The Original Kings of Comedy

Some of this is very funny. And these people are genuine.

But the sanctimonious Spike Lee will be embarrassed in a generation or two as this humor is considered today's Amos and Andy. Doesn't matter that it comes from blacks. Doesn't matter if everyone thinks it is funny now.

Plus. No element of American culture is natural today, and this is especially so with Black culture. It is now in the hands of record, fashion and media companies. Spike may insist he is a free man, but he is not, and now complicit in another big company's inventing of a culture.

The success of this tour surprised many whom were not familiar with these comedians, mainly because they are superstars on the African-American, not mainstream, comedy circuit. These men are funny as hell! The TV shows they appear or have appeared on do not give them the freedom to turn loose like they do in this film. One of the best sequences was when Harvey complained about rap and urban contemporary music (he was so right!) and gave respect to old school R&B. This is absolutely the best comedy that was released all summer.

I saw this in the theaters when it came out in 2000. It's still just as funny 21 years later. I'm seriously laughing at all the offended, pearl clutching white people in the reviews. If Black comedians making racial jokes at the expense of white people during a set upsets you so much, it says way more about you than them. And I say this as a lily white woman in her 40's.

This was a great stand-up movie, and it's wonderful that stand-up is coming back in this form. I have been exposed to stand-up ever since I was a little kid, and I have seen the evolution of stand go from 90 min concert movies like this one, down to 1 hour specials, and even down to 30 min specials as well. And The Kings bring back a variety show for us in the movie format, and the result is a masterpiece.

For those of you who only saw racism in the jokes, then you really weren't paying attention to what was being said, and knowing the attention span of the average American, that's not hard to believe. Did anyone notice that the WHITE people in the audience were laughing just as hard as the black? I think that it's because most of us white folks can take a joke, and understand that the comic is really playing around, without doing a "my god, that's a racist remark" defense that many people here seem to be doing. What these men were doing with comparing black and white is NO DIFFERENT than when Jeff Foxworthy compares and contrasts rednecks and sophisticated people.

Now, the fact that the comics were using stereotypes...hmmm. How do I say this? Folks, I have collected comedians for years, and my collection spans from CD's, DVD and VHS tapes. I have comedians that few people have heard of. My collection spans over both genders, different nationalities and ethnic groups, and I must say that every comedian needs to joke about something that the audience can and will understand, and stereotypes are the key thing to do just that, because everyone understands stereotypes. And besides, some comedians will even take a common stereotype and make it their act...Tim Allen used the stereotype of the man's man; Roseanne Barr used the disgruntled housewife, and Jeff Foxworthy used the redneck angle. Now, a comedian can go without stereotypes, but he/she runs the risk of losing the audience. And besides, it's not the stereotype that makes the joke, it's the exaggeration behind the joke.

And as far as the comedians in the movie here, they really strive for a good show. Steve Harvey did great jokes, and even did things, that while not really funny, were great entertainment, like when he was playing samples of different songs for the audience. Hughley was funny as well, especially when he was interacting with the audience. The other two comics I have never sen before, but I have no complaints, as they round out the show nicely. Each comic owned the stage when they were on it, and they would be hard to top. And folks, I like Chris Rock, but he wasn't as funny as these guys are, simply because he tries waaay too hard, and these guys are just here having fun.

A great performance by some great comics, and I would recommend this to anyone. A+++++

Let's begin with the title, "The Original Kings of Comedy." Original implies one of two meanings: either previously unknown or unpresented, or the first of some series or set. Clearly the latter usage is out, since these men are not the first "kings of comedy." The originals of modern comedy are men like Jackie Gleason, the Marx brothers, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, etc., and not these 1990s "comedians." The former meaning of the word "orginal" is also a misnomer. Since when did four-letter words and racist stereotypes (a staple in Spike Lee "joints") constitute originality? "Kings" is an easy one to shoot down as well. How can one be a "king" of comedy if he is not funny? Between them the only one with any success was the emcee with a moderately successful network show to his credit. The rest are clearly usurpers at best. Finally, why should the word "comedy" ever be associated with this movie? Racism, profanity, misogyny, homophobia and other negative attitudes pass for comedy only to the lowest common denominator of our society.

The only aspect of this movie to which I give any credit is that it is a movie consistent with Lee's other celluloid garbage. Lee's "joints" never fail to appeal to the basest urges of this society's groundlings. Continue your foul work, Lee, and see to it that our country's racial divide is perpetuated.