Comedy: Where are the Boundaries Between

Subversion and Selling Out?

Shirin Nanjee & Nicole Lobo

Essay of Borat and Sarah Silverman for make benefit of cultural learnings about racism

-Pike Wright

• Opened to packed theatres and rave reviews across North America.• film builds upon Borat’s previous appearances on HBO’s comedy Da Ali G Show.• Kazakhstan government has long fought his misogynist, anti-Semitic and racial

portrayal of Kazakh culture.

“Borat’s enthusiastic curiosity, coupled with a dose of stupidity, makes his misogyny and anti-Semitism excusable—he is just a foreigner, after all, with different beliefs that must be tolerated.”

• His ignorance and inappropriateness makes the character endearing to his fans.• Borat convinces a roomful of country-western fans in Tucson, Arizona, to sing along

…“Throw the Jew down the well / So my country can be free. / You must grab him by his horns, / Then we have a big party.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yViYDULqno&feature=related

• It is no longer acceptable for comedians or other public figures to take up explicitly racist attitudes.

• Cohen uses Borat to give voice to racist sentiment

• Racist remark vs. parody• What happens when the audience cannot differentiate

between the two?

• Not everyone Borat talks to is exposed as a racist. • Some ignore his anti-Semitic and misogynist claims –

individual’s discomfort is obvious, and the audience feels uneasy too.

• How would you respond to Borat if you met him on the street? How does this satire challenge our feelings toward racism and sexism?

• Uses parody to discuss stereotypes.• parodying the “backward” and culturally inappropriate foreigner.• In the end, it is the ways in which he sets up everyday Americans into

expressing their equally racist assumptions that provides comedic effect.

• Questions of difference, particularly race and cultural difference fascinate us.

• We measure the immediate success of a joke by laughter/catcalls it provokes.

• Spontaneous reaction that a joke provokes – “deeper emotional landscape”

• Whether we find a joke funny, dirty, racist or dumb depends on who is telling the joke, and to whom, especially when a comedian is parodying a racist character.

• Satirizing the audience• By laughing at the ignorance of the Borat character - we distance

ourselves from their racism because that is not us.

SARAH SILVERMAN• American comic whose stand-up character is a self obsessed “Jewish-

American Princess”.• Act is charged with outrageous racist statements that are delivered in a

convincingly serious manner – the naive and harmless Jewish girl whose wide-eyed innocence rules out any inappropriate behaviour/beliefs.

• Unlike Cohen-Borat, it is not blatantly obvious whether or not Silverman is playing a character.

• Never breaks character by smiling at her own outrageousness. (ie. “Oh my, did I just say that aloud?”)

• Audience is left wondering who the real Silverman is.• Is her act full of racist jokes or full of jokes about racism?

• “The thrill of a taboo word” – If slurs sell, are Silverman and Cohen subverting racism through race parody or exploiting racist stereotypes to “make a buck”?

• Comedian’s relationship to the audience and what experience they share• Context – An Indian using a self-naming slur vs. a white comedian who uses the same slur

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48czdyWKzAY

Terse Conclusion

“The article focuses on racist jokes or comments that comedians make in their stand up comedy. It brings up the difficult and complex question of what is identified as racist? Is it okay for a white person to say a racial slur against another race? Is it okay if a comedian makes a racial comment about their own race? The point of this article seems to be that people do not know where this line is drawn but continue to be offended during some racist remarks, while not at others. It definitely makes one look at their views on race oriented jokes and whether their reactions to these jokes invoke comedians to continue performing their material.”

Discussion Questions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDfSDuKzbvs

Why do “people of colour” usually get away with telling racist jokes, but people who are white are instead referred

to as being racist for telling similar jokes?

Where do we draw the line and how do we differentiate between mere ethnic humour and racist jokes?

RUSSELL PETERS

• Canadian stand up comic and actor• Born in 1970 in Toronto, Ontario• Began performing in Toronto but has since moved on to performances

in the UK, Australia, China, South Africa, Vietnam, Denmark and the United Sates.

