How One Joke Changed Wayne Brady´s Image, and What It Says About Us
Community Over The Mob Mentality: Wayne Brady Edition
Comedy IQ, What´s Funny and What´s Missing the Mark
I recently watched a kids comedy, reality show, hosted by Wayne Brady, called Comedy IQ. In the competition, there is a young black kid, TJ, who struggled in the earlier episodes. No matter how much Wayne Brady critiqued him, there was something about his slapstick, black culture humor, that just wouldn´t fully connect with the audience and judges. Finally, on an episode that featured comedian legend, Sinbad, the issue was identified. TJ was not being himself. He apparently didn´t believe anyone would care about his true story. His story? TJ was from a private school and he grew up in the ¨proper life¨. The irony was, that version of him was the funniest and most relatable, from a humanity standpoint. Go figure Wayne Brady would be a part of this fruitful experience in TJ´s life, as he´s had to take a somewhat similar stance of his own.
Wayne Brady Versus The Mob Mentality
When comedic legend Paul Mooney on the Chappelle Show stated, ¨White people love Wayne Brady, because he makes Bryant Gumbel look like Malcolm X¨, I thought it was a genius line from the former Richard Pryor colleague. As I´ve matured, I´ve taken on a different outlook. What has Wayne Brady done to merit this criticism? ¨The mob mentality¨ would argue that he´s catered to a white-washed audience, so he deserves the criticism. What about TJ? He went to a private school and talks proper, but in nature is as black as all outdoors. Furthermore, he´s performed on Wayne Brady´s platform. Does he deserve the same criticism or does he get a pass? Let´s take it a step further. Why are we seeking validation from those that aren´t valid themselves?
The Cognitive Dissonance of Gatekeeping Blackness
The cognitive dissonance found in gatekeeping blackness makes the entire argument null and void. We raise our kids in telling them to treat people how you want to be treated, then we as adults treat people in ways that we´d resist if it happened to us. It happens in small situations often. Have you ever had your black card revoked or threatened because you haven´t watched a popular black movie? That´s a cute situation. What if your career and quality of life is at stake because you aren´t going along with the get along? Not so cute, right?
Community over competition means community over the mob mentality as well. We shouldn´t be divided or criticized over frivolous matters. When this happens within the black community, it´s the Willie Lynch syndrome all over again. When it carries over into other communities running with the narrative, it´s division and entitlement. Feel free to be your healthy self and allow others to do the same.
