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AFRICAN-AMERICAN HUMOR

Explore the rich history and impact of African-American humor on the world, from minstrel shows to hip-hop. Discover the unique elements of AA humor and its creative expressions through word play, names, and more.

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AFRICAN-AMERICAN HUMOR

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  1. AFRICAN-AMERICAN HUMOR by Don L. F. Nilsen and Alleen Pace Nilsen

  2. The World-Wide Influence of African American Humor • Humor scholars have always acknowledged the contributions and effects of Jewish humor on the subjects and the roles of American humor. • It is appropriate to also acknowledge the contributions of African Americans to the overall humor of the United States—and to the world—especially if we consider the elements of playfulness and humor in hip-hop. • Within living memory, the “place” of AA humor has undergone more change than any other genre. Today, the mainstream laughs with Blacks, while a couple of generations ago, the custom was to laugh at blacks.

  3. Until well after WW II . . . • Traveling minstrel shows were one of the few theater events available in rural areas. • In small town America, amateur actors loved to put on black-face and costumes and perform their own minstrel shows. • Popular children’s books included the 1889 Story of Little Black Sambo by British author Helen Bannerman and the 1907 Epaminondas and His Auntie by Sara Cone Bryant. • It was the exaggerated drawings, as much as the stories, that offended African Americans and made black children feel embarrassed or ashamed when teachers read the books to mixed school groups.

  4. Features of AA Humor That Can be Traced to West Africa • Extensive Word Play • An Abundance of Street Language • Punning • Signifying • Verbal Put-Downs • Mocking of Enemy’s Relatives • Chanting of Ridicule Verses • Using the Whole Body (including bent-knees) for dancing and communicating feelings • Admiring Trickster Figures • Verbal Quickness and Wit

  5. CREATIVE SPELLINGS New Spellings of Disk Jockey • Deejay DjingDjinDJ’n Names of Groups or Individuals • DJ KoolHerc DJ AJ • Blue Jays DJ Clark Kent • DJ Craze DJ Evil Dee • DJ Kay Gee DJ Jazzy Jay • DJ Timmy Juicy J Tim New Spellings of Master of Ceremonies • MC Emcee • McingMC’n • Emceein • Femcee (for a woman) Run DMC was named to honor the speed with which he ran between turntables.

  6. African-American NamesCan you give examples? • Names that build on the idea of Cool. • Names that include Rock or Roc. • Names spelled “phonetically.” • Names spelled in all caps. • Numbers included in names. • Names that are clipped. • The doubling of letters.

  7. Things to Consider Relating to African-American Humor • Can you see connections between hip hop spelling and the more recent text messaging? • How about the creative names that parents are now giving their infants? • In what ways can unusual spelling be a statement of independence and/or ethnic pride? • Is there a generational difference in the appreciation of ethnic-related humor? Why might this be? • Do you always expect African American comics to make jokes about racial differences as opposed to other subjects? Can you give some examples?

  8. Amos ’n Andy • During the 1930s the Amos and Andy radio show starred white actors doing blackface comedy. It was the most popular of all radio shows. • When the show moved to TV in 1951, African Americans were hired as performers.

  9. In the 1950s as everyone became more aware of racism, leading up to the desegregation of schools, Amos and Andy became so controversial that the producers put together a politically correct version. It lost its zing, and was cancelled. • By today’s standards, the show was both racist and stereotyped. • However, Joe Franklin said that the Blacks on the show may have “prepared the ground for the acceptance of real blacks in the American cultural mainstream.”

  10. Two Comedy Pioneers Pigmeat Markham 1904-81 • Markham was a blackface performer and when audiences and critics demanded that burnt-cork performances end, they were astonished to find that he was actually darker than the makeup he had used. • In his most famous skit, he played the world’s funkiest judge. The audience would say, “Here come da Judge,” a line later used by both Flip Wilson and Sammy Davis Jr. Moms Mabley1897-1975 • Mabley would come on stage in oversized clodhoppers, a raggedy dress, and an oddball hat. She played the role of a ribald grandmother. • She was nearly 70 when she first played for a white audience at the Playboy Club in Chicago. • She later made guest appearances with Bill Cosby, Flip Wilson, and the Smothers Brothers.

