As practically everyone knows, comedians have come under attack these days for comments that allegedly offended a few folks. Nonetheless, the new A&E two-part documentary Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution, which airs Wednesday and Thursday at 8 p.m. EST is sure to remind viewers that jokes are either insulting or self-deprecating. Naturally, one of the comedians featured in the short is the trailblazing, outspoken Richard Pryor. Rain Pryor is ecstatic about honoring her late father’s legacy. The actress, writer, and daughter of iconic comedian Richard Pryor recalled childhood memories of her father in a recent PEOPLE Every Day podcast. Rain Pryor was very frank about reconciling the darker side of her father and admitted that he used to get “ahead of whatever press there was going to be” with a no-filter approach.
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Excited about a new generation learning “historical context and meaning,” Rain added:
“My dad was honest and open about who he was, and his demons and his addictions. We were living it, we were going through it with him, so nothing was a surprise. If he was doing drugs, it would be like, ‘I’m doing cocaine, don’t you every do it!’ I was the kid that would show up with the big ‘just say no to drugs’ signs and leaving condoms on his bed for safe sex.”
Documentary Shows How Generations of Black Comedians Turned Red Hot Button Issues Into Hilarity
Part 1: The Revolutionaries, is a brief history of Black comedy including the underground “party records” phenomenon (Redd Foxx recorded more than 50 such albums, and Moms Mabley was notorious as well). Richard Pryor and Paul Mooney get honorable mentions, of course. Earlier emerging pioneers include Dick Gregory and Slappy White.
“Being asked about Black comedy and its social relevance at the time, and what that means for comics today, was a chance to really celebrate who my dad. We are headed in a really strange, new and different counterculture, as opposed to when my dad was first starting out in his standup, which was part of that revolutionary political and social counterculture.”
Part 2: The Contemporaries reminds audiences of the criticism Eddie Murphy received for not being more political, yet he managed to move on to rock-star ascension. Black comedy clubs such as the Uptown Comedy Club in Harlem and the Comedy Act Theatre in South Central L.A. are recognized. Also mentioned are TV shows such as In Living Color and Def Comedy Jam. Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle are noted for bringing social criticism back to the stage.
Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution premiers on A&E on June 29, and June 30, 2022, on A&E at 8 p.m. EST and available for streaming the next day.