COMEDY: IT'S NOT JUST BLACK AND WHITE

Keegan Michael-Key and Jordan Peele in a sketch from "Key and Peele"

There is a great article on CNN.com (which you can read HERE) about the comics behind "Key and Peele" on Comedy Central, Keegan Michael-Key and Jordan Peele. It gives you information on their background and their show.



I would like to focus on the critics of the sketch comedy series, "Key and Peele" say that it doesn't appeal to black audiences because it isn't as edgy as its predecessor, "The Chappelle Show and that it tries to appeal to the, "white liberal" view of a post-racial world."



I've often wondered why as a black culture that we look down upon people that are trying to do something that's funny and that anyone could enjoy. It doesn't have to be racial comedy to be funny. Comedy is something that should not be defined by race, creed, or culture.  



Yes I know that comics such as Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy are Icons in black culture because they attacked taboo subjects like race and sex in a comedic way but why should it be expected of every black or bi-racial comic to do that?


EDDIE MURPHY AND RICHARD PRYOR


We as a culture need to just let comics do their thing and be funny without putting race into the equation. Comics like Bill Cosby and Sinbad are very funny without having to use race or racial themes in their comedy.








BILL COSBY
For the record  Keegan Michael-Key and Jordan Peele are bi-racial men who are funny as hell. As an African-American male I find their show to be very funny.



One of their best skits is about President Obama (Peele) who uses Luther(Key) as an "anger translator" to get his message across. You can see the video HERE.


It seems that Comedy Central and its audience disagrees with the critics of "Key and Peele" as it has renewed it for a second season according to TVBYTHENUMBERS. Key and Peele had the best launch for a series on Comedy Central since 2009 drawing in over 2 million viewers.










It's great to see these men have success as in today's TV marketplace, it's hard to draw in a new audience and keep it. Congratulations to them.





Class Dismissed,
The Professor

ROCK GETS BEATEN ON THE MIC...BY JOHN CENA, WTF?!!

DWAYNE "THE ROCK" JOHNSON AND JOHN CENA

Last night, "THE ROCK" returned to RAW and cut a good promo on John Cena. He called Cena a "Kung Pao Bitch" and made the point that because Cena has been shoved down people's throats for so long is why some fans hate him.

Cena countered saying that Rock needed crib notes to remember his promo and that he didn't need to run him down when he wasn't there but he could run him down when he was there too. He said that Dwayne Johnson is selfish and self-centered.  Rock seemed stunned. For the first time, Rock had been beaten on the microphone.

Eventhough, The Rock got the fans back by the end of the promo witrh his classic energy, the audience knew Cena meant business. If you want to watch the full segment you can go HERE.

As a fan I was stunned and this segment almost made me want to order the PPV bit I won't. More on that in another blog.

Class Dismissed,
The Professor

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THE ROCK IS THE BIGGEST STAR IN WWE AND WHOSE FAULT IS THAT?

DWAYNE "THE ROCK" JOHNSON
(Image Courtesy of Google Images)

Tonight, The Rock returns to WWE RAW to confront John Cena as the road to Wrestlemania 28 begins. For weeks there have been rumors that the WWE locker room is upset with The Rock for getting a main event spot and all the publicity for Wrestlemania 28 when in fact he is no longer an active wrestler. Many fans and wrestlers feel that The Rock has become a Hollywood movie star and doesn't care about the wrestling business anymore.  John Cena expressed these views on RAW last week.

Any longtime fan knows that this is a storyline that gives Cena and Rock a reason to fight and it will make the fans want to buy the Pay-Per View. But in any storyline there is a kernel of truth and I believe that there are people in the locker room that don't appreciate The Rock coming back.

I don't believe the real issue is that they're mad that he is back, but that even after seven years away, The Rock is still the most popular superstar ever. No other star in the company, not even John Cena can touch The Rock when it comes to microphone skills, charisma, or popularity. WWE for the past seven years has been looking for replacements for The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin and they can't find them.

John Cena is the last big star that the WWE has built, but he doesn't comapre to The Rock. John Cena has sold millions of dollars in merchandise and there are fans that love him but he has not set the business on fire like The Rock or Stone Cold Steve Austin.

JOHN CENA

CM PUNK is on the rise, but the fact that he is WWE Champion and isn't the focus of RAW or Wrestlemania 28  tells you what WWE thinks of him.


CM PUNK

WWE isn't really building any new stars because they want someone with the intensity of Stone Cold Steve Austin or the charisma of The Rock. Until they change their standards they will never reach the heights they did in the late 90's.

Class Dismissed,
The Professor

RON SIMMONS: WWE HALL OF FAME BOUND

(Image Courtesy of Google Images)

It was announced on WWE RAW last night that Ron Simmons would be inducted into the WWE HALL OF FAME on Wrestlemania weekend.

