by
Chinwe
There is a class of black male comedians on Instagram who derive laughs from portraying black women. There is the popular Suzan, a crazy and extremely jealous Jamaican girlfriend played by PrinceMarni (627,000 followers). There is also the famous Titi, a sometimes insecure and argumentative black woman played by BlameItOnKway (2.3 million followers). While these and other Instagram comedians (e.g., QuitePerry, BillionaireMH) have some pretty funny skits, one has to wonder what it means that so many black male comedians have to mock and imitate black women to go viral.
The stereotypes these comedians play on vary; the widely accepted image of “the angry black woman”… Our attitudes … Our jealous rants … Our hunger for drama. Laughs and social media fame often follow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVPAkv0V9Ak
But why? It seems that both in mainstream and black culture, lampooning black women is a fast way to get laughs. While some of these skits are admittedly kind of funny, the overarching trend doesn’t have us laughing.
98 Responses
They’re not even “comedians.” Just average people with social media, and other average people regard them as “public figures” now, because today’s generation has pathetically lowered its standards regarding “fame.”
You know I was just speaking in this topic to a friend of mine. I was primarily put off by the need for black comedians to play homosexual roles to be funny. I dont find it amusing as much as I find it concerning. Yes! I agree that the jokes and skits are funny and at times relatable But, the constant ridicule of black women has to stop. I dont believe that we are depicted as the beautiful talented nurturing women that we are and allude. It’s time for a change in the trending comedian skits.
Because black women are the most put upon, disrespected, neglected and dismissed group of women collectively and it starts here with our very own men, for the rest of the world to see and emulate.
It’s a little bit of a lot of things some good some bad: a little bit of innocent humor, stereotypes, misogyny, income and fame producing, self hate, making fun of your own experiences, hidden desires, self love, exaggeration. It depends on who’s doing it and in what way. There is some accuracy and some fallacy. Some humor and some hurt and hurtfulness. We should be careful though in what we as a people present to the world. Is it more important to be seen and laughed at than to be respected? Only the comedians can answer that.
Everyone makes money or work from us. Madea movies. You tube bashing videos. Etc. I think we contribute by giving it attention. We need to ignore it all. Next time a trick daddy comment comes on, just keep it moving.
Black men do it because there is no price to paid for doing it. It’s just that simple.
Well Black men got away with rap music calling Black women bitches and hoes and worse for decades now….with the silence and enabling, and support of Black women and men….and then there are legions of Black males on youtube doing the same and even worse than rap music to degrade Black women and again, everyone is silent…..sooooo….I just wonder what’s next?
Black men need to start doing skits about their down low homosexual behavior, then let’s see them get unhinged in rage. Let sensitive things about them become a laughing stock and see how they like it. Lets see them polishing their guns ready to shoot another negro over Jordans and lets see if they tell black women its just comedy.
Its all fun and games when they make fun of someone else. Better yet, let a white person start imitate negro males and see how they harping on and screaming about racism.
Its stupid that black male misogyny still goes on where black women are the butt of jokes for profit. Its disgusting.
Stop giving these black male attention. Do not buy their stuff and do not attend their pathetic concerts and definitely do not watch their low IQ videos. These pathetic so called men are literally biting the very hand that feeds them. SMH
Black women are an easy target, hurt people hurt people. The men who dress up as black women, and make fun of us, they are only following a formula that they know will work. They see the greats doing it, Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, Tyler Perry etc., They see the success they received, so they try to follow in their footsteps. I’m tired of it, because it’s so stereotypical, and it contributes to the disrespect of Black women by other races.
YYEESSS!!!!!
But tbh, I hate how the other side of this kind of humour is based in mocking the black lgbt+ community
Joanne the scammer mocks white women, specifically those who have just recently entered the world of suburbia… I guess to an extent she mocks black womend who’ve also just entered the “Caucasian life style” and try act likehow they see other suburban women.
if they are not calling us names used for garden tolls then they are mocking how we look and the things we do to make ourselves feel beautiful. Yet when we protest about the abuse we recive we are told to be quiet. These are the same males that will become the fathers of our children but yet have so little respect for us.
