Flippant Remarks about Robin Harris and the Comedy Act Theater
Like most functional and influential ventures started by people with strong African features they are treated like natural resources to be exploited by white people of all skin colors—so it’s great to see this tribute to Robin Harris make it to a DVD, Robin Harris: Live from the Comedy Act Theater, that is clearly produced by real Black people (and a few Euro-American camera guys). Yes, I can’t find Michael Williams Entertainment or something called www.biggameent.com on the Web right now. But at least a polished DVD is in circulation.
The Comedy Act Theater was a genuine Apollo-theater-like setting that was a true threat to the Hollywood establishment that had to be dismantled according to the rules of white power. And it is no accident that it comes out of the Crenshaw Area in particular and South Central L.A. in general. This is my neighborhood, the dirty South of Hollywood, and we just did not sit around next to the most powerful media empire in the world doing nothing.
This DVD documents Michael Williams as the founder of the Comedy Act Theater—this is very unusual because most mentions of the Comedy Act Theater fail to underscore the Black people by name that founded it (this is probably because of the way Michael Williams had trouble paying his people which can understandably cause forgetfulness). It must also be mentioned that community ‘incubators’ of local talent like the Comedy Act Theater is part of a trend that I enjoyed immensely in my 20s here in Los Angeles. You can read about these other venues like the World Stage and the Anansi Writers Workshop or the Good Life here in the kinté space. To me, the expansion of cable television (more accessible “mainstream” markets), the toxic corporatization of bookstore chains and the steady exodus of Black people out of Los Angeles County all contributed to the demise of most of these grass roots Black media movements.
This DVD documents the “racial cleanliness” of “mainstream” venues like the Comedy Store back in the 1980s (and probably the early 1990s). Too many people tend to forget that in the 1980s it was big deal for Michael Jackson to be on MTV because he still was a little brown in those days. The gangster ways of the thug life music business changed all of that—but changed nothing at the same time.
This DVD also shows that Robin Harris did way too many comedy skits in drag. I was not aware of his Flip Wilson stylings. And by the way, I know he would talk about me and big fo’head for days but Bernie Mac’s “My Sisters Kids” is a genuine improvement and expansion on Robin’s classic “Bebe’s Kids.” It is great to see modern-day Black people—especially Black men—riffing off each other like the old American music men after hours in the Jazz club. Bernie Mac would be the first to speak at length about how much he owes to Robin Harris—but Bernie did improve on the original theme.
“The got-damn officers of the goddamn law,” is my all time favorite Robin Harris quip for the LAPD. No one can really improve upon this line…
Comments
Stanley Dixon, 2009-03-10 05:31:54
I was a comedian in the early eighties and would often do the comedy store Improv, Osko's, and the black club circuit around Los Angeles. I remember playing in the black Clubs and would talk to Robin during those nights. He was a very young looking man like myself, very slim or little. But he always felt comfortable in the down home clubs. He knew who he was and like a preacher who was nurtured by his church so was Robin by the black clubs during those days. I brought a more college thoughtful style to audiences and was still trying to connect with a more down -home style. I had not at that time found my voice. But Robin did. Renaldo Rey also performed with us at the black clubs. Both Robin and Renaldo did not play well at the Comedy Store. Robin accepted that. But I wanted the Comedy Store and cross-over audiences. I left stand-up in 1982 to persue religious training at Oakwood College in Huntsville AL,to prepare for ministry. So I don't remember any avenue or outlet for exclusively black talent outside of the black clubs in L.A. That's why I was not aware of the Comedy Act Theater. Had it not been for wider exposure fostered by cable events that expanded awarness of black talent, not sure if people like Robin Harris and many others would have become so popular.