Revolution Televised.pdf

What You See Is What You Get 79
Johnny Cash, Lucille Ball, Dean Martin, Ed Sullivan, Burt Reynolds,
and Raymond Burr. He did not appear intimidated to perform with
any of these legends. As a matter of fact, Wilson’s custom of never
dressing in the drag costume of Geraldine during rehearsals threw
off many of these actors when he appeared on stage in full regalia.
They often hesitated, blew their lines, laughed, which, while adding
to the humor of the sketch, also allowed Wilson by comparison
to shine with confidence. In the end, the public image of Wilson
as the American success story would seal his reputation and override
any of the criticisms that were geared at the so-called negative
representations.
These underlying aspects of uplift are evident in the responses of
many African Americans upon hearing the news of his death. The
Reverend Jesse Jackson told the Washington Post that “Flip was a
breakthrough artist for African Americans. He led with a brand of
comedy that was clean and decent and not vulgar. To the end, he
was a man I held in high esteem—as a comedian and as a person.” 67
Veteran African American actor Ossie Davis remembers, “He was
a pioneer in a way. His show was a trend-setting show. And we felt
proud and gratified to see someone from our community get so far
up there.” 68 The tone of these eulogies suggests that much emphasis
was placed on what Flip Wilson represented. He was a black man
who had achieved it all and did so in a “clean and decent and not
vulgar” manner.
Wilson also followed through on this reputation of self-made man
in other ways. When he signed his deal with NBC, he made sure that
the show was produced through his company, Clerow Productions.
This decision allowed him a much larger share in the profits, and
he also maintained the rights to the show. Even today it is rare to
see any person, much less a black man, own his or her own show. 69
Wilson was able to live off the earnings from The Flip Wilson Show,
working rarely and enjoying a life of leisure. He also owned a recording
label, Little David Records, which among other artists produced
George Carlin’s comedy albums.
Many black people felt affirmation, appreciation, humor, and
pride in having Wilson at the top of the entertainment industry in
the early 1970s. However, black people who felt that he should
have used his position on television to create changes for blacks in
the industry and in essence to represent the black struggle more decisively
often called him to task. In Jet magazine he responded: