- ISBN: 9781556524318 | 1556524315
- Cover: Paperback
- Copyright: 8/1/2002
This collection of anecdotes, tales, jokes, toasts, rhymes, satire, riffs, poems, stand-up sketches, and snaps documents the evolution of African American humour over the past two centuries. It includes routines and writings from such luminaries as Bert Williams, Butterbeans and Susie, Stepin Fetchit, Moms Mabley, Ralph Ellison, Langston Hughes, Redd Foxx, Ishmael Reed, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, Martin Lawrence, and Chris Rock. This anthology includes classic stage routines, literary examples, and witty quotations presented in their entirety.
Mel Watkins is a former editor for the New York Times Book Review and the author of On the Real Side and Dancing with Strangers. He lives in New York City.
| Foreword | p. xi |
| Introduction | p. xvii |
| Playin' the Foor ... Slavery | |
| Proverbs | |
| Plantation Proverbs (Joel Chandler Harris) | p. 3 |
| Some New Proverbs (M. Quad) | p. 4 |
| Animal Tales and Rhymes | |
| Uncle Remus Initiates the Little Boy (Joel Chandler Harris) | p. 5 |
| The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story (Joel Chandler Harris) | p. 6 |
| Why Mr. Possum Loves Peace (Joel Chandler Harris) | p. 8 |
| How Mr. Rabbit Was Too Sharp for Mr. Fox (Joel Chandler Harris) | p. 10 |
| Mr. Rabbit Grossly Deceives Mr. Fox (Joel Chandler Harris) | p. 11 |
| Mr. Fox Is Again Victimized (Joel Chandler Harris) | p. 14 |
| The Ape (Folk) | p. 16 |
| Bad Birds (Folk) | p. 16 |
| Catching the Snake and the Yellowjackets (Charles C. Jones) | p. 17 |
| The Flea (Folk) | p. 18 |
| The Woodpecker (Folk) | p. 18 |
| A Roost on the Rim of the Moon (E. C. L. Adams) | p. 18 |
| The Rooster and the Chicken (Folk) | p. 20 |
| Numskull Tales | |
| Talking Turtle (Folk) | p. 20 |
| The Mojo (Folk) | p. 21 |
| Amos and the Union Officer (Folk) | p. 22 |
| John in Jail (Folk) | p. 22 |
| John and the Blacksnake (Folk) | p. 22 |
| Trickster Tales | |
| The Laugh That Meant Freedom (Folk) | p. 24 |
| Mo' Nigger (Folk) | p. 24 |
| The Champion (Folk) | p. 25 |
| Old Master and Okra (Folk) | p. 26 |
| Strong Man Jack (Folk) | p. 29 |
| Swapping Dreams (Folk) | p. 29 |
| The Passing of Grandison | p. 30 |
| Pompey and the Jackass (Peter Randolph) | p. 44 |
| Rhymes, Riddles, and Songs | |
| We Raise de Wheat (Frederick Douglass) | p. 44 |
| Run, Nigger, Run (Folk) | p. 45 |
| Massa Had a Yaller Girl (Folk) | p. 45 |
| Comic Lyrics from Slave Folk and Work Songs (Folk) | p. 46 |
| John and Ole Massa Tales | |
| The Horsefly (Folk) | p. 47 |
| The Ducks Get the Cotton (Folk) | p. 47 |
| Baby in the Crib (Folk) | p. 48 |
| The Fight (Folk) | p. 49 |
| The Yearling (Folk) | p. 50 |
| Old Marster Eats Crow (Folk) | p. 50 |
| John Praying (Folk) | p. 51 |
| Old Boss and John at the Praying Tree (Folk) | p. 51 |
| Lay My Burden Down ... Emancipation to the Roaring Twenties | |
| Lies and How Come Tales | |
| Git Back! (Folk) | p. 56 |
| Apple Peelin' (Folk) | p. 57 |
| Heard the Bullet Twice (Folk) | p. 57 |
| The Story of the Deluge and How It Came About (Joel Chandler Harris) | p. 57 |
| Why the Negro Is Black (Joel Chandler Harris) | p. 59 |
