Laughing for the wrong reasons?
CVK
On the latest episode of Addicted to Race, I ranted about the limitations of racial satire. Specifically, the problems that are inherent when people take the satire at face value and laugh for the wrong reasons.
I recently came across a couple of articles that are related to this issue. First is this interview that Alternet did with Margaret Cho, where they ask her specifically about this point and here’s what she has to say:
Laughter is such a personal experience, who knows what exactly makes somebody laugh about something? I’m a big fan of Dave, and when I watch him, what I laugh about is that he brings to light this feeling of otherness that I understand so well. So whether you’re White or Black or Asian or whatever, I think everyone’s going to have that experience of being the other and can relate to that…
Who knows what anybody is laughing at? What is it exactly that makes every different person laugh? It could be for the right reasons, it could be for the wrong reasons, who knows what the right reasons are? It’s your own investment to “are they laughing at the right things?” that sets your own comfort level as a comedian. I mean, to me, I don’t even really know what they’re laughing at, I’m just trying to explain my experiences the best I can. To me, it’s unknowable if they’re laughing at the right or wrong thing, I have no idea.
This Slate article tackles the race issue head-on. The title? “Dave Chappelle’s Problem: He can’t escape white people.” Basically, the article points out the yawning gap between the vision that Chappelle outlines in his “Block Party” film and the reality of his world.
The writer says that Chappelle has “a vision of a world where black artists make black art for black people—though whites are encouraged to buy in. It’s a multiracial vision, but a unicultural one: a black polity.” But in reality, the overwhelming majority of his audience is white. To sum it up, he’s “white America’s favorite black comic.”
But why is he their favorite? Are they laughing for the right reasons? Clearly Chappelle doesn’t think they are:
Chappelle had, essentially, become uncomfortable with playing a black fool for white audiences. Upon his return from Africa, he told Oprah Winfrey a revealing anecdote: While Chappelle acted out a sketch that featured him as a pixie in blackface, he heard a white crew member laughing a little too hard. This was, apparently, the galvanizing moment that caused Chappelle to reassess the intent of his comedy, and the kind of laughs he was giving his audience. As he told Time, “I want to make sure I’m dancing and not shuffling.”
Aaron wrote:
I heard your rant about satire and you brought up a number of interesting points. However, I think you’re a bit unfair to Margaret Cho, whose comedy has moved away from the famous routine about her mother toward much more political subjects. Her recent stuff is even more biting and incisive than before. I had the pleasure of seeing her read from her new book in New York last fall. It’s possible that some of her non-Asian fans were initially laughing at her rather than with her, but I imagine that those who have stuck with her over the years have learned a lot about (both racial and sexual) minority experiences of marginalization. There is a lot of criticism of Cho as a so-called “sellout” from Asian American internet discussion boards, which I’ve never quite understood.
Posted 25 Apr 2006 at 8:48 am ¶
Dave wrote:
I never found Chapelle’s show funny. But I do give him credit for opening the door for other comics of color on Comedy Central to have their own shows. For example, I love Carlos Mencia (who happens to be 1/2 Honduran, 1/2 German).
Another great mixed comic is Eric Andre. You can check him out at http://www.e-rok.com
What other mixed comediens are there out there?
Posted 25 Apr 2006 at 11:03 am ¶
eric wrote:
I haven’t listened to Margarets comedy in years, specifically because, as a non-asian, her comedy horrified me and made me extremely uncomfortable. Not just because it offended me personally, but because 99% of the non-asian audiences I would view her material with her co-signing and even mimicking things she was doing in her act.
Its very easy for minority comedians to play up their stereotypes for laughs, asian comedian slants her eyes and speaks in broken english, indian comedians speak in a “quickie mart” voice and talk about elephant gods with 8 arms.
Going somewhat off topic here:
I think what really annoys me about this whole Dave Chappelle / Aaron Macgruder backlash as-of-late is that what these guys do is the same comedic style that most black comedians do, but they have a conscience about it. In most of their works, they always point out in a subtle way the flaw or ass-backwardsness of what they are doing, in an attempt to tell the listener “hey, I know you’re laughing, but you really shouldn’t be”. I think this really offputs viewers (black ones specifically) cause noone likes to be “preached to”.