As a fan this makes me very proud. When I started watching WCW in 1992, it was in August when Sting had been injured by Jake Roberts and Ron Simmons won the title that night from Big Van Vader. Ron Simmons was the first African-American World Champion that was nationally recognized.

The thing that impressed me most was that there was an African-American male who was the World Champion of a wrestling promotion. That had not happened in WWE yet (The Rock would come along in 1998 and win the WWE World title).

Ron Simmons played college football for the Florida Seminoles in the 70''s and transitioned into Wrestling in the 80's and 90's. Apart of the WCW roster he formed a team with Butch Reed called, "Doom." They feuded with teams like The Steiner Brothers, and the LOD. They won the NWA tag-team titles before splitting in 1991.

In 1996 he entered the WWE as Farooq Asad and formed the Nation of Domination which helped launch the career of Dwayne "THE ROCK" Johnson.

"The Nation": Kama, Ron Simmons, The Rock, and D-LO Brown

During the "Attitude Era" he formed a tag-team with JBL called the APA(Acolytes Protection Agency) who beat people up for money and beer.

Ron Simmons and John "Bradshaw" Layfield

Ron Simmons has contributed a lot to the wrestling business. I'm glad that he will be honored with a Hall of Fame Induction.

The Professor

A BLACK SUPERMAN-SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!!

According to comic book website, Bleeding Cool whose article you can read here, Action Comics #9 which comes out in the Summer of 2012 will feature a parallel world where Superman is African-American. There have been other instances in comics where Superman is presented as a black man but they are usually for brief world-shattering stories such as "Infinite Crisis" or "Final Crisis."

In "Final Crisis," Grant Morrison gave readers a black Superman as President (A Nod to Obama). Grant Morrison is also the current writer on Action Comics. This is an update to that particular facet of the story according to the DC Source Blog which you can read here . I didn't read "Final Crisis" so I'm interested on Grant's take on an African-American Superman.

As an African-American male, I am always a little worried about how black superheroes are portrayed in comics. Our recent history in the medium has not always been accurate.


In the 70's and 80's most of the DC superheroes who were black like Black Lightning or the Green Lantern, Jon Stewart were based off of characters like John Shaft and they talked jive and beat up on "The Man."

BLACK LIGHTNING


JOHN STEWART

In this day and age comic book writers offer black characters more character development and depth and they realize that black characters don't have to be based on the blackploitation characters of the 1970's.


DWAYNE MCDUFFIE AND STATIC SHOCK

Writers like the late, great Dwayne McDuffie who created characters like STATIC SHOCK in his Milestone Imprint as well as his work on the cartoon series' "Justice League" and "Justice League Unlimited" changed the way creators think about black superheroes.

He added John Stewart to "Justice League" and influenced many in the television audience including this writer. I had never seen a black superhero put on the same level as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.





THE JUSTICE LEAGUE

Now there are more characters of many ethnicities acknowledged in comics than ever before whether in mainstream labels like DC or MARVEL or in indie labels like IMAGE or DYNAMITE. And now we are going to visit the parallel world of an African-American Superman.

I am excited to see what the parallel world of an African-American Superman is like and appreciate that we have come this far in our culture.

Class Dismissed,
THE PROFESSOR

RIP WHITNEY HOUSTON

(Photo Courtesy of Google Images)

I have no words. My condolences go out to Whitney's friends and family especially her daughter, Bobbi Kristina.

The Professor

MARIA MENOUNOS: THE ULTIMATE DREAM GIRL

Maria Menounos is a Patriots Fan and she made a bet with her "Extra" Co-Host A. J. Calloway (who's a Giants fan)according to an article in the NY DAILY NEWS that you can read here. The terms of the bet were that if the Giants won the Superbowl that she would host Extra in a Giants colored bikini.

The Giants won and Maria hosted the show in a bikini. She looked incredible as she always does.

Maria is the total package of what men want. She has brains and beauty. A wonderful sense of humor and it doesn't hurt that she likes sports, WWE, and UFC. 

Maria you're a rockstar!!

The Professor

A NEW STARR AT GH

According to SOAPCENTRAL, Kristen Alderson has signed a 3-year deal with GH. Actors Kassie Depaiva (Blair), Roger Howarth (Todd), and Michael Easton (John) Will appear in a few shows to introduce the character of Starr Manning to the GH canvas.

I hope that GH's new EP, Frank Valentini at least gives us some juicy moments between Todd and Sonny.

The Mannings come to town the week of February 20th.

The Professor

RIP DON CORNELIUS

According to the Associated Press, Don Cornelius has died due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The TV trailblazer hosted and was the creator of "Soul Train " which ran from 1970-2006.

Our condolences go out to his family and friends.

The Professor