| The First White Man (Folk) | p. 60 |
| The Water's Deep (Folk) | p. 60 |
| De Ole 'oman an' Me (A. C. Gordon) | p. 61 |
| Uncle Remus's Church Experience (Joel Chandler Harris) | p. 63 |
| The Conjurer's Revenge | p. 64 |
| John Sharecrops for Old Boss (Folk) | p. 74 |
| John on Trial (Folk) | p. 76 |
| Uncle Remus and the Savannah Darkey (Joel Chandler Harris) | p. 76 |
| Jesse James and the Graveyard (Folk) | p. 78 |
| Post-Slavery Aphorisms (Folk) | p. 78 |
| When Malindy Sings (Paul Laurence Dunbar) | p. 79 |
| Practical Preacher (Folk) | p. 81 |
| The Preacher and the Board Meeting (Folk) | p. 81 |
| Colored in America (Bert Williams) | p. 82 |
| The Fruitful Sleeping of the Rev. Elisha Edwards | p. 82 |
| Move My Ears (Billy Kersands) | p. 87 |
| Bank Robbers (Williams and Walker) | p. 88 |
| Jokes, Stories, Songs, etc. | |
| Stories and Jokes | p. 88 |
| Songs and Rhymes | p. 91 |
| When It's All Goin' Out and Nothin' Comin' In | p. 91 |
| Believe Me | p. 92 |
| Dat's Harmony | p. 92 |
| Jonah Man | p. 93 |
| The Pig and the Porcupine | p. 93 |
| Doughnuts Round | p. 93 |
| The Medicine Man | p. 94 |
| Nevermo' | p. 94 |
| Sayings and Observations | p. 94 |
| Objections (Folk) | p. 98 |
| Children's Rhyme (Folk) | p. 98 |
| Lord, Will I Ever (Folk) | p. 98 |
| An Indignation Dinner (James David Corrothers) | p. 99 |
| Same Old Question (W. E. B. DuBois) | p. 99 |
| Indefinite Talk Routine (Miller and Lyles) | p. 100 |
| Bad Nigger Tales | |
| Jack Johnson and the Hotel Clerk (Folk) | p. 101 |
| Champion's Still a Nigger (Folk) | p. 102 |
| Jack Johnson in Georgia (Folk) | p. 102 |
| Looking for Change (Folk) | p. 102 |
| Who Goes There? (Folk) | p. 102 |
| Mind Yo' Business (Folk) | p. 103 |
| Kill Me if You Can (Folk) | p. 103 |
| John and the Judge (Folk) | p. 103 |
| Can't Win for Losing (Folk) | p. 104 |
| Guilty as Charged (Folk) | p. 104 |
| Bottom Bound (Stringbeans and Sweetie) | p. 105 |
| Shine, or the Sinking of the Titanic (Folk) | p. 105 |
| The Signifying Monkey (Folk) | p. 108 |
| New Day's A-Coming ... The Harlem Renaissance to the Fifties | |
| Jokes and Routines | |
| Get Yourself a Monkey-Man | p. 113 |
| Too Many Ups | p. 113 |
| I Want a Hot Dog in My Roll | p. 114 |
| I Ain't Scared of You | p. 114 |
| Until the Real Thing Come Along | p. 115 |
| Indefinite Sentence (Folk) | p. 116 |
| From The Walls of Jericho | p. 116 |
| The Faith Healer (Folk) | p. 130 |
| Early Blues Lyrics (Folk) | p. 130 |
| Ghost Story (Tim Moore and Andrew Tribel) | p. 132 |
| Why Women Got the Advantage of Men | p. 134 |
| Sound Advice (Folk) | p. 138 |
| From Black No More | p. 139 |
| Hanging Out (Folk) | p. 158 |
| Great Men (Oscar Micheaux) | p. 158 |
| Chitlin' Circuit Routines | |
| Go Ahead and Sing (Rastus Murray and Henry Drake) | p. 161 |
| Ain't Nobody Here! (Willie Too Sweet) | p. 162 |
| Open the Door, Richard (Dusty Fletcher) | p. 163 |
| Where's the Money? (Spo-Dee-O-Dee) | p. 166 |
| Here Come de Judge (Dewey "Pigmeat" Markham) | p. 166 |
| Half Mine (John "Spider Bruce" Mason) | p. 167 |
| The Conjure-Man Dies | p. 168 |
| No'lasses (Folk) | p. 171 |
| Quips and Cracks from Hollywood Film Clowns | |
| Stepin Fetchit | p. 172 |