The fact that Jaime Foxx, Mo’nique, The Wayans Bros, 50 Cent, Kanye West, P Diddy and all these other brothers/sisters can indulge in their specific forms of coonery and buffonery without getting checked is proof (in my eyes) that its not so much what you say or do to get a reaction out of people, its more important you don’t make them feel bad about wanting to indulge it.
Going back on topic:
Margaret Cho falls (or at least fell) into the camp of latter artists who just use stereotypes to make a quick buck at the expense of those people who are struggling against those stereotypes everyday. The fact that asians don’t find her funny should be a big signal that something is wrong with how she’s approaching her material.
Truth be told, 10+ years ago, I used to love comedians like DL Hughely, Ced the Entertainer and all those guys who have been shucking and jiving on UPN in the 2000s. DL Hughely’s first HBO special was to an all black audience and he was telling jokes that would only be funny if you had first hand knowledge of black culture. They weren’t outlandish or over the top, just funny observational points of the reality of black culture. Watching Margaret Cho, I never felt like she was delving deep into the psyche of being a 1st generation american born asian, and doing witty jokes targeted to asians explaining the experience. My only rememberances of her performance is her SCREAMING in broken english overly slanting her eyes and saying crazy nonsensical things.
Wow, super long post, and not that focused/cohesive, but sometimes a braindump is what the doctor ordered.
Posted 25 Apr 2006 at 11:13 am ¶
eric wrote:
dave,
You are the first person I’ve found who likes Mind of Mencia.
Not saying thats good or bad, but at least now I know why its still on the air.
Posted 25 Apr 2006 at 11:14 am ¶
Merq wrote:
Dave.
You like Mencia? Not to attack your personal tastes, but what about the use of idiotic stereotypes and the old tell-race-jokes-and-use-racial-slurs-to-please-the-white-man idea appeals to you?
Mencia’s show is not only offensive, it’s incredibly unfunny. Trotting out racist stereotypes with the claim that “we’re all thinking it, I’m just saying it” is a bullshit cop-out… especially when racists are the only ones thinking it… and few of your racist jokes are directed at whites (oh sure, “black men are dumb thugs, Latinos are lazy, criminal border-hoppers… and white men can’t dance. See how equally we attack all races?”)
Plus, let’s not forget the fact that he plays up some fictitious Mexican heritage in order to give his Latino (”beaner”)-bashing the standard American carte blanche, “if one of them says it, it’s okay.”
But hey, to each his own, Davey.
Posted 25 Apr 2006 at 11:19 am ¶
eric wrote:
Merq, I like the way you think. I think we have alot in common.
Posted 25 Apr 2006 at 11:40 am ¶
Merq wrote:
Thank you sir, and I you.
Posted 25 Apr 2006 at 12:05 pm ¶
mtevc wrote:
Gotta agree with Merq on this one too. Sorry Eric. Besides, every time someone mentions the depth of Aaron Macgruder—I have to run screaming from the keyboard…depth, pleeez…if he uses the n word one more time on cable, I hope his mother smacks his as$. My dad (born in 1909…thank you very much) didn’t fight his battles so idiots like Macgruder can freely use the n word…have a little more respect and responsibility. All I ever see from Macgruder is more low brow humor…and it ain’t even funny. Besides the stereotypes of biracial people are particularly offensive.
Posted 25 Apr 2006 at 8:08 pm ¶
eric wrote:
mtevc,
I understand your concern, and I positively hate that aspect of the show as well. However, there is a reason he’s doing it, I don’t particularly agree with his method of exposing how we as African-Americans use the word to a fault, but I understand why he’s doing it.
The skit he did making fun of Soul Food is another great example of satirical humor at its finest. I genuinely think his harsh critiques come out of a place of love and not hate. Lest we forget he was considered one of our brightest lights when he was only doing his comic strip.