So why make them the father’s of your children?…..Black males are not the only men in this world and by Black women accepting this treatment it will not get better for the Black girls coming up…Black w o men CAN cut Black men off at the knees.
We don’t want to cut ALL black men at the knees some are excellent (mi marido). We want them ALL to act maturely and be respectful.
No everyone like to mix up and blend. I love black men and going to another race sometimes doesn’t make a difference.
The skits are hilarious. There’s nothing wrong with it in and of itself – it’s nothing new and other races DO do this – both men and women dressing up as the opposite gender. I’ve seen skits with black women playing as stereotypical black men that are hilarious as well. HOWEVER, black men portraying black women gets way more attention than all the others. That could be because black people are just funnier and in my opinion tend to be the best entertainers and performers… but it could also be because people like seeing black men emasculating themselves and also like fixating on and making fun of black women. The fact that so many black male comedians are doing this is problematic. There are other ways to be funny, and as a comedian you have to take everything into account and know when things aren’t tasteful. As funny as the skits are, in the bigger context of things, now is not the time to be making those jokes, at least not on the internet. If I was with a bunch of my black friends hanging out at some kind of party or something and they played skits like that I wouldn’t mind, but this isn’t something that should be shared with people of other races at this point.
joanne the scammer is supposed to be a white woman cracked out. she says it all the time.
I think this goes beyond just black men. Putting them in dresses is a big part of mainstream entertainment. Try making a list of black male entertainers who HAVEN’T been in dresses and you will see how widespread it is.
Wow what a coincident that I would come across this article when a little over a week ago I was cursed out by PatD Lucky after calling him out on his minstrel show. A couple of other people questioned his characters origin, however it was my bluntness that struck a nerve in him so much so that he blew up my inbox with screen shots of angry black women that were offended by me asking this white man/mixed___ why he mocks black women. His inbox fury didn’t end there. He began to gloat about the income he brings in by mocking black women and took pleasure over the assumption that my questioning his character was fueled by empty pockets. A burger flipper is what he calls it. It was an immature exchange of words but pretty much answers our question. Most of these comedians know that mocking or disrespecting black women is and always has been a lucrative business that is well received by the masses because we are the most disrespected and unprotected person in America.
By the way, you don’t have to relate to a stereotype to be offended. Right now half of America is offended by Donald Trump’s stereotype of Blacks, Mex-icans and Mu-slims and some of you who are telling black women to chill are just as offended as the rest of America so why stifle black women for a concern we have within our own community.
Why does every darn thing have to be gay related..really!!! Sure some of the skits are funny,I have known many a black female that would act they way they are portrayed…so let’s get some female comedians to make fun of the fellers.we all need to lighten up a bit..world is harsh enough..and really it’s just like playing the dozens…as long as the black men respect women in real life…who cares!!!
Umm… you’re delusional. They don’t respect Black women in real life. And when they find you attractive they sexually harass so much.
Why thanks..such an intelligent answer..I guess your circles are very limited,as of your view of black men…or different types of black women also…get out more.
OR you can learn to respect Black women and girls yourself and not become immune to the humiliation that has been going on for centuries. Self preservation is a thing.
And are probably gay.
No, a joke isn’t a joke. Constantly making mockery of black women using racist and sexist stereotypes isn’t funny. These are the same men who would be offended if a white man was imitating black men and mocking them by pretending to be gangsters, stupid (low IQ), illiterate etc. They would protest. But it’s ok to do so to women. Black women have to stop tolerating misogynoir just because it comes from black men (in the form of stereotyping and mocking black women in comedy, degrading them in music videos, propagating stereotypes about them etc)
I think it’s like an inside joke. I never felt offense by it and I never thought they were imitating real women, but just making bigger characterizations of the women in their lives. I think it’s a thing that is for us and by us and I’m more concerned when men and women of other races are doing this or making fun of us in other ways.
Thank you. So this article is basically saying that only certain comedy is acceptable and any creativity that falls outside of that is automatically “cooning and buffooning”. I’m sick of generalizations being placed over what a handful of people are doing, they need to worry about something more substantial.
