Revolution Televised.pdf

That Nigger’s Crazy 149
that’s your problem. I know how to deal with him. That’s right.
That’s why I’m in the position I’m in today. 13
Pryor’s use of intonation brings these words and characters to life in
a way that is difficult to describe on paper. Indeed, the visual nature
of his comedy is somewhat lost even on CD, leaving one to his or
her memories or imagination. While the conversation is quite humorous,
Pryor also skillfully elicits feelings of sympathy and understanding.
We discover in a one-liner (which is not transcribed here)
that the Wino is one of a number of veterans not cared for by the
system. In his own drug-induced way, the junkie reveals the truth
about the supposed system of incarceration and rehabilitation. U.S.
society frequently discusses the high rates of recidivism, placing the
blame on the inability of ex-convicts to make it upon release. But
what is the system actually doing to help these people? What they
are trained to do in prison is unmarketable on the outside, and even
the unemployment offices offer no assistance.
By the mid-1970s the mainstream U.S. press also began to take
note of Pryor’s prominence and growth as a comedian. In April
1975, the New York Times Magazine interviewed and wrote an
extensive article on Pryor, acknowledging that while he was “one
of the most popular comedians of his generation . . . he is largely
unknown to the broad American public.” 14 Like the early career of
Redd Foxx, Pryor was unable to cross over as easily in this second
round of his career. Even segments of the black middle class rejected
Pryor’s comedy, as they believed it was not uplifting to African
Americans and brought to mind aspects of the black community
that were considered negative. In moving away from his Bill Cosby
impersonations, infusing his comedy with underworld black characters
and cutting social critique, Pryor gave up the opportunity to
perform for a wider U.S. audience on television, the most powerful
form of communication at the time. Although Pryor wrote for The
Flip Wilson Show, two comedy specials for Lily Tomlin (he also
appeared on the show), for which he won an Emmy Award, and
Sanford and Son, he was rarely seen on network television except
for occasional appearances. New York Times Magazine reporter
James McPherson explains:
Pryor cannot utilize television in search of a broader audience.
The cause of his exclusion is Pryor’s choice of materials . . . characters
. . . who are an embarrassment to the black middle class and