Sarah Silverman's Just Not funny........with or without the Al Jolson homage.....

I received word about this Sarah Silverman episode courtesy of a email from Min. Paul Scott who stewards several Afrocentric websites and blogs/yahoo groups. I suspect our definition of pro-Blackness is a bit different than Scott's as the video below will serve as a testament to that assertion:

Fox News interviews Minister Scott



But back to the matter at hand, Scott sent out an mass email pertaining to the Silverman blackface routine and I must agree that not only is it lethargic it's just not funny. I understand what she is attempting to do here (call it irony, double-entendre, etc) but her vaunted acerbic wit is well.....not acerbic and again, not funny. Blackface has never been funny as it purports to exaggerate African features that many Whites are currently attempting to co-opt minus the credit. Hottentot Venus toured Europe as an oddity and now White females are getting derriere implants with greater frequency. And let's not talk about lip augmentation and tanning. Conversely, people of color have had their fare share of trying to incorporate a European standard of beauty. All in all, it amounts to madness-but I digress. Racial humor is a tricky tightrope and some are more adept at it than others. This is what happens when a cottage minstrel industry is allowed to flourish-others want to jump in and join the party. Just as Dr. Cosby's book so poignantly states-Come on, people!

For more of the Silverman episode in question, click below:

Sarah Silverman Show-"Hate Crime"