Making fun of Black women is orginal?
What are you talking about?
None of the handful of people you speak of are doing anything original. Making fun of Black women have been going on for centuries and if you do your research you’d know that yes it’s cooning and buffooning – it’s NOT ORIGINAL. Stop using Black women as punching bags, that’s why there so much bullying going on at schools towards Black girls. You’ve normalized humiliation.
Simmer down. You sound as though you’ve been practicing to say that to someone for a while so I’m glad you finally got a chance to use your little paragraph. 1st of all, I don’t use myself as a punching bag. 2nd, it’s funny. 3rd, what research? I don’t need to do research to know that people are overreacting about these FB comedians. It’s not that serious, and I’m not going to be offended because someone else thinks I should. There are greater problems going on than being made fun of regardless of how long “black women have been punching bags” or whatever mess you are talking, like us being shot by police for no reason or the fact that we have a racist president in office. If you don’t find these guys funny, kick rocks and move on, aint nobody telling you to watch them. PRIORITIES
The fact that this had been going on for centuries is why individually you can’t see a pattern. If you would pick up a book you’re understand the degradation of the Black women is not a new thing, just a new generation doing the same old same old.
Well,
This is true. While it can be funny, I have to admit, it gets repetitive, boring and bordering on scratching my nerves and I’m not even american. you’ve done well by calling the public’s attention. But we should show, in person, if we are hurt by this. It’s a stereotype. There are a lot of stereotypes out there. It can be simply solved by calling whoever out on it in person and destroying such expectations from your circle of people. There are different kinds of comedy out there. Let’s not nitpick this, but be strong about it and praise the positive sides of the ‘stereotypical’ black woman. It may make people laugh, but it garners unwanted admiration from the European-americans (white people) to the point of them wanting to be like us and appropriate our mannerisms in their comedy. Like the fact that we are go-getters, we persevere and are not easily fooled. We should find ways to capitalize on it and make it our strength in a good way. This is how we can reduce negative notions.
This may garner attention, but at least it makes us aware, so we don’t accept some norm that prevents us from speaking out.
I’ve been wondering the same thing myself. Honestly, though men kind of have a track record of imitating women for laughs/profit. Some of it is talent and funny, other times I think it’s just laziness, probably a mix of arrogance, too (i.e. I can be you but better). It’s crazy cause all the stereotypes they embody in the skit that garners them praise are the very same stereotypes women are rejected for doing. Black men, I would say, do it the most, but it’s not limited to them, think Mrs. Doubtfire; men playing women during Shakespearean times when women were barred from theatre. But you rarely see it spell success when it’s the other way around though (women imitating men). I think about that whenever I see these skits. But I know one thing, I no longer buy the argument that they don’t understand women cause clearly they watch us…closely, ha!
Where are other races of men doing this to the women in their race that is equivalent to what black males do?…enlighten us.
Doesn’t exist. Also other groups also put their women on pedistals. So you have Black men with no pedistal for Black women and girls, but constant tear down and attacks.
A black man can only parody a black woman, as can a white man parody a white woman. They observe us the most. It’s not that deep. I am honoured that they parody us not other races
You honor being stereotyped? That’s estupido…
This is why I can’t stand DL Hughley. He got famous tearing down and mocking black women. He must not care that comedy should “punch up” otherwise it’s just cruel.
Unfortunately, “Black Male Comedians Go Viral by Mocking and Imitating Black Women” isn’t a fad. It goes way back.
You can’t see it on an individual level, but when you look at this trend over time, it’s really disturbing. Then there’s the fact that for most of these guys, the people supporting them the most are black women.
Men of other races aren’t doing this.
Men of other races do it. May be you haven’t been exposed to it but I’ve seen it. On the other hand though it tends to be more animated in my opinion when we are being imitated.
They also put their women on pedistals so it evens out. With Black men there is no pedistal and constant attacks.
Short answer is because it’s funny… it’s a fad right now. Move on.
No it’s not – do some research. That’s why history keeps repeating itself.