  11. Hip Hop As a Kind of Humor • Hip Hop grew out of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and ‘70s. • It rejects the status quo and emphasizes the individual. • Besides music and rap, it includes break dancing, tagging, graph writing, and entrepreneurship. • It is not restricted to African Americans, and is in fact, now global. • A major feature is the language play, especially in spelling and naming.

  12. Hip-Hop Humor Funny Hip-Hop Dance Battle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0klhNVqOkKU

  13. Tricksters are also importantin African-American Culture Gretchen Martin at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise has a recent book about African-American tricksters. The book was published by the University Press of Mississippi in December of 2015.

  14. The Range of African-American Humor Some of the best humor in today’s American culture comes to us from African- Americans. The following slides will give you a sense of the range of this amazing contribution.

  15. Wayne Brady Wayne Brady: “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+wayne+brady+comedy&&view=detail&mid=D6E85CBABDBBCC0813A5D6E85CBABDBBCC0813A5&FORM=VRDGAR

  16. Louis C. K.’s Take on African-American Humor

  17. Cedric the Entertainer Cedric the Entertainer: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+cedric+the+entertainer&view=detail&mid=09F09B2D51DB66C3800609F09B2D51DB66C38006&FORM=VIRE

  18. Dave Chappelle Sample Quote: • They got a character on Sesame Street named Oscar. They treat this guy like shit the entire show. They judge him right in his face. “Oscar you are so mean! Isn’t he kids?” • “Yeah Oscar!” “You’re a grouch!” It’s like “Bitch I live in a fu**ing TRASH CAN!”

  19. Dave Chapelle Dave Chapelle: http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/chappelles_show/index.jhtml

  20. Redd Foxx: Another Pioneer • In a precursor to the creative spelling in Hip Hop, Foxx chose to spell his name with two d’s and two x’s because he didn’t want to be either a color or an animal. • A recent quote: “Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.”

  21. Redd Foxx Redd Fox and Flip Wilson: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+redd+foxx&&view=detail&mid=64ABB4003241BB2285DF64ABB4003241BB2285DF&rvsmid=567E68FBE5F4A4401D02567E68FBE5F4A4401D02&fsscr=-825&FORM=VDFSRV

  22. Donald Glover Donald Glover: “Home Depot”: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+donald+glover&view=detail&mid=0D9E65178C79AA405B620D9E65178C79AA405B62&FORM=VIRE

  23. Whoopi Goldberg: The First Black Female Superstar • In the 1990s, Whoopi Goldberg’s talent for ad lib and for making a stage sparkle with power was show- cased in her role as host of the Academy Awards. • She was born Caryn Johnson and raised in a public housing project in Manhattan by a single mother. • She made her performing debut at age eight with the Helena Rubinstein Children’s Theatre at the Hudson Guild.

  24. Whoopy Goldberg Whoopy Goldberg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3C1-9at9sA

  25. Dick Gregory: A Sample Quote “America is the only country in the world where a man can grow up in a ghetto, go to really bad schools, be forced to ride in the back of the bus, and then get paid $5,000 a week to tell people about it.”

  26. Dick Gregory Dick Gregory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAcN5iKArQU

  27. David Alan Grier David Alan Grier: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+david+allen+grier&view=detail&mid=0B3A2EB8238447B550900B3A2EB8238447B55090&FORM=VIRE

  28. Terry Gross’s Take on African-American Humor

  29. Arsinio Hall Arsinio Hall, Michael Jackson and Eddie Murphy: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+arsenio+hall&view=detail&mid=C22BC425B3D63B0FE463C22BC425B3D63B0FE463&FORM=VIRE

  30. Kevin Hart Kevin Hart: “Seriously Funny”: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+kevin+hart&view=detail&mid=51402978452C3E02CF8551402978452C3E02CF85&FORM=VIRE