• Focuses largely around his Indian upbringing and racial stereotypes.• Often parodies his parents and South Asian culture. • Material explores cultural divides between different ethnicities and

upbringings. • Engages audience at shows - talking to individuals and making some

sort of remark at, or about them.• In Canada, Peters became the first comedian to sell out at Toronto's

Air Canada Centre.

Everyone Loves Russell-Chantal Eustace

• Race-based stand-up routine• Subjects are not political, doesn’t swear often.• Approach to comedy is “gentle” compared to other comics who play up

race humour.• Likeable and is someone that both teenagers and parents can enjoy.• Ethnic minorities can relate to what he is saying and the ways he

tackles stereotypes.• “White guys” can acknowledge the ridiculous aspects of lingering

racism.• Fine line between racism and humour

"It speaks to people from a personal perspective. It speaks to them from the point of view, that, hey, that's real. That's what they respond to. It's not just some guy who's just making ethnic jokes and doing accents – making fun of [them] - it's a situation where he's speaking from a very honest perspective."

What makes Peters so appealing?

"It's hilarious that he makes fun of things that we all have experienced growing up. It's like, did he just say that because that totally happened to me when I was younger.“

"It's so cool to be able to mesh together all these different cultures and pick out the things that - you know - we all think but we don't say and then to make a big joke out of it.“

“He sticks to ethnic jokes, a refreshing change from bawdy comedy routines that target women. His humour seems clean-cut compared to many comics out there.”

"He doesn't really portray stereotypes in a negative way.“

"It's just pointing out idiosyncrasies in people's characters.“

"I don't think he's pointing his finger and telling you to laugh at cultural traits. He's more self-deprecating and giving an inside look at his own culture and other people's cultures.“

"He's racially representative of almost everyone, there's no culture that's spared.“

"His accents are so key to his ability to pull people together."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxbrXD0kgrQ

• Audience is typically an ethnic crowd. • Material is largely ethnic-based

• “It’d be tough for a little white girl to repeat Russell Peters stuff”

• Material works and is accepted because Peters is not white• Would likely be considered racist if he was a white male

– structural privilege• Peters is part of a minority group – able to shed light on the

ridiculous nature of cultural stereotypes by using humour.• Makes fun of racism and the assumptions that people have.• Anti-racist – accessible, offers examples of racism without

preaching.

Terse Conclusion

• Eustache speaks about Russell Peters, a Canadian comedian who relies mainly on his “race-based stand up routine” (p.1) that is inspired by a wide range of races, especially Asians and Indo-Canadians, to successfully get people laughing at his jokes and themselves at the same time. Peters is said to walk a fine line between humour and racism, but does so in a way that is not overtly offensive, which makes his comedy gentle enough for both parents and teenagers. This is something I completely understand because Russell Peters is one of the only comedians I can watch and laugh at with my parents without feeling uncomfortable about the language or the type of comedy being used. I believe that one main reason why he is not offensive to the races he represents is because a majority of his jokes ring true so people can relate to it, and therefore laugh about it. I remember watching his DVD, Russell Peters: Outsourced, with my parents and seeing them crack up when Peters would talk about Filipinos and our Honda Civics (my family owns two), our love for singing karaoke (essential at every family gathering), and his mimic of our accents and use of swear words.

Discussion Questions

• Do you think Peters representation of races is accurate? Who decides what is and what is not?

• Do you think he crosses the line in terms of what you deem to be appropriate in regards to jokes about ethnicity?

• Is Peters making a difference through his humour or is he simply reinforcing negative stereotypes?

From the Back of the Bus-Dick Gregory

• 2nd of six children• Brought up in the slum of St. Louis slum – 1st view of the world.

