Why We Laugh (DVD Review)

Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Steve Harvey, Eddie Murphy, Bill Cosby, Whoopi Goldberg and other legendary comedians together for about ninety minutes without having to spend $1000 on a concert ticket—yeah right! Thanks to the DVD Why We Laugh, a documentary on the history of black comedy produced by comedian/actor Robert Townsend, you can laugh and learn from comedic geniuses from the past and present. One of the original Queens of Comedy, Sommore, says, “If you want to know what is going on in our communities, watch our comedy.” Why We Laugh takes you on a journey through African American history, and unfortunately, not all of it was funny.

Why We Laugh reminds us that in the beginning, life was not easy for black comedians. In the 1800′s, during the Minstrel Era, black comedians were no more than puppets. If they wanted to work, they had to perform in “black face” and reinforce negative stereotypes. By the early 1900′s, little had changed. Stepin Fetchit, whose real name was Lincoln Perry, was a writer for the prestigious black newspaper the Chicago Defender, but he became the first black superstar comedian by acting like an ignorant, stumbling servant. Before you judge him, remember that comedians like Perry, Amos N Andy, and Moms Mabley did what they had to do so current comedians like Katt Williams, D. L. Hugley, and Eddie Griffin and Sherri Shepherd can do what they want to do.

While watching Why We Laugh, you will hear how Keenan Ivory Wayans was inspired by arguably the greatest comedian of all time, Richard Pryor. Richard Pryor was known by some as “the freest black man America ever had” because he made fun of white people and lived! Additionally, you will learn the name of the first black comedian to receive a XXX rating, along with the name of the first black person (who just happened to be a comedian) to own, produce, and star in his own network series. In Why We Laugh, you will see how we went from being portrayed in sitcoms as poor black families from the projects in Good Times to educated, affluent black families in the Cosby Show. Who would have believed a black comedian from the 1960′s would go on to become America’s Favorite Dad in the 1980′s.

Why We Laugh focuses on the accomplishments of male and female comedians from the past and present. It shows us where we started and just how far we’ve come. As our experiences as black people improved in America, so did the options for black comedians. In Why We Laugh, we are reminded that during the same general time Barrack Obama became America’s first black President, one of America’s favorite black comedians, Dave Chappelle, was afforded the privilege of being able to turn down $50 million dollars to continue his comedy show. Life sure is funny…this is why we laugh!