African-American Humor

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African-American Humor

• by Don L. F. Nilsen and
• Alleen Pace Nilsen

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Use Vs. MentionAn Important Linguistic Concept

• Because most ethnic humor is colloquial or
  vernacular humor, it contains many vulgarities
  and obscenities.
• These vulgarities and obscenities become part of
  the rhythm of the delivery.
• Therefore many ethnic comedians have difficulty
  being funny without these vulgarities and
  obscenities. Furthermore, they provide some of
  the edginess to the humor.
• In studying ethnic humor, a linguist sometimes
  needs to mention or cite these obscenities and
  vulgarities in order to discuss the humor. But
  in doing so, the linguist is not using the
  obscenities and vulgarities.
• Thus there is a distinction between use and
  mention.

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(No Transcript)
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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 Statesand to the
  worldespecially 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.

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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 childrens 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.
  

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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 Enemys Relatives
• Chanting of Ridicule Verses
• Using the Whole Body (including bent-knees) for
  dancing and communicating feelings
• Admiring Trickster Figures
• Verbal Quickness and Wit

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CREATIVE SPELLINGS

• New Spellings of Disk Jockey
• Deejay Djing Djin DJn
• Names of Groups or Individuals
• DJ Kool Herc 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
• Mcing MCn
• Emceein
• Femcee (for a woman)
• Run DMC was named to honor the speed with which
  he ran between turntables.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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• 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 todays 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.

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Two Comedy Pioneers

• Moms Mabley 1897-1975
• 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.

• 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 worlds
  funkiest judge. The audience would say, Here
  come da Judge, a line later used by both Flip
  Wilson and Sammy Davis Jr.

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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.

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Hip-Hop Humor

• Funny Hip-Hop Dance Battle
• https//www.youtube.com/watch?v0klhNVqOkKU

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Tricksters are also importantin African-American
Culture

• Gretchen Martin at the University of Virginias
  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.

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The Range of African-American Humor

• Some of the best humor in todays American
  culture comes to us from African- Americans.

• The following slides will give you a sense of the
  range of this amazing contribution.

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Louis C. K.s Take on African-American Humor
18
Dave Chapelle

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

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Redd Foxx Another Pioneer

• In a precursor to the creative spelling in Hip
  Hop, Foxx chose to spell his name with two ds
  and two xs because he didnt 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.

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Redd Foxx

• Redd Fox and Flip Wilson
• https//www.bing.com/videos/search?qyoutuberedd
  foxxviewdetailmid64ABB4003241BB2285DF64ABB400
  3241BB2285DFrvsmid567E68FBE5F4A4401D02567E68FBE5
  F4A4401D02fsscr-825FORMVDFSRV

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Henry Lewis Gates
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Whoopi Goldberg The First Black Female Superstar

• In the 1990s, Whoopi Goldbergs 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 Childrens Theatre at the
  Hudson Guild.

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Whoopy Goldberg

• Whoopy Goldberg
• https//www.youtube.com/watch?vX3C1-9at9sA

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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.

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Dick Gregory

• Dick Gregory
• https//www.youtube.com/watch?vJAcN5iKArQU

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David Alan Grier

• David Alan Grier
• https//www.bing.com/videos/search?qyoutubedavid
  allengrierviewdetailmid0B3A2EB8238447B550900
  B3A2EB8238447B55090FORMVIRE

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Terry Grosss Take on African-American Humor
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Bambi Haggins

• Bambi Haggins is an Associate Professor of Film
  and Media Studies at Arizona State University.
• She was a writer for Why We Laugh Funny Women,
  and a historical consultant for HBOs Whoopi
  Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley.
• She is currently researching the field of Black
  Comedy in the Age of Obama.

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Bambi Haggins
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Arsinio Hall

• Arsinio Hall, Michael Jackson and Eddie Murphy
• https//www.bing.com/videos/search?qyoutubearsen
  iohallviewdetailmidC22BC425B3D63B0FE463C22BC4
  25B3D63B0FE463FORMVIRE

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Kevin Hart

• Kevin Hart Seriously Funny
• https//www.bing.com/videos/search?qyoutubekevin
  hartviewdetailmid51402978452C3E02CF8551402978
  452C3E02CF85FORMVIRE

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Steve Harvey

• Steve Harvey
• https//www.bing.com/videos/search?qyoutubesteve
  harveyvideosviewdetailmidB27FF1937ADE4C7F9EE
  EB27FF1937ADE4C7F9EEEFORMVIRE

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D. L. Hughley

• D. L. Hughley
• https//www.bing.com/videos/search?qD.L.Hughley
  ComedyShowviewdetailmidBBED51CB6CCE4EE44629B
  BED51CB6CCE4EE44629FORMVRDGAR

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Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele

• KEY PEELE Obamas Anger Translation
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?v-qv7k2_lc0M

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Martin Lawrence

• Martin Lawrence
• https//www.bing.com/videos/search?qMartinLawren
  ceComedySpecialsviewdetailmid3047AD888D5C1C
  E9E51B3047AD888D5C1CE9E51BFORMVRDGAR

