, Eric Andre watches loud porn at a neighborhood coffee shop on his lap top, asks people who’ve never heard of him what they think of his show, or pass out KKK hoods to Tea Party members.
It’s easy to label The Eric Andre Show as weird and, yes, it is. The more compelling argument is how the viewing public is yanked from their racial comfort zones and exposed to black comedians making sense of a chaotic universe by adding even more chaos to it.
I love the ERIC ANDRE show!
I couldn’t accept that Eric Andre show passing KKK hoods to Tea partiers — I can’t accept it because it reinforces the idea that staunch rightists are racists to the extent of being members of the KKK.
Well, we all know that’s untrue and every party in American may have a few racists in them – talk about the democrats supporting Planned Parenthood where more black babies have been stopped from being born than the black people the KKK ever hanged – I hate the sound of that.
So for a black comedian to separate himself from the sensitivity of the issue even to person who opposes any form of racism is I think I little ignorant. But most times when we white folks talk about insensitive black jokes, then we are branded as not understanding of them.
If we can’t understand black jokes – which we feel are sometimes insensitive to us, then why do black people pretend to understand ours ‘insensitive jokes directed at them.’ These are double standards!
… surely, if any of us went around passing out nooses to Democrats, even in a comedy, the whole world would turn upside down.
I am not sure exactly how your logic makes any sense — but if white people were passing out nooses to black folk, yearh, that would be quite ubsurd — the vice versa will be a dark joke & maybe funny to some.
I can respect Issa Rae, Cosby, Pryor, Gregroy and Cambridge, but Eric Andre???? I don;t think this dude is funny – I am 170% funnier than him…
stop stop stop stop stop… don’t let nobody forget about the master of it all… Chris Rock. I don’t know why you never mentioned him. He is the greatest of all time.
I love Chris Rock. Although, I wish he’d go back to weekly television instead of movies and fill the void left by Chappelle. But I’m focusing on artists who are doing something Avant-Garde, pushing the boundaries against normalcy, or Absurdism. We don’t see ourselves widely represented in those genres. Mr. Andre is an acquired taste for some.