Comics Must Change
President Obama’s election has caused many people to reevaluate their attitudes about politics, race and where we are as a nation. Comedians have to do the same thing. The way I see it jokes about race relations will never be the same. At least I hope not.
With an assured eloquent black man in the White House along with a beautiful accomplished wife and two impossibly adorable children can any young black comic possibly still do jokes about bitches and ‘hos? Aren’t the very audiences they’re trying to reach now going to say, “Wait a minute, we’re past that now? We’re not going to be represented like that any more.”
We’re entering an era where racial comedy will have to be based in creative thought rather than relying on continued use of the F word, the N word and the rest of the slackers’ alphabet. In this changing frontier, we will have to find a new paradigm for racial humor?
Recently on an appearance with D.L. Hughley on his CNN comedy show, I seemed to surprise Hughley when I said the F word has to go. Give up the F word? What would so many young comics, black and white do?
I’m not saying comedians won’t stop living on the edge. That’s where the best ones have always existed.
And that’s the challenge that comedy about race faces today, to create a new edge. Like it or not, change has come. O.J. is in prison and a black man is in the White House. Is everybody happy now?