Since other threads have opened the question on race today, I would like to pose a question.
While watching a HBO special last weekend featuring DL Hugley (Sp?) I noticed he was very funny, but he also had numerous jokes made at the expense of white people. These type of jokes escalated throughout his routine.
If it was only this one comic I would let it go, but it is not, there are numerous late night comedy shows I watch that have the same recurring theme. All white people are racists and if they are not, they are too stupid to realize it.
How is this acceptable? I know the same routine could not be done in reverse without serious social repercussions. I in no way feel that comedy should be made at the expense of other races. I also am not racist. I believe that as a country we have a long way to go to remove the stigma of hatred, but this type of action seems to be moving the pendulum in the other direction.
Please give me honest feedback on your feelings and ideas as to why this is acceptable. Just curious about other peoples intelligent opinions.
Put this one way down on your list of things to worry about. So what? Ever hear Richard Pryor does his “white accent” shtick? Its funny! About as funny as Foxworthy and his “you might be a redneck” stuff. Ole and Lena jokes. Stuff about Canadians and thier wierd sex habits.
Dont sweat it, as soon as we learn to dance, jump, and rebound, then we’ll see. Until then, its a joke at your expense, you can handle it. Jokes from stereotypes is about as far from real racism, the virulent destructive kind, as lemonade is from napalm.
I mean, seriously, I’m not being snotty. If people are going to judge all blacks by Amos and Andy, how is it okay to judge all white people by King of the Hill, or Jeff Foxworthy, or whatever.
Besides, white is not a race.
I’m not saying I agree with the OP necessarily, but I don’t get why it’s okay to poke fun at stereotypes and say all white people are stupid and racist. It’s a double standard.
I’ve had similar discussions and been called a racist.
I noticed that black comics can poke all sorts of fun at ‘white folks,’ ‘crackers’ and ‘honkeys’, make fun of the way we talk, walk and f**k, but no white comic dare do anything similar about them or he or she is *racist.
According to black acquaintances I know, Cracker or Honkey, is a racial slur as bad as the *N word is to them. Yet, they can freely use these terms with no fear of reprisal, but no white comic can call them N, or spook, or even eggplant. (I can’t imagine anyone getting upset over being called eggplant. Then again, I can’t imagine anyone using eggplant as a racial slur!)
There’s a lot of reverse racism going on, but we are not allowed to say anything about it. It is not politically correct. Whites are not a minority, so they can be discriminated against, but since discrimination only happens to minorities, it’s not actually discrimination.
Get it? It’s not racism either. It is the ‘acceptable venting’ of minority hostilities towards a nonminority race in an effort to assuage a couple of hundred years of injured pride and feelings.
Let Billy Crystal do a black face joke or act and see just how fast his white butt meets the NAACP and Jessie Jackson. However, Martin can imitate white mannerisms in the lowest possible way and might win an emmy for it.
I just found this out first-hand a couple of weeks ago. A few black guys work on my overnight shift, and one was talking about how there was no equivelant of ‘brothers’ they could use when talking about a group of white people. One of the white guys jokingly suggested that they call us ‘crackers’ and the black guys were obviously made uncomfortable by this and said that seemed too strong, and wouldn’t even repeat the word. I never realized they saw it that way.
Black folks, call me cracker if you like, I don’t care in the least. But if you start joking about how all white folks are good for is getting stabbed (as a comic on BET did a few weeks ago) I might get a bit upset, as my sister was stabbed to death.
I am currently reading a book by black Conservative L.A. talk show host, Larry Elder. One of the first chapters is titled “Black People are more racist than white people”. (Or a simular title - I don’t have the book with me.) He pointed out a lot of things that made me squirm. I am not sure I believe all of what he says, but some of it seemed too close for comfort.
Here’s an article he wrote on the double standard we have here in America.
Yikes, it makes me squirm. Personally, I don’t get all outraged at a few jokes at the white race. But it is true - there appears to be a double standard.
The most common phrase I hear, in reference to Honkcasians, is “white folks”. It lacks either deference or slur. But don’t get to easy with those others. I was born and raised in Texas, hence, am a “peckerwood”. “Crackers” are from Georgia/Mississippi, which lacks cachet and cool.
When I was a boy, racism was entirely acceptable. But the common use of slurs was a mark of being “common”, as in ignorant and low-class. Some of that remains to this day. Racism is a refuge for the loser, and provides the object of his greivance, however imaginary. The comic who panders to a black audience by attacking whites has no other material, who won’t make the cut. Why? Because the vast majority of blacks folks aren’t racist.
In my living memory, candidates for public office could be openly and flagrantly racist, and win. Those days are gone, and I for one say “Hallelujah!” Where’s David Duke these days? Think Strom Thurmond says “African-American”? Of course he does! Does he really believe it? Who cares!
The main reason this kind of humor is popular is it wasn’t even possible before. In a perverse way, that too is a result of progress, and it will fade away as soon as it ceases to be novel and shocking. Let’s not forget, freedom of speech applies to assholes too.
