Revolution Televised.pdf

158 That Nigger’s Crazy
The first episode, as mentioned, begins with the seemingly benign
skit of Pryor as a bartender in the Star Wars bar. However,
Pryor immediately establishes the show and the bar as his own; he
has a look of comfort on the set, and he strides around as he did
during live performances. He clearly improvises many of his interactions
with the patrons, and at one point when he sees a hooded
alien, he exclaims, “You look just like a nigger from Detroit I
know.” His cadence, gestures, and walk remind the audience immediately
that, although they are on NBC, they are on Pryor’s stage.
Numerous skits are presented in this episode: Western shootouts,
a singing number in which a construction worker left alone on
his lunch break strips to a bikini and sings “I Gotta Be Me,” and
one in which Pryor plays an old-time healer. However, in this first
episode two particular skits come foremost to mind—one critical
and the other poignant, which exemplifies the breadth of his talent
as well as the possibilities of television to create a space for black
expression.
The third skit in episode one sets up Pryor as the fortieth president
of the United States entering the White House pressroom. As
president, Pryor is asked numerous questions about world events,
from the Middle East to the creation of new arms for the United
States. In a spoof of politicians both then and now, Pryor continually
spins the questions and his responses, and therefore avoids
answering the reporters in a coherent manner. For example, he
calls a new military development a neopacifist weapon. A white
reporter asks Pryor whether his administration will lower the unemployment
rate, which, the reporter states, stands at 5 percent.
Pryor notes that the unemployment rate is actually 45 percent in
the black community but indicates that in the upcoming fiscal year
his administration plans to bring the black unemployment rate to
20 percent and the white community’s “of course” lower to make it
a “United States.” The interview continues:
reporter: Mr. President, Roberta Davies, Jet magazine.
(Pryor salutes her.)
reporter: Mr. President, on your list of candidates for director of
the FBI, are you including the name of Huey Newton?
pryor: Yes, I figure that Huey Newton is best qualified. He knows
the ins and outs of the FBI if anyone does, and he would be an
excellent director.