So, I can defintely see why someone wouldn’t like boondocks the show, and I can’t begrudge anyone for not liking it, or him as a result,. but I would only ask that you think which is worse, what macgruder is doing, or the likes of 50 cent, T.I., Kanye West, P. Diddy, The Wayans Bros, Jaime Foxx, and all the other clowns out there promoting nothing but a negative stereotype.
His show is merely a reflection of black society, I’m not sure where you live, but if you come out to Harlem and spend a day down there, you’ll hear the N-word as-many if not more then what you hear it on the show.
There is no malice or anger in my post, just want to reiterate that, I completely see where you are coming from, but I’m afraid Macgruder is the least of our problems. If the rest of our house was in order, he’d have nothing to satirize.
-Eric
Posted 25 Apr 2006 at 8:33 pm ¶
merq wrote:
Eric:
But it’s really not a case of “either/or,” now is it? I mean, I think all those artists you mentioned (and many more) have dragged Black America through the mud for money, but that doesn’t make McGruder himself any better.
As far as his comic strip history goes, here’s something potentially worth looking at.
http://merqury.net/boondocks/
Posted 25 Apr 2006 at 8:45 pm ¶
eric wrote:
Merq,
Much props on the article, I wish I had time to write such a well-thought, concise, yet detailed piece like the one you did, and again, I completely see where you are coming from. Outright defending MacGruder is hard for me in a sense, because I don’t really agree with a great deal of what he does, the use of the N-word especially…. However, I think I defend him because, imo we need more voices like him out there, I may not agree with his tactics, but I think I can see his purpose.
Just as a side-note, I’ve always thought Uncle Ruckus to be the embodiment of Stanley Crouch, as he rather looks like him, and actually says similar things. Another side-note, I saw him speak at my university, and he was going on about how Coltrane was the man until he “fell off the boat” aka Post A Love Supreme! I had read that stuff in his books/articles, but I don’t know, it didn’t seem real to me until I heard it from his lips.
I think another reason I defend Macgruder (and Chappelle, but he’s outside this discussion) is that I feel like as I said before, it’s very strange to me to all of a sudden start placing any amounts of blame on these guys, who are simply reacting to what is around them, as opposed to the guys who are creating the action that MacGruder can react to.
I haven’t read any articles on what MacGruders goals for season 1 were, but perhaps he was taking this season to address black issues, and will move into more non-internalized race issues in further seasons, or perhaps he was levraging the goodwill he had built up in the black community and sincerly thought he could reach out to some people and potentially change some minds.
I think for myself, I can relate to some of his messages that are plaguing the black community because I have to deal with them, and it pains me to see whats going on, and if you try and tell people outright, you get called out for “preaching”, and if you say nothing, nothing changes. At least this way Aaron is wrapping his message in a show that people like, and can watch, and he can just hope someone can become enlightened by it… Maybe its a futile endeavor, but I dont know I can blame him for trying.
On a more personal level I can relate to him, cause I’ve often been called “anti-black” cause I haven’t toed the party line in all things african-american. Being mixed and lightskinned at that makes me all the more easy to become invalidated as “running from my blackness”. The only thing that saves me is that my educational choices and extracurricular program choices make it hard to dispute my dedication.
This would be such a good discussion to have in person or in round-table format, I think its hard navigate a topic like this as its such a thin line between meanings and misunderstandings.
So again, I understand both of your concerns, and I think we probably agree more then we think, but also disagree in other ways, but ultimately I think all three of us want the same thing, its just a matter of which methods each of us as individuals deem as worthy the risk vs. the detriment that may occur. I can’t say for sure what his goal is, but I can only superimpose my hopes and dreams onto what I think he’s trying achieve.
Posted 25 Apr 2006 at 9:44 pm ¶
gatamala wrote:
merq & eric I like your discussion on comedy. Me personally, I vacillate back and forth b/t laughter and “hmph” when I read /watch the Boondocks. N– does throw me a bit. I can’t really tell what he’s trying to do with this. I’m beginning to see how it may be a critique of the gratuitous use. I will admit to being afraid he’s one of those “reclaim the word take the sting out of it” kind of people.