-H.Simpson on Russel Simmons Def Comedy Jam routine pointing out how dorky white people are.
“Where are the white women at?”
-Clevon Little in “Blazing Saddles”. I have that one as my Windows alert sound.
Stereotypes and race humor is a lot like mayo, you need to either spread it around evenly or leave it off entirely because there is nothing more nauseating than getting all your mayo on one end of the sammich.
Just for the record: Reverse-Racism is not the act of a minority or opressed person perpetrating an acto of racism on a majority or opressor.
Reverse-Racism the antithesis of racism, it is therefore not racism.
Most of you know this, two or three don’t seem to get it even though it has been said allready.
While in a bookstore a few days ago I came upon the Larry Elder book that you are reading. I think that it is titled “Ten things you can’t say in America”.
I picked it up and leafed through it, reading a few passages.
I had not known of Mr. Elder, but based upon that introduction to his work, I resolved to do a little internet research on him. A few minutes ago I finished reading an interview with him…interesting fellow.
I find myself in agreement with his views on race and racism in America…and I can see why he takes so much heat from a lot of blacks. He exposes the falsehood of the “white man is out to get you” line that many in this country would want us to believe. He heartily kicks that crutch out from under the agruments of such black leaders as Sharpton and Jackson.
I will now resolve to find the time to listen via the internet to some of his radio broadcasts…he seems to me to be making a lot of sense.
Gator210, for the record, I find Mr. Hughley a little tough to watch.
Anywho… I, for one, don’t think it’s OK for Black comics to do their White schtick ad nauseum. I say ad nauseum because Chris Rock does hit White schtick, but not before he does his Black schtick. And I find him very funny.
So I guess it’s ok to poke fun at the comic’s perceived cultural differences between White folks and Black folks. When it’s the comic’s sole bit, though, it can be overwhelming and uncomfortable to bear.
Here’s why it happens, and why (ultimately) it’s acceptable.
Black comedians perform largely for black audiences in black venues. DEF COMEDY JAM, SHOWTIME AT THE APOLLO, various made-for-cable showcase specials have a certain exclusivity and built-in expectations for black comedic traditions – one of them is “The Way White Folks Are”. It’s been going on for decades, but you didn’t see it until recently, with the advent of cable – hard as it might be to hear, it’s rarely as mean-spirited as the blackfaced schtick Spike Lee reminded us of in ‘BAMBOOZLED’.
KINGS OF COMEDY toured for years at sold-out stadium venues before it was captured on film, and was hugely successful without the support, the use or even the knowledge of “white” media outlets. To the extent that 60% of the population pays attention to, or is offended by, what entertains 12% of its populance says a lot about race relations, de facto separation and what black entertainers get away with under the radar and out from the microscope of mainstream entertainment. It’s not as big a deal as, say, 60% of the populance propagating a bunch of negative messages on TV, Radio, the movies, etc. on a 12% minority.
The relatively few black comedians who successfully do crossover performances to multicultural and mutiage audiences tailor their material appropiately. You’ll rarely, if ever, hear Bill Cosby, Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Chris Rock, Tommy Davidson, etc. do “White folks are so stupid, here’s why” material. What they do do, is have serious commentary and pointed observations behind the jokes about “The Ways of White Folks.”
I admit a lot of the ‘humor’ of say, 70% of black comedians, is often just venom dressed in pithy insults, but – hell, that charcterizes MOST of the material, from Gender Relations to Tiger Woods to Michael Jackson. It’s young, hip, black and edgy. When it IS an excellent racial observation, it’s instructive and funny, because it IS true. See Chris Rock’s brilliant BRING THE PAIN, or most any of Pryor’s stand up from the 60s and 70s.
Yeah, it is a double standard. So are police justifications for treating black males with suspicion who drive through high crime areas in nice cars. (re: ‘suspicion’ might be tolerated, but ‘abuse of authority’ cannot) In an unequal society hellbent on NOT dealing honestly with racial concerns, you gotta expect the frustrations to come out SOME way. Better a few jokes cracked in a nightclub. Can you imagine what would happen if the laughter stopped?
“It’s been going on for decades” doesn’t fly either. Racism is unacceptable. Pick specific targets to joke about, but don’t select them on the basis of skin color unless perpetuating hatred is your goal.
Comedy is almost always about “them”. Comedy plays on and exaggerates stereotypes. It can be about race, sex, hair color, or lifestyle. Hell, I’ve seen comedians go ten minutes about SUV drivers.
And what makes the difference between what is funny and what is racist is … whether it’s funny. Anyone remember Eddie Murphy’s brilliant SNL sketch where he went out in white-face? It was “racist” as hell, portraying white folks as people who would keep all the good times to themselves while screwing the black man. But damn, it was funny.
It depends on how you want to define racism. Is it racist/discriminatory to play on and have a good time with real and mythologized stereotypes? If that’s the case, every comedians going to be reduced to fart and sex jokes (though they better not comment on penis size ;)).
If it goes beyond a good time, and is intended to harm, well then there may be a problem.
Sua