The Original Kings of Comedy

this movie had me laughing to the point where i found it hard to breath. some jokes are risqué and a little raunchy, but then so is life. this movie can be watched safely by adults young and old as i can attest to as i watched it confidently with my mother (!) who was in tears. everyone i know who has watched it tells me stories of laughing to dangerous extremes. one friend watching it in a less than crowded theatre was concerned she might choke and there would be no one to save her! each comedian has strong memorable material that rings true. my only problem with it is finding it on the sightread in the UK, better distribution of all "black" movies please.

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.

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.

I just had to comment on this documentary.

It is funny, but to paraphrase Ralph Wiggum, not ha ha funny. It seems most of the jokes revolved around race, drugs, sex, homosexuality and child abuse. You know, the typical amateur hour fare with African-American comedians far less talented than the insightful and intelligent Chris Rock. (I miss the Chris Rock show)The behind the scenes footage is interesting though. You do not often get to see that part of a comedy show. Like all Spike Lee "joints", it is interesting enough to watch once, although, the target demographic appears to be African-Americans. And also, turn on closed-captioning during the Bernie Mac routine. He is about as incomprehensible as Boomhauer of TV's "King of the Hill" fame. I couldn't understand a word he was saying sometimes.

**1/2 out of *****

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.