Stand up comedians exemplify the trans-generational nature of our culture. With their ability to fully embody all of societies diverging values, while still always grazing the edge of change, they serve as the conscience of the people. As Lawrence Mintz argues, comics are licensed to say the unspeakable because they have the pity of the audience; they use the power of laughter to unite communities and tread societies shade of gray, and the most successful of them exercise a full awareness in the art of rhetoric. Mintz points out that comedians use these weak pity warranting social positions to actually empower themselves.i
One of the top stand up comedians known for this today is Chris Rock; he uses rhetoric to persuade his audience into finding humor in some of the darkest aspects of our society. Chris Rock uses rhetoric in his stand up Never Scared to persuade his audience to adopt his views, while at the same time reversing the pity warranting image that Mintz's claims gives a comic his license to speak freely. Both of these personal intentions of Rock's in his stand up are dependent solely on how well he connects to the core values of his audience. Rock is credited for being best able at connecting the disintegration of family and relationship values of Blacks.
In Never Scared, Chris Rock discusses the deteriorating values of Black America and how these values are affecting black culture in America. He utilizes theories in social family structure with the African American family today and establishes himself as a role model for the black culture. He also sarcastically undermines the institution of marriage and the battle of the sexes in an intelligent and witty manner. Not only is he socially aware of all of these things that I have mentioned, he is also aware of the embarrassing acts from his race whom he spitefully labels “niggas.” Allow me to expand on the issues Chris Rock brings up in his comedy routines.
The days of funny schtick and prat falls are basically over. Through the years, much more substance has come to the attention of America when it comes to stand-up comedy. Lawrence Mintz states the following concerning this phenomena on page 72;
“ Clearly it is a popular art that is central to American entertainment, but in the universal tradition of public joking rituals it is more than that as well; it is an important part of the nation's cultural life.”i
Chris Rock is an excellent example of this statement.
In Never Scared, Rock opens his routine with confidence and mentions his daughter, alluding to the reason why he hasn't been on the road in so long.
“It's amazing when you have a girl… It's eye opening, because I realize, I'm the man in her life. My relationship with my daughter is going to affect her relationship with men for the rest of her life. Every man in here has dated a woman with some daddy issues. That s@%$# ain't fun ok. She's giving you a hard time for some s@%$# her daddy did in 1969.” (Chris Rock, 2006)
Ever the sarcastic encourager, Rock sets up an example that needs to be revisited in the black community. He's sensible and funny here but he is also alluding to something important. The black man in today's culture needs to understand the importance of bringing up baby girls. He states that sometimes he picks her up out of her stroller, looks at her and that's when it hits him;
“My job in this life now is to keep my baby off the pole!”
Of course he is referring to the ever-ominous pole found in every strip club in the world. This is profound wisdom for the deadbeat dads out there who aren't with their daughters. Some fathers are right in the room but to busy watching the game to pay any attention to the direction she might be headed if he doesn't start to get to know his little girl who is growing up.
It's interesting to note that an article by Kathryn Edin and Laura Lein almost discuss the same issue.ii With the rise of single mothers in urban areas and their struggle to make ends meet, we have to wonder what the sociological and psychological implications for the child are growing up in an environment without a father. Many of these children will grow up to be drug dealers, strippers and prostitutes in their struggle to get away from the economic prison they were unwillingly placed in at birth.
Speaking of birth, let's examine Rock's use of abortion and marriage. Nilsen discusses the important element of sexism in comedy routines in his article;