LA Bandits, I do appreciate your enthusiasm, and my research has been on par for a couple of decades now. Trust and believe that.
I AM American and I like to be entertained. Do your research on some of the funniest people in the world and the cultures in which they belong. Do your research. You will find that they are black people. Every other ethnicity that has a showing in comedy picks on their culture (George lopez and Jerry Seinfeld come to mind). Do your research. It may seem overwhelming to you, but adjust the numbers for how many black comedians you know vs white/Mexican/Arab etc… (math class).
Frankly, Rap music has a far greater reach and and far more damaging to the appearance black folks than comedy. Every time a police officer pulls a gun on a black person, he doesn’t have Madea in his head, he has the image that is celebrated by hip hop culture. Images from artists that make statements such as “when my album is released, it will raise the murder rate” but we flock to pay for this while white record companies reap the benefits. They popularized call black women as gardening tools, but the community still supports it and exposes the youth to it. This attack on comedians is frivolous. They are doing what makes people laugh. If it’s not funny to you, don’t watch it. It’s just that simple. But don’t tell me what is funny to me or what is not. How does that really sound to you? And the Dave Chapel reference? Really? I’ve never done drugs so I can’t comment on what his angle is, but later for that.
The pure talent to this is actually watching it through the eyes of a man. Just like a male through the eyes of a woman has its place. If anything, it serves as a measuring tool of how not to act and brings to light the stereotypes that ARE being perpetuated.
Throughout history, when stage entertainment was popular (Renaissance), women did not perform. The women were male actors dressed to portray women. But nobody here has dared to criticize Shakespeare. Why? Because he’s not an easy target for your neoentertainmentism? Lol… Do your dang research
Do some more research, because you’re saying nothing.
I am not American and we’re watching you humiliate yourselves on the other side. Richard Pryor made the N – word popular in pop culture. He went to Africa to perform and rich and middle class Africans were laughing and calling each other the N – word and he said he realized he made a mistake spreading that word. Then rappers took it and used it against each other and add the B & H word for the girls.
Do even more research, other cultures doing it doesn’t make it right. That’s just no argument at all.
Racism is taught. Black face was used to teach racism to White children so that they could grow up to be racist. They used Black men to make fun of Black girls, humiliate them, so they won’t want to protect them much less love them. This has been going on for decades now. Individually it seems like a job, but with research taken as a whole it is a disturbing trend that Black men can humiliate through jokes their family. Self preservation is a thing.
I recall posting a video of white Colombians blacking up and doing bad imitations of BW for laughs. As a result Young African Colombians took to the streets to protest. But as usual the whites don’t understand the backlash because they are too busy belly laughing. I tend not to like seeing grown men dressed up as women with wigs and make up so I avoid that type of entertainment.
My ex was White Columbian. In the country they make fun of the Afro Columbians that go to the market with their baskets to shop. The women are brown and beautiful and sometimes catches the eyes of rich men. So they make fun of them and ridiculing them, so the men wont fall for their beauty. AND that is want normalizing the humiliation of black women does.
They always do this to black men. This is not new or funny.
yes its hilarious
I’ve seen a few of them. Honestly I’ve never taken offense (some of the skits, I’ve even had a good laugh about) When certain stereotypes about us come up and some Black women get up In arms over it I wonder. If it’s not portraying a caricature of you why get upset? I shrug my shoulders because I often don’t relate to the skits that are acted out.
I think some of the skits must hit too close to home for some.
BUT With that said, we tend to be easy targets. Our community for the most part is not a cohesive unit. There is so much brokenness in our communities (and on certain media sites, the brokenness is Black women being fed up with Black men and vice versa) So when negative stereotypes are put in our faces (on an almost daily basis) it’s easy to get upset over it because other things have not been fixed. That’s mo.
LIES!!! Blacks people or women do no have to be monolith sheeple for this to be offensive OR be the stereotype. Two words: love and loyalty – many Black men don’t have it.
I said SOME Black women, clearly not all. And the ones who DO get upset perhaps need to look within themselves as to why it’s so upsetting to them.
