Paul Mooney is proud to be black. He jokes about it. He has long talks about it. He knows the history of Africaand all of its music roots. He wears black. The only white thing found on him is his teeth. He smiles a lot. He can’t help it. He is funny and makes even himself laugh. Then his white comes out on his teeth. He doesn’t feel bad about it. He just compensates by saying a 100 beautiful things about being black and a 1000 nasty things about racism.
Racism exists. But so does Paul Mooney. So it’s a little better now. Only why does he mostly do Chappelle’s Show, BETand National Public Radio? Right. Because Larry King ain’t ready for his daily infusion of Paul Mooney. Neither is Oprah Winfrey. Neither are most people. Paul Mooney does not hold back punches. He is scandalous. He is on point. He is funny. He is at all times aware of what is going on around him. He just doesn’t really think that people should be babied. Racism does not go easy on the old and the underprivileged. Neither does he.
It’s been a long time since Paul Mooney got a break writing comedy bits for Richard Pryor. His In Living Color writings made it OK to joke openly and freely about color. His Negrodamus character on Chappelle’s Show was just another step in the same direction. He wanted everyone to know and understand. He loves being black. Black is beautiful. Even CNNdid a piece on him. Well, it was more on the fact that he won’t use the N-word anymore. It was a good piece.
Another thing you might know about Paul Mooney is that he is not a big fan of our President (what a shock!). His show at the Apollo was stopped half way through because he used too many jokes about Mr. Bush. Hey, does our President’s mother really look like the guy on the Quaker Oats box? He may even dislike the current administration more than he like the color black. He talked so much smack about our own Condoleezza Rice that it became evident. Black or not, the skin color alone won’t save you from Mooney’s wrath. Talking openly (not implying) that she sleeps with Bush he may have been off. Condi is no Monica Lewinsky. Then again, G.W. is no Bill Clinton. The key question he posed for the audience was ‘…does Bush eat Rice?’ Then again, 1.5 billion Chinese can’t be that wrong. At least using Halle Berry would have painted a prettier picture. But Paul Mooney doesn’t aim to do pretty. He does funny. He does honest. He does raw. And he does pretty good with it.
When WORDSnTUNESinterviewed Paul Mooney he flipped it around and began to interview WORDSnTUNES. He has a lot to say and he doesn’t really care if you are OK with what he has to say. This man got conviction. He got charisma. He got knowledge. And to make it all work in a beautiful blend he got jokes.
Paul Mooney, ladies and gentlemen.
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