Revolution Televised.pdf

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What You See Is What You Get 73 “hidden transcripts.” 57 A black audience familiar with the characters in many of the skits was able to understand these performances on a different level and recognize a different level of humor in them, and therefore the show served as a community-forming locus. Wilson was clearly in his element when he presented the numerous African American characters he developed on the show. Regulars included Herbie; the Good Time ice cream man, who despised children; Freddie Johnson, the Mack, who wore the crushed-velvet suits recently resurrected by Austin Powers; and Charlie the chef. His most famous and lasting portrayals were the Reverend Leroy of the Church of What’s Happening Now and Geraldine Jones. Wilson was occasionally accused of reincarnating the stereotypes of Steppin’ Fetchit and Amos ’n’ Andy. However, this critique was based on the tenets of uplift, the fear of what white America would think of the black characters that Wilson presented. Wilson lampooned the black church with his character Reverend Leroy, who was based on his Washington Heights childhood preacher, Reverend Ike. In 1971 he told the New York Daily News, “I was very impressed with him, and I was always amazed that he wasn’t well-educated. But, in his simple way, he was dynamic and exciting.” 58 Wilson’s act has a historical basis. The African American relationship with institutionalized religion is rooted in contention. 59 Stripped from their homeland and their own religious practices, Africans were forced into accepting Christianity, the same religion that provided the justification for slavery. The notion of suffering today for the benefits to be gained in the afterlife was indoctrinated into the slaves with the hopes of their developing acceptance of their circumstances. When the black church came into its own, it also began to reflect the class divisions in African American society. 60 In the 1920s, Carter G. Woodson’s seminal work, The Miseducation of the Negro, echoed these concerns; while acknowledging the important role that religion could have, Woodson warned, “It is very clear, then, that if Negroes got their conception of religion from slaveholders . . . there may be something wrong about it, and it would not hurt to investigate it.” 61 However, these are concerns that many African Americans would prefer to keep within the black community and behind the closed doors of the black church. When Wilson took this character to weekly television, there was an acknowledgment of the incongruities of the church. Reverend Leroy, while preaching the word of God, was unethical, and there
74 What You See Is What You Get were constant allusions to his spending church money inappropriately. He was also lecherous and made many sexual comments about the female members of the congregation. Reverend Leroy was introduced in the first episode of The Flip Wilson Show and begins the skit from the pulpit with church announcements, a segment of the service familiar to churchgoers. However, these announcements incorporate Wilson’s distinctive humor. He informs the congregation, “The combination baptism and beach party scheduled for this Sunday, I am very sorry to tell you, we had to postpone it due to the oil slick.” He also introduces a new trading stamp program to encourage church attendance. Trading stamps were redeemable at Mom’s Barbecue Palace, located next to the church. Later in the skit he attempts to guilt the congregation into giving money. reverend leroy: For five years we’ve been planning Angels on Parade, and it hasn’t gone on yet. Now this year we’re gonna put it on, assuming we can solve our money problems. Yes, we got mon-ey problems. Friends, we don’t have enough money for costumes, we in bad trouble. These, Brothers and Sisters— (Three women in angel robes walk in, and Reverend Leroy puts his arm around one woman and looks her up and down.) How you doing there, mama? These sisters need costumes. You know that these angels don’t even have a harp to pluck on? female angel: We got harps! (He quickly covers her mouth with his hand to keep her quiet.) reverend leroy: Can I get an Amen? congregation: Amen. reverend leroy: (Under this breath) Send the kid in. (In full voice) Brothers and Sisters, we got to make this a show we can be proud of. So it’s got to be done right, got to be done right. (Under his breath) Send the kid in. (A small angel arrives.) reverend leroy: Brother Edwin, how you doing? Brother Edwin. Can I get an Amen for Brother Edwin? congregation: Amen, Brother Edwin. reverend leroy: Brothers and Sisters, we’ve gone as far as we can go. (He turns Brother Edwin so that his back faces the audience, revealing that he has only one wing.) Now, we need another wing, got to have another wing. We can’t let this little angel come in on a wing and a prayer.
