Racial Humor in Stand Up Comedy

Until recently, black comedians could get away with saying pretty much whatever they wanted about white people while white comics were not allowed to mention black culture or stereotypes without being labeled as a racist. This double standard has started to fade mainly because of the courage that many progressive comedians have been exemplifying by testing out material that toes the line of being tastefully offensive. Ten years ago, no white comic would dare use a "black voice" or even make fun of rap music without being so overly careful not to mention that it is a parallel to african american stereotypes. The topic of race was completely off the table unless you yourself were a minority, and even then you could only make fun of your own race...and of course white people.

The main reason that race can now be openly discussed in comedy is because audiences are no longer as uncomfortable with it as they used to be. Because the general population is not as closed off or gun shy to a comedian bringing up such a taboo topic anymore, a joke concerning racial matters can be a crowd pleaser, if it is tastefully done. However, there is a difference between being edgy and being a flat out racist, which is never funny, just ask Micheal Richards (Kramer from Seinfeld) after his N-word filled tirade which killed his career after it was posted online in 2006.

Being clever about something so delicate and rarely discussed in the open is a difficult thing to do and does not appeal to everyone, so it is extremely important to know your audience before trying out race material. One perfect example is how racist and unfunny jokes got Jeff Dunham's Comedy Central show cancelled (thankfully). Jeff's DVDs, which were filmed in southern towns with all white audiences, sold great because the audiences who purchased the specials enjoyed seeing his puppets like the black pimp or Achmed the Dead Terrorist. However, once Comedy Central gave him his own show, the puppets and jokes, which would have fit in more at a Klan rally than on a basic TV show, outraged the younger and more intelligent audiences that he was not used to.

There is a not-so-fine line between being clever and using observational humor based on race and just being ignorant. Comedy is not about offending people, it is about being able to make previously unseen connections between things in an amusing way. The video below is a joke of mine that I told in April at my college, so hopefully you can see what I mean. Enjoy.