Showing posts with label white. Show all posts
Showing posts with label white. Show all posts

Friday, July 6, 2007

Since I’m Still Awake…Something I Noticed About Race on Comedy Central

I watch a lot of standup comedy. I mean, a LOT. I am basically a standup fanatic. Other than the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, I don’t think there is anything on TV I watch more.

This means I watch “Comedy Central Presents” nearly every day, and I have seen several comedians multiple times. One thing I’ve noticed is that every time a comedian makes any kind of joke that makes fun of a particular race, a camera will always go to the audience and show a member of that race laughing.

It almost never fails. If you watch the show, pay attention next time. Especially if it is a black comedian making fun of white people or vice versa. Just today I watched comedian Greg Fitzsimmons, who is white, make a joke about black people, and immediately the camera went to a black man in the front row who was laughing. It’s as if Comedy Central is trying to send us the subliminal message:

Hey, it’s okay to laugh! We know it’s a racial joke, but look here, he’s black and he’s laughing at it. So, no need to be offended and change the channel. Enjoy the rest of the show!

I can’t help but be a little offended that they do this. It’s as if I am too dumb to figure out what is supposed to be funny and what is supposed to be offensive on my own.

My two cents, anyway.