By Jason D. Greenough
A lot of us are infuriated with the current state of politics in our country.
– Uh, scratch that –
All of us are infuriated with the current state of politics in our country.
Many of us choose to express that feeling with anger, others with disenchantment and apathy. Both paths are very understandable. But then there is another path, that many have used over the years, and that the path of humor. George Carlin, Dick Gregory, Bill Hicks, Jon Stewart…So many comedians have made politics and current events the centerpiece of their hook, their message. W. Kamau Bell, the socio-political comic who you may have seen on CNN as the host and creator of United Shades of America, is no different, and brings the heat, once again, with Semi-Prominent Negro, his newest stand-up special.
Although originally slated for TV, debuting on Showtime in April, Bell’s Morgan Spurlock-directed TV special was made available for digital download (with a physical copy also available) on September 30th.
With his strategic political jabs with a mix of everyday situational humor, Bell attempts to perfectly summize the current mindset of America, and succeeds masterfully. Covering topics such as gentrification (“You know gentrification is bad now, because white people are mad about it…”), the differences between East Coast and West Coast liberals, Same-Sex marriage (“If you don’t like gay people, why make sure that marriage is the one thing you keep from them?”) raising an interracial family (“We have three black people in my house, and one white person…or as I like to call it, ‘even’…”) and Black Lives Matter (“, Bell brings a snarky, light-hearted flavoring to issues that would otherwise infuriate people in any other setting. That’s what I loved the most about this album – Everything that has left me speechless, fuming and angry over the past year now has me laughing, all because of Bell’s point of view on it.
I have heard many of my white friends say that they aren’t fans of many black comedians because they can’t relate to their jokes and experiences, but I honestly feel that Bell has done a wonderful job with bridging the gap between white and black humor, and in turn has re-upped a dialog that really should be used daily, and while that sounds cheesy, give it a second to sink in, and think about. Bell shares personal stories, as well as his thoughts on divisive civil and political issues, and tells them in a way that would allow anyone, of any race, to relate to them.
Semi-Prominent Negro is one of my favorite comedy albums of the year, and I fully suggest, if you are looking to have a brighter look at some dark and dour issues plaguing our country, that you watch (or listen) to this special. Bell is a revolutionary comedian, by many standards, and continues to tell it like it is.
In such uncertain times, W. Kamau Bell has given an explanation to some of the toughest questions we all face today, and in the process of giving us a better understanding of race relations and racial issues, his delivery is nearly flawless in an attempt to make his audience laugh. While many comics aim to please by way of making people forget about the problems we face daily, Bell attacks those problems head on, and still has the same effect. To say that he isn’t, or shouldn’t be, at the forefront of the comedy scene, especially in our current climate, W. Kamau Bell doesn’t care. He’s here to speak, and he is here to stay. he is invaluable to not only comedy, but also to our culture’s existence.
If I were to give Semi-Prominent Negro a rating, it would a solid 10/10. I fully recommend this album to everyone!
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