As for Dave, I think he’s balancing on the in-joke tightrope. That’s one hell of a feat for any non-white comedian. Stand up is the most intimate form of humor/satire. The goal of trying to critique/observe your experiences through entertainment while getting your point across is difficult to do w/o just being the entertainer.
Did anyone ever see the PJs. That show killed me. But I think the in-jokes were too much for TV!
BTW I loathe Carlos Mencia.
Posted 26 Apr 2006 at 9:36 am ¶
mtevc wrote:
macgruder will always be on my shi% list…simply for the depictions of yellow and biracial women as ho’s…i hate seeing little children calling women ho’s…what kind of comic strip is that?
Posted 26 Apr 2006 at 9:56 am ¶
merq wrote:
gatamala & eric:
thanks for the props; appreciated. as far as Aaron’s use of the word goes, there’s often the question of whether he’s a “reappropriator” or he’s offering a critique of the word’s overuse.
I’m afraid he falls into neither category. In the show’s promo interviews, he admitted that he fought to keep the word on the show because he didn’t wanna “clean it up for TV.” It’s a word he says he uses in everyday life, and a word that gets used a lot by many blacks.
In other words, “he jus’ keepin’ it real, y’all.”
Posted 26 Apr 2006 at 1:53 pm ¶
mtevc wrote:
let’s keep it a little less real then please…appropriating and regularly using such a derogatory word is merely an offshoot of lack of self-respect in my book
Posted 26 Apr 2006 at 2:40 pm ¶
merq wrote:
just figured I’d point out the chinks in brothaman’s armor.
Posted 26 Apr 2006 at 2:48 pm ¶
eric wrote:
mtevc,
cant’ argue with you on that
Posted 26 Apr 2006 at 4:37 pm ¶
Daniel wrote:
This is an interesting discussion people. I don’t really like any of the comedians you mentioned because their humor is usually boring and predictable and I would not even attempt to guess at their personal motivations. I do think your excellent discussion gives them all way too much credit. I find it hard to believe that they are that influential. If they are, that is a very frightening thought. I’ve heard all of the reasons given for using the “N” word and they are all dubious at best. It is an offensive word, steeped in history and tragedy and any attempt to legitimize its use is irresponsible and sad. I really believe that a lot of people who think it is okay don’t hear it every day, over and over used in a variety of offensive ways. I can’t even walk home without hearing, “I’m gonna F that N up!” or “F that N” or many other variations. It’s not just being used by African Americans either. I’m one of the only people in my neighborhood that does not use the word in every other sentence. People are free to speak however they wish in America, but it saddens me deeply that the word is used so freely with very little thought to its history. I am never impressed to hear anybody use the word.
Posted 27 Apr 2006 at 4:19 pm ¶
tmj wrote:
Just have to say that a week or so ago, I did a post on my blog (which has no traffic) about White-Laughing Man–the man Dave Chappelle refers to. I wondered why he was laughing too, why Chapplelle was so beloved by white people.
Never watched Mencia…
What is that female comedian from SNL, the daughter of Minnie Ripperton? Can’t think of her name…she can sing tho…
Margaret Cho is the bomb. To me, anyway. I can totally see the progression in her comedy, from the crazy screaming to the political satire I see now. I loved her because she wouldn’t follow the rules (can you tell i have authority issues?) and she has continued along on that vein. I am sorry some asian folks do not like her comedy; as a Black woman, I can understand being forced into a pigeonhole by society, the media, and even my own people! I’d be rich if I had a dollar for every negative comment I heard from Black people–esp. my own family–when I ditched my perm and went natural. Just because Margaret doesn’t fit the image of what asian people want her to be, doesn’t mean she isn’t funny. Heck, that makes her funnier. And more courageous.
Posted 01 May 2006 at 3:32 pm ¶