Original Kings Of Comedy


Starring Steve Harvey, D. L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer, Bernie Mac. Directed by Spike Lee.

Filmed in one night at a concert on their tour to Charlotte, North Carolina, the Original Kings Of Comedy are four black comedians whose humour examines black people and their place in America. Steve Harvey acts as the master of ceremonies, beginning the night, introducing each of the other three comedians, and entertaining in between the three. His humour touches the differences between black people and white people, and how a black band would never have kept playing as the ship sunk in Titanic. He talks about his parents requiring him to go to church ALL the time. He weighs into the debate between old school and hip hop, and comes out on the right side - old school.

D. L. Hughley, the man with an ABC sitcom named after himself, starts things off with a set including how black people are different than white people, and how men and women interact. Cedric the Entertainer follows with material including how black people are different than white people, and about life growing up without much money. Bernie Mac finishes with a set primarily about how kids today are way too mouthy and need a "Big Mama" or someone, anyone to "whup their asses" to set them straight, and how society shouldn't interfere in the way parents discipline their kids. He didn't quite phrase it that delicately.

The Original Kings of Comedy is an uneven but often hilariously funny film about life in black America. While a few members of the crowd are white, and the comedians do make mention of their scattered presence, the material is directly aimed at a black audience. The concert takes on almost an old gospel revival meeting feeling, where the audience gets to listen to some great old time soul tunes, stand up and clap, and generally laugh about the problems they had growing up and still have living in America. Steve Harvey especially sounds like a preacher, bellowing to the congregation when he asks them to sing along and "stay black".

Interestingly, it seems the larger goal of success for these performers is to get a TV show. Bernie Mac complains everyone else is either on a Black Entertainment Network show or in their own sitcom and he wonders aloud when he'll get his. Like many entertainers, they have no qualms about joining the mainstream to make some serious money, like Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock have done before them.

Each has their own take on how black people are different than one white people but unlike Pryor or Murphy in their standup comedy days, they mostly avoid real controversy - D. L. Hughley comes the closest to it when he suggests if he drops his wallet, he might get 41 bullets (referring to the cop killing in New York city) so he'll just kick it all the way home if and when it happens. Most of the differences involve cultural quirks, and little in the way of a serious critique of racism in America, although the topic is mentioned occasionally. Perhaps the most ironic part of the evening is at the start, where Steve dedicates the night to God, and without God none of this would be possible. Then he immediately starts swearing at a steady rate, with a few g--damn's sprinkled throughout. As a matter of fact, the performers cuss with reckless abondon, especially Bernie Mac, who uses motherf---er so many times he even has a brief monologue on it's acceptability as a noun, adjective and verb. Also ironically, Harvey chides rappers for running around on stage asking their audience to stand up, clap their hands, saying he paid his 38 dollars for them to entertain him. Then he demands (and willingly gets) the audience to rise and sing along with a silky Bernie Williams number. Lots of room for nostalgia. Unlike the rappers world of anger, hate and devoid of humour, Harvey and these men have room for love and humour in their music and lives.

While black viewers can certainly enjoy The Original Kings of Comedy, non-black ones should find this peek into a world they don't normally see interesting and occasionally quite funny.




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