That argument is so stupid. How about Black men stop trying to normalized the humiliation of Black women, which has been going on for centuries and you find so amusing. Be for women, children and puppies. Two words for you love and loyalty – learn it and be it.
Martin Lawrence (Sheneneh), Jamie Fox (Wanda), Flip Wilson (Verdine) and so many other well known black male comedians have laid down this “blue print” for success.. Interesting topic to explore further. And for the record, I cannot think of many other groups that continually make their women the butt of their jokes.
You are correct. Part of White Supremacy make White women above reproach and Black women a reproach
But that’s the problem, all these black men got fame and recognition mainly outside of the black community after selling out to put on a dress and a wig. We have never seen Denzel in a dress and Dave Chappelle ( don’t know if I spelled his last name right) basically cussed those people out he said he wasn’t bout to sell out and put on a dress. I don’t take any offense to it but it does it makes us look bad as black women getting made fun of and it makes are black men look like fools to me. I can name way more black men than white that have resorted to throwing on a dress in their career. And when the white ones did it, it wasn’t to poke fun at how white women act. Only ppl did that was the Wayne bros. I feel it can be funny wen done tastefully but making fun of black women as a black man is not tasteful at all.
Didn’t Oprah interview Kevin Hart about this Hollywood ritual. First time I’d seen Kevin Hart looking serious was during this interview. He basically denounced Chapelle’s claims. Not long after Kevin did this skit where he was dressed as a little black girl with a typical AA name. That was a bit suspect.
You forgot Tyler Perry–Madea.
Because there is no respect for black women even from their counter parts
i say its not about mocking black women. it’s called “in the closet homosexuals”. all these so called men are gay on the low and their just playing out their true desires in these skits.
Sure, some of it is funny but does always have to be at the black woman’s expenses?
Finally! Someone said it! Personally I think they like to dress as women as use comedy as their cover. It’s another way of emasculating the power of a black man.
ye because the black man is not seen as masculine at all in society right? wrong! why else do cops fear black men.
This wasn’t an article…this was just a long ass question. Do better.
Tina, I’m Glad you pointed out what made this article feel so disingenuous. Chappell quit at the height of his record breaking fame making The Chappell Show because he said eventually “they” ask u to wear a dress n put on lipstick (equivalent to what sum folks refer to as cooning)
Black men have been talking about ‘black men in a dress’ BS for years and were met with accusations of toxic masculinity, hyper masculinity, and homophobia. Now black women are seeing it as a stereo-type of them and the behavior deserves a serious look?
And we agreed with you then………. at least some of us did.
irk…how quickly they forget
oh boohoo, you’re so mistreated and oppressed.
This isnt something that I can answer in short form, so if you’re unwilling to spend a few minutes reading, then pass my comment by… Well, the truth is (and before I say it, no one should get mad at me for telling the truth as I see it because I can back it up with proof…easily) The truth is clear, the types of black women stereotypes that these men portray are representative of many of the black women who post their personal business, videos and pics on social media. We cannot deny that there are ghetto, ignorant, ratchet, quick attitude, quick to fight, quick to be sexually explicit, and more unflattering representations of black women online. The black women who do not fall into those categories are the ones who do not put all their business on social media, thus, they are far less visible. It doesnt mean there are less of them, it simply means that they are under-represented because they are not eager to live their lives on display online. The saying “art imitates life” is a good example for this because male “comedians” consider themselves artists of comedy so they get their material from what they see. Viewers eat it up, share it, laugh at it, and make these male comedians online stars. Now, I understand why black women of character and dignity do not post self degrading material online, nor do they post their respectable material online. There are only so many “I graduated” “I got the promotion” or “I got engaged/married”…etc.. posts that people will see before they become bored with the positive imagery. It’s the fighting, the cussing, overt sexuality, the fighting over men, the ripping out of weaves, and ignorance that they think is cute, that people are entertained by. People want to get upset with these comedians for portraying stereotypes, but you cant blame a comedian for imitating the actual behaviors they see online. The fault lies with the women with no character, dignity, nor self respect who feel the need to represent themselves and their sisters online in such a way. If they stop, then the imagery stops. On any given day, a person can be guaranteed to see such a video or photo online. We all take pictures of ourselves. We all make videos, but those recordings will not be posted unless we choose to post them, so if these women didnt post them, they wouldnt be there to be shared, or if these women stopped acting out stereotypes in front of other peoples cameras like its cute, then there would not be negative imagery to post. Who is going to be entertained by a black male acting like a dignified black professional woman in a online video? We might be proud of them, but not entertained by them. The other part to this question should be “why do so many black people eagerly give audience to these stereotypical and degrading comedic routines posted online?”… Without a willing audience, the act becomes pointless.