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Moms Mabley

• Moms Mabley
• https//www.bing.com/videos/search?qyoutubemoms
  mableyviewdetailmid4C2DCE7ACD3F784FF1334C2DCE7
  ACD3F784FF133FORMVIRE

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Bernie Mac

• Bernie Mac
• https//www.bing.com/videos/search?qyoutubeberni
  emacviewdetailmid379E22877B1E1D86CDAA379E2287
  7B1E1D86CDAAFORMVIRE

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Pigmeat Markham

• Pigmeat Markham Here Come de judge.
• https//www.youtube.com/watch?vYuHKlb2IcWE

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MoNique

• MoNique
• https//www.bing.com/videos/search?qyoutubemoniq
  ueviewdetailmidCDC3934A50F60B70820DCDC3934A50F
  60B70820DFORMVIRE

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Paul Mooney

• Paul Mooney
• https//www.bing.com/videos/search?qyoutubepaul
  mooneystandupviewdetailmid05AB87A3BA2BACD7E
  6F105AB87A3BA2BACD7E6F1rvsmid5283738D0DA73F22C3E
  45283738D0DA73F22C3E4fsscr0FORMVDFSRV

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Tracy Morgan

• Tracy Morgan 30 Rock on The View
• https//www.bing.com/videos/search?qtracymorgan
  30rockyoutubeviewdetailmid43D011B4C3CB393611
  FE43D011B4C3CB393611FEFORMVIRE

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Eddie Murphy

• Eddie Murphy Saturday Night Live Buckwheat
• https//www.bing.com/videos/search?qyoutubeeddie
  murphyviewdetailmidAB12058B76103CEED834AB120
  58B76103CEED834rvsmid731DBF119F9D47CD8502731DBF1
  19F9D47CD8502fsscr0FORMVDFSRV

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Trevor Noah

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

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Conan OBriens Take on African-American Humor
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Tyler Perry

• Tyler Perry Madea
• https//www.bing.com/videos/search?qyoutubetyler
  perryviewdetailmid40D4CF13BB3CA50938CA40D4CF1
  3BB3CA50938CAFORMVIRE

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Richard Pryor

• Richard Pryor
• https//www.bing.com/videos/search?qRichardPryor
  SteveMartinviewdetailmid75BCEE04360E0540E9A
  575BCEE04360E0540E9A5rvsmidDE6AC93D4A690622FF34D
  E6AC93D4A690622FF34fsscr-1320FORMVDFSRV

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Chris Rock A Sample Quote

• Barack, man. He doesnt 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 hes 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.

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Chris Rock

• Chris Rock Saturday Night Live Monologue
• https//www.bing.com/videos/search?qyoutubechris
  rockviewdetailmid18793769752197B4DAD818793769
  752197B4DAD8FORMVIRE

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Nipsy Russell

• Nipsy Russell Roasts Don Rickles
• https//www.bing.com/videos/search?qyoutubenipsy
  russellviewdetailmid91661380106DAA8B1E1991661
  380106DAA8B1E19FORMVIRE

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African-American Stereotypein Sports
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Wanda Sykes

• Wanda Sykes and Ellen DeGeneres
• https//www.bing.com/videos/search?qyoutubewanda
  sykesviewdetailmid7364D0965785F7A8ECBB7364D09
  65785F7A8ECBBFORMVIRE

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(No Transcript)
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Jimmy Walker

• When was the last time you seen a Black
  embezzleror a Black man getting busted for
  juggling the bankbooks? I mean, whats the use
  of having a Black brother on the Supreme Court if
  none of us can commit a crime classy enough to
  get it tried there?
• Jimmy Walker Dy-no-mite!!!
• https//www.bing.com/videos/search?qyoutubejimmy
  walkerviewdetailmidC0A4205897A8DAA0A223C0A420
  5897A8DAA0A223FORMVIRE

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Jimmy Walker
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Mel Watkins Take onAfrican-American Humor
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Damon Wayans

• Damon Wayans
• https//www.bing.com/videos/search?qyoutubedamon
  wayanssnlviewdetailmid957901099ACDCB0FC57C95
  7901099ACDCB0FC57CFORMVIRE

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Katt Williams

• Katt Williams and Seth Meyers on Saturday Night
  Live
• http//www.bing.com/videos/search?qKattWilliams
  saturdaynightliveviewdetailmid232BF5E8E6FEA
  2DFA9AF232BF5E8E6FEA2DFA9AFrvsmid61A45AB24B538DF
  EB57661A45AB24B538DFEB576fsscr0FORMVDFSRV

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Flip Wilson

• Flip Wilson as Geraldine with Tim Conway and
  Burt Reynolds
• https//www.bing.com/videos/search?qyoutubeflip
  wilsonviewdetailmidE2795FC4B21AC74AD2AFE2795FC
  4B21AC74AD2AFFORMVIRE

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Black-ish A 2016 Phenomenon
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In Conclusion

• Sachmo Armstrong What a Wonderful World
• https//www.bing.com/videos/search?qyoutubesachm
  oarmstrongwhatawonderfullifehandshadowvie
  wdetailmid23D2419B7518A55BCAE423D2419B7518A55BC
  AE4FORMVRDGAR