28 Days of Black Comedy: Richard Pryor Week

Posted by Ron Burr on February 18, 2022

Hey, everyone. We’re going to do something a little different for Black History Month. Usually, we pick a different comedian every day. This month, we’re going to pick one comedian each week and take a deeper dive into their work. This week we’re celebrating Richard Pryor.

Honestly, we could do an entire month with just Richard Pryor and we’d still only be scratching the surface of the material available. It isn’t hyperbole to say that Pryor is one of the most influential comedians we’ve ever had grace the genre.

Today we’re catching a little more obscure Pryor stand-up special, one where he lets himself really explore comedy and his interactions with the audience. Observe how he keeps the audience in the palm of his hand for the entire set. It’s a master class in stand-up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-upGwFKcyE&ab_channel=CentralBlackTvShows

28 Days of Black Comedy: Richard Pryor Week

Posted by Ron Burr on February 17, 2022

Today is one of the most famous moments in Saturday Night Live history. There are conflicting reports as to who wrote this sketch. Chevy Chase claims he wrote it, Paul Mooney says it was his work after Pryor made having Mooney as a writer the week he hosted one of the conditions of his appearing on the show. But no matter who wrote it, it is to this day considered one of the greatest and most shocking moments in broadcast television history.

28 Days of Black Comedy: Richard Pryor Week

Posted by Ron Burr on February 16, 2022

Today’s clip is another cut you may not have seen before, but it is one you should definitely watch. Pryor was not just a brilliant stand-up comedian, he was also a brilliant actor. His facial expressions and body movements add so much to this scene, and his acting performances are criminally underrated.

28 Days of Black Comedy: Richard Pryor Week

Posted by Ron Burr on February 15, 2022

Today’s clip is from an NBC special. Over 40 years later and it is just as prescient now as it was then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRcNswirGUY&ab_channel=SoftLipps

28 Days of Black Comedy: Amber Ruffin Week

Posted by Ron Burr on February 12, 2022

Amber has been one of the best writers and performers working in late-night comedy right now, and having a black and female voice has brought a vital component that has been sorely lacking from the format since its inception.

It’s Day 5 so we’re bringing in a special guest who always makes the Amber Ruffin Show special.

28 Days of Black Comedy: Amber Ruffin Week

Posted by Ron Burr on February 10, 2022

Today we are checking out something that Amber does not get enough credit for: musical sketches.

28 Days of Black Comedy: Amber Ruffin Week

Posted by Ron Burr on February 9, 2022

We missed yesterday (Sorry, we dropped the ball on this one) so you will be getting a double dose of Amber today, with a side of Tarik Davis. But first, we look at Amber’s opening monologue from her glass ceiling and stereotype-breaking hosting of the 2018 Writer’s Guild Awards.

And here is Amber’s recap of 2021 from The Amber Ruffin Show.

Check back tomorrow for more!

28 Days of Black Comedy: Patrice O’Neal Week

Posted by Ron Burr on February 7, 2022

It’s the last day of Patrice O’Neal Week & we’re wrapping up with Patrice’s appearance on The Green Room with Paul Provenza. If you haven’t seen this show you need to watch ALL of the episodes because it is that damn good and you will understand comedy better than you ever thought possible.