• Racial conflict and poverty

• Example – charity fundraising in school• Mother was the “beacon of hope”• Turned situations during which he was bullied into opportunities

for comedy.• 1954 – scholarship to go to college but continued to have doubts so

he decided to enrol in the army.• Became a testing ground for his comedy

• 18 months later began an education in Business Administration but just before graduation, left for Chicago and picked up a job in a post office

• Job didn’t work out and so he turned to show business – MC at a nightclub

• 1959 – married Lillian and had a baby girl named Michelle

Gregory’s BIG BREAK…• Got a gig at the Playboy Club from January to February 1961

• Went on as a nobody, came out as a somebody

http://www.comicsunleashed.com/ • His comedy is not only based on race but also, important worldly issues.

• Before each show he would go through newspapers and skim headlines to receive the most up-to-date information - add a comical twist.

• First black comedian to make it big • Tries to explain issues of segregation through comedy• Does not discount the reality of segregation but instead, continues to get

the message across while adding humour to the issue

“You gotta go some to beat those army sergeants. I’ll never forget the first physical exam they gave me. The sergeant’s reading off a list of questions like: “Colour?”

I’m no conformist. I said: “Chocolate!”…I was going to add “bitter-sweet” but the psychiatrist was watching…

Then he asks: “Complexion?”

I’m game. I said: “Ruddy!”…And after three days of K.P., you know what it was?…

Then he says: “What were you in civilian life?”

I said: “Deliriously happy!”…

“A lot of people have been asking why there are no Negro astronauts. Well I got a surprise for you. One of those seven boys is. He’s just looked this way since they told him what he volunteered for.”

“All the record stores are playing that subversive song again – I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas… It’s kinda sad, but my little girl doesn’t believe in Santa Claus. She sees that white cat with the whiskers – and even at two years old, she knows damn well ain’t no white man coming into our neighbourhood at midnight…Be honest now. How many of you have ever seen a black Santa Claus? He ain’t even black after he comes down the chimney – and he should be!…”

“You gotta realize, my people have never known what job security is. For instance, comes another recession and the economy has to tighten its belt - who do you think's gonna be the first notch?”

“Now that we've come into a little loot, my wife wants to move to the country. I think she's out of her mind. We could have the only decorator-designed slum in Chicago! . . . Everything is relative. In Italy there's the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and it's called a wonder of the world. On the South Side we've got building leaning just as far - only they're called eye-sores . . . And if you're my color, looking for a house can be quite an experience. Especially when you go to a white neighborhood, offer $40,000 for a $23,000 house, then get turned down 'cause you'd be lowering the realty values . . . “

Terse Conclusion

“This article focuses on the life of Dick Gregory, a comedian who went form rags-to-riches. What I like about Gregory after reading this article is that he seems to focus on the “everyday” issues by reading newspapers before every show, and watching the news to get more material, and uses this to attract an audience without being boring. As a result, Gregory’s “message gets through to the very people he may be cataloguing and, hopefully, takes root” (p. 11) because he focuses on relevant issues that affect his audience on a regular basis.”

Discussion Question

• Do you think Gregory became so popular because his material was relatable or because it was controversial?

“I’m Rich, Bitch!!!” The Comedy of Chappelle’s Show

-Christine Acham• Skit introduced in PBS investigative show Frontline. • Parody about a man interviewing a black, white supremist who is blind. When he was young, he was told he was a white

child and no one ever told him otherwise. He grew up as a racist leader, helping to raise the voice of the white supremist movement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G55_aD6FRw

• Born in D.C in 1973 to two college professors.• Mom used to chaperone him when he went to comedy gigs – met writing partner Neil Brennan.• First television deal didn’t work out • Went on to work with fox and create a pilot. It didn’t work out because he felt they were being

a racist… he felt that the show needed more white characters

“you know, they don’t – they don’t make them put black people on “Friends,” or they don’t make them put black people on “Seinfeld.” But all of a sudden, I get in the room and it’s like, “Well, where’s all the white people?”

• Worked on stand-up and film career• Although not successful on network, was very successful in cable• Cable television was viewed as a free place to express humour – Comedy Central

• Most of his humour comes from observation• Killin’ Them Softly – produced by HBO at Lincoln Theatre in Washington

(Chappelle’s hometown)• Notice difference in style of speaking as well as content

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kkhP_0Rmgc&feature=related • Interesting point in the article is that Achem explains that there is no room

for individuality • Is Chris Rock the next Richard Pryor? Is Dave Chappelle the next Chris Rock?

