On the Real Side: A History of African American ComedyThis comprehensive history of black humor sets it in the context of American popular culture. Blackface minstrelsy, Stepin Fetchit, and the Amos 'n' Andy show presented a distorted picture of African Americans; this book contrasts this image with the authentic underground humor of African Americans found in folktales, race records, and all-black shows and films. After generations of stereotypes, the underground humor finally emerged before the American public with Richard Pryor in the 1970s. But Pryor was not the first popular comic to present authentically black humor. Watkins offers surprising reassessments of such seminal figures as Fetchit, Bert Williams, Moms Mabley, and Redd Foxx, looking at how they paved the way for contemporary comics such as Whoopi Goldberg, Eddie Murphy, and Bill Cosby. |
Contents
Vaudeville and Early TwentiethCentury Black Humor | |
Hollywoods Silent Years the curse of a nation | |
Race Records and Black Films sounds and visions in black and blue | |
Literary Reflections of AfricanAmerican Humor depictions of things | |
Folklore and Street Humor if you grinnin you in em | |
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY | |
INDEX | |
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Common terms and phrases
actor African African-American African-American humor ain’t American humor Amos Amos n Andy Apollo Theatre appeared authentic began behavior Bert Williams Bill black American black audiences black comedians black comic black community black entertainers black humor black minstrel black music black performers blackface blues Broadway career caricature century character circuit clubs colored comedians comedy coon Cosby Cripps critic culture dance darky despite Dick Gregory early emerged example featured films Fletcher Flip Wilson funny Gosden Gregory Harlem Hollywood Hughes Hurston instance John Johnson jokes Kingfish later laugh laughter mainstream Mantan Moreland Miller minstrel shows minstrelsy Moms Mabley Moreland Negro nigger non-black Pigmeat Markham plantation played popular portrayed quips quotation race racial radio Redd Foxx Richard Pryor role routine Sambo satire slavery slaves social songs Southern stand-up star Stepin Fetchit stereotypes stories street style television TOBA traditional trickster troupe Uncle vaudeville white audiences writers wrote York