| Mathew "Stymie" Beard | p. 173 |
| Willie Best | p. 173 |
| "Butterfly" McQueen | p. 173 |
| Mantan Moreland | p. 174 |
| Radio Repartee (Eddie "Rochester" Anderson) | p. 174 |
| Laziest Man in the World (Stepin Fetchit) | p. 176 |
| How Old? (Satchel Paige) | p. 176 |
| Mexicana Rose | p. 177 |
| Fastball (Monte Irvin) | p. 182 |
| Cartoon (Oliver W. Harrington) | p. 183 |
| Jokes and Routines | |
| Old Men | p. 184 |
| Counting on His Fingers | p. 184 |
| $25 a Question | p. 185 |
| Cab Calloway | p. 185 |
| Love Is Like a Game of Checkers | p. 185 |
| Miami-Red Light's for Us | p. 186 |
| Old Man in the Hospital | p. 186 |
| Old Men Left Behind | p. 187 |
| Accidents | p. 187 |
| Robbers | p. 188 |
| Thought I Was Having a Good Time | p. 188 |
| You Ain't So Smart | p. 188 |
| Dog on the Bus | p. 189 |
| Trouble with Old Men | p. 189 |
| Jesse B. Simple Tales | |
| Temptation | p. 190 |
| There Ought to Be a Law | p. 192 |
| Race Relations | p. 194 |
| That Word Black | p. 195 |
| Dear Dr. Butts | p. 197 |
| From Amos 'n' Andy (Various Writers) | p. 200 |
| Observations | |
| Illegal Pitches | p. 203 |
| In Demand | p. 203 |
| Second Base | p. 203 |
| Second-Class Immortal | p. 203 |
| Ain't Ghana Eat (Nipsey Russell) | p. 204 |
| Still a Nigger (Nipsey Russell) | p. 204 |
| Comeuppance (Junior Mance) | p. 205 |
| Train to New York (Two Tons of Fun) | p. 205 |
| My Nigger (John H. Johnson) | p. 205 |
| Jokes and Routines | |
| Boss Spelled Backward | p. 206 |
| Snakebite | p. 206 |
| Black Scientists | p. 206 |
| Sneezes | p. 207 |
| Toasts | p. 207 |
| Knives | p. 207 |
| Eat What You Love | p. 207 |
| Backing Up | p. 208 |
| $240,000 | p. 208 |
| Oh, George! | p. 208 |
| Sugar Ray | p. 209 |
| Revival Preacher | p. 209 |
| FM | p. 209 |
| President Johnson | p. 210 |
| Depression Time | p. 210 |
| First Politician | p. 210 |
| Love Song | p. 210 |
| What You See Is What You Get ... Civil Rights to the Millennium | |
| From Nigger: An Autobiography | p. 214 |
| The Battle of Little Rock (Folk) | p. 218 |
| Heroes Ain't Born (Redd Foxx) | p. 219 |
| Cadillac Flambe | p. 219 |
| From The Wig | p. 233 |
| Temporary Job (Timmie Rogers) | p. 241 |
| Steamin' (Folk) | p. 241 |
| Closer to Welfare (Slappy White) | p. 241 |
| Running for Vice President (Slappy White) | p. 241 |
| A Fair Fight (Folk) | p. 242 |
| Cartoon (Oliver W. Harrington) | p. 243 |
| From Blind Man With a Pistol | p. 244 |
| Lean and Mean (Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.) | p. 249 |
| Blackface (Ossie Davis) | p. 250 |
| Tall, Tan, Young, and Fly (Frankie Crocker) | p. 250 |
| Black Rioters (Dick Gregory) | p. 251 |
| American History (Dick Gregory) | p. 252 |
| Kittens and Biscuits (Malcolm X) | p. 254 |
| From Yellow Back Radio Broke-Down | p. 255 |
| Before God Get the News (Muhammad Ali) | p. 265 |
| From for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf (Ntozake Shange) | p. 265 |
| Jokes | |
| After You | p. 267 |
| Eating Too Well | p. 268 |
| The Suburbs | p. 268 |
| Just in Case | p. 268 |
| From The Loves and Lives of Mr. Jiveass Nigger | p. 268 |
| Jokes and Routines | |
| Cowboys and Colored People | p. 272 |
| Kids | p. 274 |
