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The new kingdom of comedy

Ebony, Dec, 2005 by Lynette R. Holloway

IT used to be that Black comedians were relegated to the so-called back of the bus if they wanted to try their hand at making people laugh at mainstream comedy clubs. The raucous clubs were usually headlined by White comedians, who were followed by Blacks booked as second acts. But those days are gone. Pioneers like Redd Foxx, Dick Gregory, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor and Whoopi Goldberg helped pave the way for today's comedians to ride at the front the bus and hire their own drivers! Yes, they are getting paid for making you laugh. Humor is big business. The "Original Kings of Comedy" tour grossed more than $37 million and became the highest-grossing tour in comedy history. "For the longest time, White clubs wouldn't book us," says J. Anthony Brown, the longtime comedian who is co-host of the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show. "They would book us as second acts. We were such strong comedians that few Whites could follow us even in front of predominantly White audiences. We would rip it up. But that has changed somewhat in the last 15 years. In that time, White club owners have realized that Black comedians sell out the house."

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In demand because of their brand of humor, a number of Black comedians have parlayed popular stand-up comedy routines into lucrative and successful movie and television careers. Some of the stars include Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Chris Tucker, Dave Chappelle, Bernie Mac, Cedric the Entertainer, Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, Mo'Nique, Sommore, Wanda, and Jamie Foxx, who won an Oscar for his performance in Ray. Tucker is one of the hottest comedian/actors in Hollywood, collecting $20 million per film, according to news reports. Further, popular shows like HBO's Def Comedy Jam, The Original Kings of Comedy and The Queens of Comedy helped expose a wider audience to the talents of Black comedians.

Many of the comedians have even become thriving entrepreneurs, branching out into business ventures and creating clothing lines, like Brown and Harvey. Others are starring in their own television sitcoms and variety shows, such as Chappelle's wildly popular Chappelle's Show on Comedy Central, for which he reportedly signed a multimillion-dollar deal to produce and star in. The UPN channel kicked off its fall season with Everybody Hates Chris, a sitcom that is based on the life and times of Chris Rock who grew up in Brooklyn in the early 1980s and was bused two hours away from home to a predominantly White middle school.

Another star, Mo'Nique, is also enjoying great success, going from stand-up routines to the big screen. Recently, she hosted "Mo'Nique's Fat Chance" beauty pageant for larger women on Oxygen Network selecting participants from a cast of thousands. It was one of the network's most popular shows.

On the following pages, EBONY celebrates some of the hardest-working comedians and comediennes, many of whom were influenced by the great comics who came before them.

Bernie Mac Come on, admit it. He reminds you of an uncle, the one who always has jokes and keeps everyone in stitches. That's Bernie Mac, one of "The Original Kings of Comedy." He honed his skills as a stand-up comedian and translated his success into a lucrative career as a television and Hollywood film actor with wide crossover appeal. Recently, he has starred in several feature films, including Guess Who, Ocean's 12, Mr. 3,000, Bad Santa, Head of State and Charlie's Angels 2: Full Throttle. He has his own television show, The Bernie Mac Show, on Fox, which returned this fall for its fifth season. In addition, Mac wrote his second book, Maybe You Never Cry Again. Recently, he was nominated for his second Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for The Bernie Mac Show, and he received the 2003 NAACP Image Awards' Best Comedy Series and Best Actor awards.

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Mo'Nique This award-winning comedienne, who gained notoriety on "The Queens of Comedy" tour, has earned popularity through performances on Showtime at the Apollo, HBO's Def Comedy Jam, Apollo Comedy Hour, HBO's Snaps, BET's Comic View, the Montreal Comedy Festival and the Uptown Comedy Club. She credits her big break as the day she quit her job working at a phone company in Baltimore to pursue her dream. Her biggest break came in 1999 when she landed the starring role as Nikki Parker on TV's The Parkers, which yielded her four NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series. Her movie credits include Domino, Shadowboxer, Irish Jam, Soul Plane and Two Can Play That Game. If you think she's busy, she's going to get a lot busier with newborn twins!

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Cedric The Entertainer Considered one of the funniest men in entertainment, actor/comedian Cedric the Entertainer is best known as one the headlining stars of The Original Kings of Comedy. Since those days, he has gone on to win four consecutive NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series for his portrayal of the lovable Coach Cedric Jackie Robinson on the WB's The Steve Harvey Show, which ended its run recently. Cedric made his 1992 television debut on It's Showtime at the Apollo, and has appeared on The Tonight Show, The Chris Rock Show, Politically Incorrect, Hollywood Squares, HBO's Def Comedy Jam and BET's Comic View, which he hosted during the 1994-95 season. In 1994, he received the Richard Pryor Comic of the Year Award from Black Entertainment Television. Currently, he is developing his own series for The Fox Television Network.

The new kingdom of comedy

Ebony, Dec, 2005 by Lynette R. Holloway

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