• Their styles are different, yet media does not recognize or develop that idea to the mainstream viewers.

Chris rock frantically paces the stage, angerhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kkhP_0Rmgc&feature=related

Dave chappelle walks around relaxed, and observeshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kkhP_0Rmgc&feature=related

• Commonality is these comedians see the political injustice and they want to express their views through humour.

The Chappelle Show• Show premiered on January 22nd, 2003.• Factors that show the distinctiveness of the Chapelle Show:

• It played on stereotypical groups and their characteristics– Example: Can white people dance?http://www.tv.com/media_player/170/105/viewer.php&context_type=101&context_id=15677#media-170

• Makes critical statements about racism in the American society on the show.• Chapelle tries to incorporate racial injustices into the show as much as he can

• Google – Chappelle Show, Reparations

• Unlike Bill Cosby – viewed as Black spokesperson appointed by White mainstream society – Cosby suggested that poor black people are responsible for their status in their life.

• Chappelle – rather than just negative, he also showed positive side of not living in poverty• Low crime rates

Where did Chappelle go?

• In Spring of 2005 Chappelle left the show, walked out in the middle of production and went to South Africa.

• Sparked rumours that he was on drugs

• In reality he claims he went there to get a step back to gain a better perspective on his life and his success.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljuPtyYKuWY&feature=related

The sketch that made him leave…

• Dave’s on a flight, a stewardess asks him if he wants chicken or fish for dinner. A black pixie appears in front of him tempting him to order the chicken (to follow the stereotypes). Later on in the episode, an Asian pixie appears to an Asian man and probes him to say “la la” while knowing his inability to do so. An Hispanic pixie appears in front of an Hispanic man, pressuring him to purchase a leather skin cover for his car. A white pixie appears in front of a white man teaching him how to talk to his black friends.

• During the filming, a man laughed and Chappelle felt uncomfortable• Felt as though he was laughing at him, not with him• Through comedy on television, he felt he didn’t know who is audience

was and therefore, was not able to know if the audience had taken on the intended meaning or created their own.

What do you think this skit is trying to depict?

Terse Conclusion

“Acham’s article focuses on Dave Chappelle’s comedy material, and suggests that Chappelle began to take responsibility for his material and that he eventually realized that his material might be offensive, and instead of erasing stereotypes, his material actually reinforced stereotypes. I really like Dave Chappelle’s comedy; I think it’s extremely smart and controversial, which is exactly why it is a success. Although I believe that comedians should take responsibility for their material, and ensure that they are being socially responsible, I believe that using stereotypes to be funny actually brings attention to the issues and reminds everyone that they do still exist, and that they need to be examined critically. That’s why I love Dave Chappelle: his comedy is honest, raw, and real.”

Discussion Question

In comparison to Chris Rock’s video about racism, is the clip from Chappelle really that bad?

…if so, does that mean Chris Rock is selling out?

Was the skit that Chappelle did crossing the line? Why do you think it struck a chord with him as opposed to his previous material?

Naturalizing Racial Differences Through Comedy: Asian, Black, and

White Views on Racial Stereotypes in Rush Hour 2

-Ji Hoon Park, Nadine Gabbadon & Ariel R.

Chernin • This piece discusses the Ideological implications of racial

stereotypes in comedy through a textual and audience analysis

• That consisted of Asian, white and black focus group participants and how they react to racial stereotypes

• Results showed that Asian and black participants particularly – reacted with a positive source of pleasure in the negative portrayals of their own race

• It was also found that generic conventions and textual devices of comedy encourage audience to naturalize racial differences rather than challenge racial stereotypes

RUSH HOUR 2• Achieved enormous commercial success – grossing over $226 million in the US and $329

million worldwide.• Follows two police officers as they pursue Asian gang members attempting to execute an

elaborate counterfeiting plot.• Chris Tucker – “Carter”• Jackie Chan – “Lee”

• Rush Hour can be regarded as an ideal example through which to explore the apparent paradox between potentially racist representation in comedy and its widespread popularity transcending racial boundaries.

