In my experience, a lot of comedy documentaries consciously try to avoid the stereotypes of documentary film making, probably as a method to emphasize the "outsiderness" of comedy. So For what reason Most people Have a good laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy stands out being an old-fashioned documentary regarding African-American comedy along with its part in community.
That premise may not precisely sparkle, and the documentary starts with a wide range of discussion concerning the value of hilarity as being a coping mechanism within the black community - "laugh to keep from sobbing," as one panelist puts it. Right now, the film comes with the potential to become a tiresome ride.
Thankfully, the movie immediately picks up vapor, delving in to genre's history by showing outstanding black comedians from the previous Hundred years. You start with the times of minstrels and also blackface, it sweeps thru first film roles, sitcoms, and stand-ups through to present.
The movie uses well known faces to represent several eras of African-American culture. It argues that African American comedians for example Stepin Fetchit and also Amos & Andy, who may have been perpetuating black stereotypes by playing lazy or maybe distrustful personalities, had been simply performing within the boundaries of their time, and also eventually opening the door for future black comedians.
Right from there, the doc looks at a stellar, if foreseen, series of comedians - Redd Foxx, Flip Wilson, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock and Whoopi Goldberg. The film at the same time exhibits monumental institutions like Apollo Theater, In Living Color, and also the Original Kings of Comedy.
For anybody who, like me, knows very little regarding the earlier years of black comedy, this movie is extremely informative. Specifically exciting is Dick Gregory, a stand-up and civil right activist who worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and was the very first black guest to sit on the couch on Jack Paar's Tonight Show.
Provided its reverence towards the track record of black comedy, the film is decidedly awesome on much of the current black comedy scene, calling out mainstream black comedy due to its shallowness, unneeded vulgarity, and lack of community discourse. The film instead celebrates Dave Chappelle along with Cosby's famous Pound Cake speech.
The reason why Most people Laugh reminds me most of a PBS documentary, with that soothing talking head type that people all know and like and rested through in school. Yet regardless of the academic demonstration, it still got me fired up with regards to a genre of comedy I didn't understand very much about, and desperate to expend an obscene amount of cash on old comedy records data.
With regards to black comedians, there are lots of funny, notable names.
That premise may not precisely sparkle, and the documentary starts with a wide range of discussion concerning the value of hilarity as being a coping mechanism within the black community - "laugh to keep from sobbing," as one panelist puts it. Right now, the film comes with the potential to become a tiresome ride.
Thankfully, the movie immediately picks up vapor, delving in to genre's history by showing outstanding black comedians from the previous Hundred years. You start with the times of minstrels and also blackface, it sweeps thru first film roles, sitcoms, and stand-ups through to present.
The movie uses well known faces to represent several eras of African-American culture. It argues that African American comedians for example Stepin Fetchit and also Amos & Andy, who may have been perpetuating black stereotypes by playing lazy or maybe distrustful personalities, had been simply performing within the boundaries of their time, and also eventually opening the door for future black comedians.
Right from there, the doc looks at a stellar, if foreseen, series of comedians - Redd Foxx, Flip Wilson, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock and Whoopi Goldberg. The film at the same time exhibits monumental institutions like Apollo Theater, In Living Color, and also the Original Kings of Comedy.
For anybody who, like me, knows very little regarding the earlier years of black comedy, this movie is extremely informative. Specifically exciting is Dick Gregory, a stand-up and civil right activist who worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and was the very first black guest to sit on the couch on Jack Paar's Tonight Show.
Provided its reverence towards the track record of black comedy, the film is decidedly awesome on much of the current black comedy scene, calling out mainstream black comedy due to its shallowness, unneeded vulgarity, and lack of community discourse. The film instead celebrates Dave Chappelle along with Cosby's famous Pound Cake speech.
The reason why Most people Laugh reminds me most of a PBS documentary, with that soothing talking head type that people all know and like and rested through in school. Yet regardless of the academic demonstration, it still got me fired up with regards to a genre of comedy I didn't understand very much about, and desperate to expend an obscene amount of cash on old comedy records data.
With regards to black comedians, there are lots of funny, notable names.
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