  31. Steve Harvey Steve Harvey: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+steve+harvey+videos&view=detail&mid=B27FF1937ADE4C7F9EEEB27FF1937ADE4C7F9EEE&FORM=VIRE

  32. D. L. Hughley D. L. Hughley: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=D.L.+Hughley+Comedy+Show&&view=detail&mid=BBED51CB6CCE4EE44629BBED51CB6CCE4EE44629&FORM=VRDGAR

  33. Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele KEY & PEELE: “Obama’s Anger Translation”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qv7k2_lc0M

  34. Martin Lawrence Martin Lawrence: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Martin+Lawrence+Comedy+Specials&&view=detail&mid=3047AD888D5C1CE9E51B3047AD888D5C1CE9E51B&FORM=VRDGAR

  35. Moms Mabley Moms Mabley: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+moms+mabley&view=detail&mid=4C2DCE7ACD3F784FF1334C2DCE7ACD3F784FF133&FORM=VIRE

  36. Bernie Mac Bernie Mac: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+bernie+mac&view=detail&mid=379E22877B1E1D86CDAA379E22877B1E1D86CDAA&FORM=VIRE

  37. Mo’Nique Mo’Nique: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+monique&view=detail&mid=CDC3934A50F60B70820DCDC3934A50F60B70820D&FORM=VIRE

  38. Paul Mooney Paul Mooney: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+paul+mooney+stand+up&&view=detail&mid=05AB87A3BA2BACD7E6F105AB87A3BA2BACD7E6F1&rvsmid=5283738D0DA73F22C3E45283738D0DA73F22C3E4&fsscr=0&FORM=VDFSRV

  39. Tracy Morgan Tracy Morgan: “30 Rock” on “The View”: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=tracy+morgan+30+rock+youtube&view=detail&mid=43D011B4C3CB393611FE43D011B4C3CB393611FE&FORM=VIRE

  40. Eddie Murphy Eddie Murphy: “Saturday Night Live” “Buckwheat”: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+eddie+murphy&&view=detail&mid=AB12058B76103CEED834AB12058B76103CEED834&rvsmid=731DBF119F9D47CD8502731DBF119F9D47CD8502&fsscr=0&FORM=VDFSRV

  41. Trevor Noah Trevor Noah and “The Daily Show”: http://www.cc.com/shows/the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah

  42. Conan O’Brien’s Take on African-American Humor

  43. Tyler Perry Tyler Perry: “Madea”: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+tyler+perry&view=detail&mid=40D4CF13BB3CA50938CA40D4CF13BB3CA50938CA&FORM=VIRE

  44. Richard Pryor Richard Pryor: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Richard+Pryor+Steve+Martin&&view=detail&mid=75BCEE04360E0540E9A575BCEE04360E0540E9A5&rvsmid=DE6AC93D4A690622FF34DE6AC93D4A690622FF34&fsscr=-1320&FORM=VDFSRV

  45. Chris Rock: A Sample Quote “Barack, man. He doesn’t let his blackness sneak up on you. Like if his name was Bob Jones or something like that, it might take you two or three weeks to figure out he’s black. But when you hear ‘Barack Obama,’ you picture a brother with a spear, just standing over a dead lion. You picture the base player from the Commodores.”

  46. Chris Rock Chris Rock: “Saturday Night Live” Monologue: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+chris+rock&view=detail&mid=18793769752197B4DAD818793769752197B4DAD8&FORM=VIRE

  47. Nipsy Russell Nipsy Russell Roasts Don Rickles: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+nipsy+russell&view=detail&mid=91661380106DAA8B1E1991661380106DAA8B1E19&FORM=VIRE

  48. African-American Stereotypein Sports

  49. Wanda Sykes Wanda Sykes and Ellen DeGeneres: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+wanda+sykes&view=detail&mid=7364D0965785F7A8ECBB7364D0965785F7A8ECBB&FORM=VIRE

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