• Comedy privileges racial stereotypes as harmless, despite the potential negative consequences.

• Depart from convention by pairing an African American and an Asian in the lead roles.• Surprisingly appealed to both White and minority viewers

• Have growing number of comedies starring racial minorities facilitated racial tolerance?• Premature to claim that these films represent a substantial shift in the cultural

representation of race.• Racial hierarchy is a crucial part of films’narratives• Characters consistently conform to negative minority stereotypes that can be

deemed racist.• Current film landscape reveals a growing number of comedies that feature Asian and/or

Black leading men.• I Spy, Shanghai Knights, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle

Racial Stereotypes in Comedy

• Stereotyping serves multiple purposes.• cognitive overload, group conflict, power differences, desire to justify

the status quo

• Stereotyping results from the need to quickly convey information about characters and to instil in audiences expectations about characters’ actions.

• Help to establish instantly recognizable character.• character traits and stereotype-based jokes constitute a source of

humour.

• Critical view - racial stereotyping serves an ideological function, normalizing racially defined characteristics and legitimating the racial hierarchy.

• in a social environment in which racism is deeply rooted, racial jokes and stereotypes inevitably reinforce hierarchically structured racial differences.

• despite its ‘purely’ humorous intent, serve to reinforce stereotypes and rationalize the existing relations of racial inequality

• Inverting stereotypes to generate humour

• Minority characters rarely resist or reject the stereotypes that are forced upon them

• harmful effects of minority actors embodying stereotypes associated with their own race

-“coon”-Martin, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, TheWayans Bros

-A coon is a black actor or actress, who takes roles that stereotypically portrays black people. They think theyve made it but they are slaves to the same images. A.k.a selloutIt comes from the term baracoons (a cage), where they used to place Africans, who were waiting to be sent to America to be slaves. They had no idea of this, so some of them were even eager waiting in the baracoons.

• Comedy as a genre essentially extends the alleged “harmlessness” of interpersonal jokes.

• allows controversial content in mainstream films to be considered acceptable

• diffuses viewers’ critical interpretations

• Most people claim to be color blind and antiracist; however, race continues to serve as an important cognitive category with which people make sense of their social world.

• Hall characterizes race-based comedy as ‘‘a licensed zone, disconnected from the serious’’ and argues that its generic convention ‘‘ultimately protects and defends viewers from acknowledging their incipient racism’’

The Study…

Purpose of the study:1) Examine the ideological implications of racial stereotypes in comedy 2) Determine whether they humorously naturalize or disrupt the beliefs of racial differences that constitute the ideological basis of the racial hierarchy.

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS

How race is configured through dialogue and how racial jokes are related to the film narrative.

Stereotyped Characters:• Lee - respectful but culturally ignorant and asexual Asian man who excels at Kung Fu.• Carter - loud, impulsive, hypersexual, childish Black man who is often portrayed as

ignorant and causing trouble.• Hu Li - Asian ‘‘dragon lady’’ who is desirable but dangerous• The Chinese women at the massage parlor - stereotype of obedient Oriental dolls

readily fulfilling Americans’ sexual desire and fantasies.

MAIN CHARACTERS:

Chris Tucker (Carter) - despite his masculine physical presence, is incapable of protecting himself without Chan’s help. - high-pitched voice and childish tone are unthreatening to the

racial status quo because they help ‘‘reduce any threat created by the spectacle of a seemingly dominating Black character’’

Jackie Chan (Lee) - the funny, desexualized, and unthreatening Oriental male - Chan’s masculinity has been toned down in Hollywood in order to ensure that his characters conform to racial

conventions.