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Revolution Televised
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Revolution Televised Prime Time and
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This book is dedicated to Ailsa Jea
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Contents Acknowledgments ix Introdu
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Acknowledgments Revolution Televise
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Introduction Dy-no-mite! What’s h
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Introduction xiii texts were chosen
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Introduction xv in black television
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1. Reading the Roots of Resistance
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Reading the Roots of Resistance 3 t
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Reading the Roots of Resistance 5 p
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Reading the Roots of Resistance 7 t
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Reading the Roots of Resistance 9 s
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Reading the Roots of Resistance 11
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Page 42 and 43: Was the Revolution Televised? 25 Bl
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Page 46 and 47: Was the Revolution Televised? 29 Bu
Page 48 and 49: Was the Revolution Televised? 31 ta
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Page 64 and 65: Was the Revolution Televised? 47 wo
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Page 68 and 69: Was the Revolution Televised? 51 li
Page 70 and 71: Was the Revolution Televised? 53 ca
Page 72 and 73: What You See Is What You Get 55 ces
Page 74 and 75: What You See Is What You Get 57 VCR
Page 76 and 77: What You See Is What You Get 59 tur
Page 78 and 79: What You See Is What You Get 61 Wit
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Page 82 and 83: What You See Is What You Get 65 MTV
Page 84 and 85: What You See Is What You Get 67 and
Page 86 and 87: What You See Is What You Get 69 asp
Page 88 and 89: What You See Is What You Get 71 str
Page 92 and 93: Reverend Leroy is a critique of the
Page 94 and 95: What You See Is What You Get 77 Fli
Page 96 and 97: What You See Is What You Get 79 Joh
Page 99 and 100: 82 What You See Is What You Get Whe
Page 101 and 102: 84 What You See Is What You Get wit
Page 103 and 104: 86 This Ain’t No Junk my idol, I
Page 105 and 106: 88 This Ain’t No Junk In an era i
Page 107 and 108: 90 This Ain’t No Junk bought his
Page 109 and 110: 92 This Ain’t No Junk garnered el
Page 111 and 112: 94 This Ain’t No Junk activities
Page 113 and 114: 96 This Ain’t No Junk Aunt Esther
Page 115 and 116: 98 This Ain’t No Junk but tells h
Page 117 and 118: 100 This Ain’t No Junk where they
Page 119 and 120: 102 This Ain’t No Junk Another ep
Page 121 and 122: 104 This Ain’t No Junk it would b
Page 123 and 124: 106 This Ain’t No Junk fred: Hey
Page 125 and 126: 108 This Ain’t No Junk embarrassm
Page 127 and 128: 110 5. Respect Yourself! Black Wome
Page 129 and 130: 112 Respect Yourself! This was the
Page 131 and 132: 114 Respect Yourself! actors and bl
Page 133 and 134: 116 Respect Yourself! voice of the
Page 135 and 136: 118 Respect Yourself! may not have
Page 137 and 138: 120 Respect Yourself! white schools
Page 139 and 140: 122 Respect Yourself! races.” She
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124 Respect Yourself! Julia’s poi
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126 Respect Yourself! spaces. These
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128 Respect Yourself! the fact that
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130 Respect Yourself! the father, w
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132 Respect Yourself! poverty and g
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134 Respect Yourself! The character
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136 Respect Yourself! disparity in
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138 Respect Yourself! down in the m
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140 Respect Yourself! 1978), J.J. b
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142 Respect Yourself! and white con
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144 That Nigger’s Crazy at the cl
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146 That Nigger’s Crazy ’bout,
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148 That Nigger’s Crazy Crazy, Pr
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150 That Nigger’s Crazy stereotyp
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152 That Nigger’s Crazy chase: Sp
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154 That Nigger’s Crazy Pryor as
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156 That Nigger’s Crazy network r
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158 That Nigger’s Crazy The first
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160 That Nigger’s Crazy action, w
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162 That Nigger’s Crazy judge coo
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164 That Nigger’s Crazy Episode t
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166 That Nigger’s Crazy and the d
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168 That Nigger’s Crazy being dru
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170 Conclusion: Movin’ On Up Cont
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172 Conclusion States at the time,
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174 Conclusion Indeed, contemporary
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176 Conclusion Cerebral and black
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178 Conclusion and this film recogn
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180 Conclusion under the constant s
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182 Conclusion You know how I can t
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184 Conclusion Connerly to speak on
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186 Conclusion HBO to discuss socia
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188 Conclusion the interviewees are
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190 Conclusion credit montage estab
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192 Conclusion Shut the fuck up! Wh
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194 Conclusion saying every black p
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196 Notes to Chapter 1 within U.S.
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198 Notes to Chapter 1 Guerrero dis
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200 Notes to Chapter 2 47. Thomas C
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202 Notes to Chapter 2 45. Black Pa
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204 Notes to Chapter 3 Listening to
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206 Notes to Chapter 3 46. John Kie
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208 Notes to Chapter 4 4. This Ain
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210 Notes to Chapter 5 9. I specify
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212 Notes to Chapter 6 14. McPherso
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214 Notes to Conclusion 7. See Omi
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216 Notes to Conclusion where he le
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218 Bibliography Gender and Contest
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220 Bibliography Eisner, Joel, and
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222 Bibliography Hodges, Ann. “La
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224 Bibliography Mitz, Rick. The Gr
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226 Bibliography Shapiro, Joseph P.
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230 Index and TOBA, 11; and transfe
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232 Index education, 132, 133-36, 1
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234 Index 2, 21, 78, 107-8, 149, 20
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236 Index Roots, 163, 171-72 Russel
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238 Index Williams, Al, 100-101 Wil
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