Icons of African American comedy
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Icons of African American comedy
(Greenwood icons)
Greenwood, c2011
Available at 1 libraries
  Aomori
  Iwate
  Miyagi
  Akita
  Yamagata
  Fukushima
  Ibaraki
  Tochigi
  Gunma
  Saitama
  Chiba
  Tokyo
  Kanagawa
  Niigata
  Toyama
  Ishikawa
  Fukui
  Yamanashi
  Nagano
  Gifu
  Shizuoka
  Aichi
  Mie
  Shiga
  Kyoto
  Osaka
  Hyogo
  Nara
  Wakayama
  Tottori
  Shimane
  Okayama
  Hiroshima
  Yamaguchi
  Tokushima
  Kagawa
  Ehime
  Kochi
  Fukuoka
  Saga
  Nagasaki
  Kumamoto
  Oita
  Miyazaki
  Kagoshima
  Okinawa
  Korea
  China
  Thailand
  United Kingdom
  Germany
  Switzerland
  France
  Belgium
  Netherlands
  Sweden
  Norway
  United States of America
Note
Includes bibliographical references and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
This in-depth compilation of the lives, works, and contributions of 12 icons of African-American comedy explores their impact on American entertainment and the way America thinks about race.
Despite the popularity of comedic superstars like Bill Cosby and Whoopi Goldberg, few books have looked at the work of African-American comedians, especially those who, like Godfrey Cambridge and Moms Mabley, dramatically impacted American humor. Icons of African American Comedy remedies that oversight.
Beginning with an introduction that explores the history and impact of black comedians, the book offers in-depth discussions of 12 of the most important African-American comedians of the past 100-plus years: Bert Williams, Moms Mabley, Redd Foxx, Dick Gregory, Flip Wilson, Godfrey Cambridge, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, Whoopi Goldberg, Damon Wayans, Chris Rock, and Dave Chappelle. Each essay discusses the comedian's early life and offers an analysis of his or her contributions to American entertainment. Providing a variety of viewpoints on African-American comedy, the book shows how these comedians changed American comedy and American society.
Table of Contents
Series Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Behind the Blackface
Bert Williams
Early Life
The Williams and Walker Years
Williams's Solo Career
Influence
Moms Mabley
Early Life
The Early Movies
On Television
Amazing Grace
Stand-up Career
Influence
Redd Foxx
Early Life
Stand-up Career
Sanford and Son
Influence
Dick Gregory
Early Life
Comedy Career
Activism
Influence
Godfrey Cambridge
Early Life
Stand-up Career
Film and Television
Influence
Flip Wilson
Early Life
On Television
Stand-up Career
Influence
Bill Cosby
Early Life
On Vinyl
On Television
The Cosby Show
Influence
Richard Pryor
Early Life
Early Career
On Vinyl
The Concert Films
Richard Pryor on Film
The Richard Pryor Show
Influence
Whoopi Goldberg
Early Life
The Performance Films
On Film
On Television
Influence
Damon Wayans
Early Life
In Living Color
On Film
Other Television Shows
Books
Influence
Chris Rock
Early Life
Stand-up Career
On Television and Film
Influence
Dave Chappelle
Early Life
Early Work
Chappelle's Show
The African Hiatus
The Performance Films
Influence
Timeline
Index
by "Nielsen BookData"