[Editor's Note: This post is a follow-up on some of the discussion near the end of ep. 52.]
I have often found that great comedy can be deeply philosophical. Wittgenstein once said that one could write a substantial work of philosophy consisting only of jokes. This is certainly true when it comes to philosophy of race. The following are some of the things I show in class to both entertain and spark conversation. Who knew racism could be so darn funny?
White Privilege:
Watch on YouTube.
Black People vs. Niggas:
Watch on YouTube.
Living up (or down) to stereotypes:
Watch on YouTube.
Code Switching:
Watch on YouTube.
Covert vs. Overt Racism:
Watch on YouTube.
-Law Ware
The first time i heard Louis C.K.’s do this bit, it simply helped confirm for me that he is one of the best comedians currently working in the business.
I also recently had to defend him from a friend who accused him of ripping off comedy from Chris Rock (who is also a quite funny). I had to point out the Louis C.K. is friends with Chris Rock, having wrote a great deal of material for Chris Rock (also writing for The Chris Rock Show). In fact, they had a sketch on that show where one of the writeres had so much white guilt that he had his skin removed, so he comes out in bandages and Chris Rock interviews him. They did not air that piece, replacing it with a skit they were practicing from the then unmade movie Pootie Tang. It was the audience reaction that got that movie made. And, Louis C.K., who was not famous then, directed Pootie Tang, later being invited to attend a Black film festival. When he showed up, the people who were hosting the festival were surprised to learn that C.K. was not black. After some awkwardness, apparently, he was welcomed into the festival.
I also found Dave Chappelle to be brilliant as well.
Open Racism
Terrorists
Native Americans
And someone took the time to do some necessary comparison between the use of a term as seen from the vantage point of Richard Pryor and George Carlin (Both of whom i grew up loving):
Use of the “N” word
Richard Pryor as “The First Black President a skit written with the comedian Paul Mooney <—link to his comedy special "Analyzing White America"
Did i miss that Dave Chappelle before or did that get edited in?
In that case, here is some more:
Racist Gift Basket– Gabriel Iglesias
Margaret Cho on Racism
Sarah Silverman on Jews and Blacks
Dwayne Kennedy on Racism
Hi Chris:
It was there before, but was formatted a little strange. We fixed it so the video would appear on the page.
Great videos.
Louis CK does a bit on the “N” word too:
and I agree, he is the best comedian around today….
He makes some good points, but he seems to forget the long history of white men being sold into slavery.
Firstly, the Gaulish slaves in imperial Rome – the red hair was often mentioned. Later on, this also included Angles from England.
In the 1600s the English then transported thousands of Scots and Irish to the American colonies and Barbados as slaves.
Around this time, fishermen in the Mediterranean were also kidnapped and sold into slavery by corsairs/pirates from North Africa.
Captured Russian and Persians were also sold into slavery by Central Asian tribesmen – a trade which was only abolished in the 19th century when Russia gain control of the area and abolished the trade.
So, being a white man is not good everywhere all the time.
Bear- I think you are missing C.K.’s point in unnecessary details. What he is addressing is the privilege of whiteness using humor to expose its concealed existence in contemporary culture.
Of course, “whiteness” is a historically contingent category, one that did not exist for the “Gaulish slaves of Imperial Rome.” (Race was not a category used by the Romans but “tribe” was and here the intention was somewhat similar to the idea of “race” in that “tribe” seemed to take on the category of an inherent, genetic set of physical and mental traits amongst different groups. See The History of White People by Nell Irvin Painter. I would also recommend reading How the Irish Became White by Noel Ignatiev for a more recent account of how the Irish, once considered an “inferior” race in relation to the English, was “re-defined” as “white” as they acquired power in the U.S.)
“Whiteness”, like “race”, is more a social constructed category rather than an objective biological description of a given people, a category that has rather recent roots in the 18th century. Of course, we don’t have to argue over history to appreciate the humor involved in the above links.
Here is where the set “philosopher” overlaps with the set “comedian”. Two of my favorite things at the same time. Thanks to all the linkers.
Everybody has a crush on Sarah Silverman, right? Goes without saying, even for the ladies.
Nope don’t have a crush on Sarah Silverman….Louis CK though, that’s a different story….