Most of the racial jokes are directed toward minorities, which strengthens Whites’ positive self-image and their dominant position in the racial order.

the two leading men are portrayed as good friends. Because neitherCarter nor Lee is hurt by the racial remarks, the film encourages viewers to interpretthe humor as acceptable. They are seen singing together in the car, and they oftenhelp each other out of difficult situations. At the end of the movie, Lee gives Carterhis father’s badge as a symbol of friendship. This also implies that despite all ofCarter’s racial jokes and comments, Lee was still a true friend and there were indeedno hard feelings between them.

RACIAL HIERARCHY • Although White characters only have small roles, they still occupy key ‘‘overseeing’’

positions in the storyline - regardless of whether they are good or evil.» Steven Reign - billionaire hotel owner, funds gang leader Ricky Tan’s operation and

provides his casino as a means of money laundering, » Agent Sterling of the U.S. Secret Service supervises the criminal investigation into Tan’s

and Reign’s activities.• The main villains are Asians

» Threaten American interests by blowing up the American embassy in Hong Kong and by circulating counterfeit U.S. currency.

• Lee and Carter play a crucial role in avenging the Chinese villains and maintaining justice

» they act in service of White America by defeating those who challenge White patriarchal power.

» the violence of and against Asian gangsters does not constitute a threat to White masculinity and domination but helps maintain the racial status quo.

• Diffusing claims of racism and promoting the acceptability of racial stereotypes » minority status of two main characters signals that their racial jokes are acceptable and

not racist» Carter and Lee are not hurt by the racial remarks - encourages viewers to interpret the

humor as acceptable

Researching the AudienceOffensiveness

• Majority of focus group stated that film’s racial humour did not offend them

Common themes• Comedy, therefore should not be taken seriously• Would have taken offense at racial jokes/stereotypes if they had been

conveyed in different generic forms - drama.• Even within the context of a comedy, racial humor could potentially be

racist» Race of the person telling the joke determines whether or not it is racist

• Jokes were targeted at several races rather than one group in particular• In comedy, it is often considered acceptable for racial minorities to• tell racial jokes, whereas the same jokes told by Whites would be

considered racist.• Most participants agreed that if a White character told the same jokes as

Carter and• Lee, audiences would probably be offended.

Asian participants• Accepted and found humor in the potentially racist comments

directed toward Lee and other Asian characters.• The Asian participants felt that they could laugh at Lee, a

Chinese man, because the stereotypes associated with him, such as poor English-language skills and cultural ignorance, did not apply to them as Asian Americans.

Black participants• recognized many racial stereotypes in the film and

characterized them as exaggerated racial traits, which they found to be funny and entertaining.

• Although Rush Hour 2 presents numerous Black stereotypes that can be deemed offensive, Black participants did not seem critical of nor did they take them seriously.

Conclusion

Almost none of the focus group participants were offended by the explicit racial jokes. Therefore, it can be said that “comedy ultimately controls and limits audiences’ critical reflection of potentially racist characterizations, thereby making viewers susceptible to the beliefs of racial difference.”

Researchers concluded that “the absence of a critical discourse and the validation of racial stereotypes among the viewers suggest that racial stereotypes in comedy successfully enable viewers of all races to naturalize the beliefs of racial differences while allowing them to enjoy the humor.”

Terse Conclusion

• This article uses the movie Rush Hour 2 in its discussion to show the ways in which comedies depict certain racial representations and stereotypes that are not always necessarily seen as racist or even offensive, but simply as humorous. It brings to light the argument about whether people would fund the same comments (from Rush Hour 2) just as funny or any less provocative or insulting if they were in the context of a different genre of film besides comedy. In the earlier article by Eustache, he mentions the idea that since Russell Peters is from a minority group and not Caucasian, it allows for his humour to be more acceptable and for his jokes to be more successful. I think that this falls under the same category, the fact that because the characters are played by actors of different racial groups who insult each other and their races, they are not labelled as racists.

Discussion Questions

• If blatant stereotypes are embodied in films, why do people enjoy them?

• Do you find yourself laughing at stereotyped minority figures or with them?