Black out loud The revolutionary history of Black comedy from vaudeville to '90s sitcoms

This informative debut from PBS News Hour co-anchor Bennett surveys the history of Black comedy in the U.S. The author begins by looking back to the late-19th-century foundations of onstage comedy for African Americans: Black performers starring in minstrel shows. Bennett approaches this thorny legacy as indicative of "the difficult choices Black artists have long faced to be seen and heard" and highlights later performers in the genre, like Hattie McDaniel, who subverted its racist stereotypes. He follows the evolution of Black comedy as performers gained more visibility and control, spotlighting stand-up comedians like Richard Pryor and the explosion of Black-centered television from the '70s to the '90s. However, the book's structure, with each chapter concentrating on the life of a prominent comedian or, later, popular TV show, comes off as overly encyclopedic, lacking much justification for why some comedians are getting deep evaluation while others pass by as brief references. Still, Bennett incisively reflects on how Black comedians have consistently had to navigate the tension between white audiences laughing with and at Black performers, as well as the line between the "public" humor Black performers use for white audiences and the more "subversive" humor they use for Black audiences. It makes for a valuable primer on Black comedy and a perceptive view of Black comics as "keen observers" of a culture that marginalizes them. (Mar.)

A pop-culture history that places Black comedy, especially on television, into context.PBS NewsHour co-anchor Bennett argues in this history that the 1990s represented a revolution in the history of Black television comedy, with shows likeIn Living Color andLiving Single forever altering the landscape of the medium. "I came of age watching Black characters who felt like people I knew, who were messy and hilarious and ambitious and flawed," he writes. "They shaped how I saw the world and how I saw myself moving through it." That era might be the impetus for this book, but Bennett tells a more complete story, starting with comedians like minstrel performer Billy Kersands and vaudeville star Stepin Fetchit. Their work could not have aged more badly, but as Bennett writes, "Hollywood had no interest in presenting balanced portrayals of Black life….If they wanted to continue working, Black performers had no choice but to play the role." Bennett writes profiles of the comedians who bridged the gap to the next era, including Pigmeat Markham and Moms Mabley, and the ones who gleefully rewrote the rules of Black comedy, such as Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy. Bill Cosby gets a chapter: "Can we enjoy his gifts to humanity without considering his monstrous actions? That may be a question we each can only answer as individuals." It's a bit of a punt, but the author's analysis of Cosby's place is smart enough that it can be forgiven. Bennett shines brightest in his chapters about the '90s, especially when he writes about his belovedIn Living Color, the pioneering sketch show that he calls "an unprecedented cultural shift, unapologetically reshaping comedy and representation on TV." The book is plenty informative, but it's also infused with Bennett's joy--and that joy sure is contagious. An insightful celebration of comedy stars that makes for good times. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.