On the Real Side: A History of African American Comedy

Mel Watkins

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Language: English

Published by A Cappella Books, 1999

1556523513 / 9781556523519

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This comprehensive history of black humor sets it in the context of American popular culture. Blackface minstrelsy, Stepin Fetchit, and the Amos 'n' Andy show presented a distorted picture of African Americans; this book contrasts this image with the authentic underground humor of African Americans found in folktales, race records, and all-black shows and films. After generations of stereotypes, the underground humor finally emerged before the American public with Richard Pryor in the 1970s. But Pryor was not the first popular comic to present authentically black humor. Watkins offers surprising reassessments of such seminal figures as Fetchit, Bert Williams, Moms Mabley, and Redd Foxx, looking at how they paved the way for contemporary comics such as Whoopi Goldberg, Eddie Murphy, and Bill Cosby.

Seller Inventory # CIN1556523513G

Title
On the Real Side: A History of African American Comedy
Author
Mel Watkins
Publisher
A Cappella Books
Publication year
1999
Condition
Good
Binding
Paperback
Language
English
ISBN 10
1556523513
ISBN 13
9781556523519
Edition
2nd Edition

World of Books Inc

Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.

4-star seller

AbeBooks seller since March 23, 2026

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