Black Comedians On Black Comedy

by Darryl Littleton

Description by OLDIES.com:

For almost 400 years, black Americans have been entertaining the masses through humor, though many times inadvertently and often quite reluctantly. Starting on the slave ships of the Middle Passage through blackface, vaudeville, the chitlin' circuit, Broadway and film and television, African-rooted comedy has been ridiculed, admired and, of course, imitated. However, the unintentional flattery only whet the public's appetite for the genuine article to do their thing and in turn exposed a wealth of black comedic talent.

Here is the only up-to-date book to examine this genre. Black Comedians On Black Comedy traces the history and evolution of the humor in Darryl J. Littleton's narrative and through the 121 interviews he conducted with some of the top African-American comedians in the world. Fables and myths are clarified, facts unraveled, and good times are nonstop as the makers of comedy history put that history in their own words. They not only share their appreciation of the established icons, but tip their hats to many of the unsung heroes as well.

Those interviewed include: Dick Gregory, Eddie Murphy, Cedric the Entertainer, Mike Epps, Bernie Mac, Nick Cannon, Damon Wayans, Eddie Griffin, Arsenio Hall, Rudy Ray Moore, Chris Rock, Sinbad, Marla Gibbs, Thea Vidale, Robert Townsend, Timmie Rogers, Franklyn Ajaye and John Witherspoon. Many more give their candid take on the current state of black comedy as well as discussing the pitfalls of the past. By listening to these experts in the field, the reader will get the ultimate insiders view of what it truly takes to make us laugh and all the trouble and strife it took to get us to where we are today.

Black Comedians On Black Comedy is for any lover of laughter. Insightful, poignant, hilarious, eye opening and entertaining, this book plumbs the depths of the black comedy experience and shows why it has been so important in not only America's culture, but internationally as well.