| Cheap Hotel | p. 275 |
| Church on Sunday | p. 277 |
| Ugly Baby | p. 277 |
| Christopher Columbus | p. 278 |
| Jokes | |
| Paul Revere/Betsy Ross | p. 280 |
| Blame-a-Nigger | p. 281 |
| Nigger Raisins | p. 281 |
| From South Street | p. 281 |
| Magid and Mudbone | p. 291 |
| Baseball Jokes (Various Players) | p. 300 |
| Nigger Look Just Like You (Richard Pryor) | p. 301 |
| Don't Let Me Down (Eddie Murphy) | p. 301 |
| O.J. Simpson Jokes | |
| Going to Cancun (Folk) | p. 302 |
| The Best Defense (Folk) | p. 302 |
| Bad Fit (Johnny Cochran) | p. 303 |
| The Dozens--Caps and Snaps | |
| Smell and Looks Caps | p. 303 |
| Dumb and Poor Caps | p. 304 |
| The Dozens--Yo' Momma Caps | p. 305 |
| Women and Men | |
| Marital Counseling (Folk) | p. 307 |
| Equal Rights (LaWanda Page) | p. 307 |
| A Prayer and a Promise (Folk) | p. 307 |
| Different Strokes (Richard Pryor) | p. 308 |
| Old Man and Young Man (Moms Mabley) | p. 308 |
| Perfect Health (Folk) | p. 308 |
| Women vs. Women (Damon Wayans) | p. 309 |
| Payback Is a Bitch (Michelle Youngblood) | p. 309 |
| Lost Luggage (Folk) | p. 309 |
| Curb Your Dog (Eve) | p. 310 |
| Hunters (Dave Chappelle) | p. 310 |
| Overeating (Janet Cormier) | p. 310 |
| Random Quips from Famous Wits | |
| Gettin' It (Steve Harvey) | p. 310 |
| Senility (Bill Cosby) | p. 311 |
| New Tricks (Bill Cosby) | p. 311 |
| On My Feet (Spike Lee) | p. 311 |
| Not All Black (Redd Foxx) | p. 311 |
| Just Us (Richard Pryor) | p. 312 |
| Being Famous (Dave Chappelle) | p. 312 |
| The American Dream (Paul Mooney) | p. 312 |
| Pass the Milk (Bernie Mack) | p. 312 |
| From You So Crazy | p. 313 |
| The Old School | |
| All Turned Around (Folk) | p. 315 |
| Cockeyed Junior (Richard Pryor) | p. 315 |
| Old Bull and Young Bull (Folk) | p. 315 |
| Running Machinery (Folk) | p. 316 |
| I Ain't Loss! (Folk) | p. 316 |
| Trifocals (Bill Cosby) | p. 317 |
| Hard to Fool (Folk) | p. 317 |
| Pennies from Heaven (Folk) | p. 317 |
| Top That (Folk) | p. 318 |
| The New School | |
| Worse Than That (Folk) | p. 318 |
| One White Guy (Dave Chappelle) | p. 319 |
| Hyde Park (Folk) | p. 319 |
| Fool Me Once (Folk) | p. 319 |
| Unforgettable (Folk) | p. 320 |
| Rappers (Damon Wayans) | p. 320 |
| Formal Introduction (Folk) | p. 320 |
| Don't Blame Me (Folk) | p. 321 |
| Yardwork (Folk) | p. 321 |
| From Oxherding Tale | p. 321 |
| Jokes | |
| Acne Cure | p. 336 |
| Big Words | p. 336 |
| Third World Perfume | p. 336 |
| Wrong War | p. 337 |
| From Rock This! | |
| Reverse Racism | p. 337 |
| A Country Divided | p. 338 |
| The Black Experience | p. 338 |
| We All Look the Same in the Dark | p. 340 |
| Help Wanted: One Leader. Please Apply Within | p. 341 |
| A Creative Solution | p. 343 |
| Who You Calling Racist? | p. 344 |
| Mommy? Can I Say "Nigger"? | p. 346 |
| The Most Racist Guy in the World | p. 347 |
| Color Coding | p. 348 |
| Supermarket Sweepstakes | p. 349 |
| Why Do You Think They Call It "School?" | p. 350 |
| Money Money Money Money | p. 352 |
| Authors and Comedians | p. 357 |
| Credits | p. 370 |
| Index | p. 373 |
| Table of Contents provided by Syndetics. All Rights Reserved. |
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