It isn’t often that a show really catches me off-guard, but Chocolate News is one of those shows. I had heard about David Alan Grier working on this new show only fairly recently. The premise of it is fairly simple: a sketch comedy show catered to African-Americans.
Being white, I wasn’t sure how I was going to react to the show, but knowing David Alan Grier, I knew if anything, it would be funny. I just didn’t know it would be this funny.
The show is broken up into several segments. Some of them are sketches which feature DAG in costume and makeup and others feature other actors playing the main character. What they all have in common is they’re all hilarious.
The opening bit was something I’ve waited to hear from someone like DAG… finally someone talking about rap/hip-hop. Oh, damn, that was funny. As was the tribute to their dead former reporter. Seeing the old white guy take a beating was more fun to watch than should be allowed.
Some of the bits had DAG talking to a correspondent in the studio before and after each segment. There were a few funny exchanges, but when I saw these, what immediately came to mind wasn’t so much the comedy but the fact that everything was set up to mimic Bryant Gumble’s HBO series Real Sports. I used to love that show, but it’s on HBO.
The most disappointing segments were the Maya Angelou and N*gger Peace Treaty segments. Perhaps it’s just me, I couldn’t find a whole lot of humor in mocking Maya Angelou, though I liked her would-be speech should McCain win. And the peace treaty bit was pretty predictable.
Aside from DAG’s opening bit about rap, the segment I enjoyed most was the sketch surrounding PhatMan and the videos he did to promote No Child Left Behind. It was very over the top, but it had to be one of the funnier things I’ve seen in a while.
I’m very pleased to see that DAG and everyone else on his show is ready and willing to openly mock so many other people and their behavior. Despite my initial excitement surrounding Chocolate News, I can’t help but think that they’re going to run out of things to make fun of relatively soon.
One Comment, Comment or Ping
Eric Lizotte
Wow, those video clips were something. Particularly the last one. It seems DAG is taking the stance of Colbert when it comes to what he’s trying to represent. I mean, how he uses sarcasm, obviously.
Oct 25th, 2008