Am to go down with the lot of them just because I am a black woman? Read what you are saying! Because of the action of a few, comedians (black men who know all types of black women) are allowed to portray negative stereotypes of black women without fault or blame because it our fault we let the hood rats on post us on FB……………..
funny, i have never seen a “hoodrat” on instagram. i keep my circle of influence tight… funny how these black men are witness to so much tomfoolery. the company they like to keep is telling about the kind of people they are themselves.
also, you can lampoon someone without making fun in meanspirit. i’m nigerian ans the amount of nigerians making fun of ourselves and our parents is in a totally different tone than black american men making fun of black women.
You are delusional. This has been going on for generations. It’s part of a global disrespect for Black women. Im not American.
“While these and other Instagram comedians…have some pretty funny skits,”
“some of these skits are admittedly kind of funny,”
I think you answered your own question.
Stop liking, sharing, and yassssssss-ing their videos and maybe they will stop imitating the hoodrats that raised them and the ones they choose to let surround them.
The fact that you identified that there is a specific “hoodrat” variety of black women means that you have understanding of what they are talking about in these vines. And them making fun of it doesn’t mean that those are the kinds of women that raised them…Yal need to stop being so sensitive, you have met the kinds of women they imitate in these vines and you laughing doesn’t mean that you are one of them or that you support that kind of behavior. It shouldn’t make you offended or insecure about yourself, just laugh.
I guess when white people make videos mocking Africans as barbarians, monkeys etc. Africans shouldn’t be offended cos afterall, they’re not talking about them as they’re not those ‘kinds of people’
You need to learn love and loyalty. Every other group has it. Become it and use it.
You also need to earn love and loyalty
I have it for my sisters, that’s why I am not an Angry Zimbabwean lecturing her that her feels don’t count and she should get use to be laughed at and humiliated -that’s love. And I stand with her – that’s loyalty. You were unable to recognize them because it is foreign to you.
I have it for my sisters too. And not every black woman I meet is my sister. It takes a lot more than us sharing the same skin colour for me to be loyal too. I have family of all races and my degree of loyalty is not determined by how dark their skin is
White Supermacy is built on the hatred of Black girls and women. Racism has to be taught. Black men are teaching every one how to humiliate us. My daughter is full Black. Anyone who makes fun of her is dead to me. Colorism, anti Black thinging (which is White Supermacy) dies with me. I am freeing her. The world will respect her.
Is there any demographic that black women do not have issues with in the world?
Racial gas lighter. But follow your own advise and laugh at the humiliation of Black women. It’s nothing new – if you know history it’s been going on for centuries. Obviously you want it to continue. Have fun.
Good headline and concept that I do agree with but all of the ads and failure to explore the thesis kind of sold this article short
Black male comedian equals White wife hatred of Black women.
Black women make them hot. Go through their IG followers etc list and I can guarantee you that the majority of them are black women.
That’s a lie
No it’s the truth men don’t respect women the black male needs to learn to empower and respect us or white people will always keep us divided.The black males are doing a good enough job of dividing us themselves.
And that’s the mistake black women make. I don’t listen to black males for entertainment at all. I stopped watching the Eddie Murphys and Martin Lawrences a looong time ago when I peeped their game. I don’t listen to any rap or any music by black males in general. It degrades us as black women and I won’t pay a dime to watch or listen to black male bollocks. They have effectively make it ok for black women to be a laughing stock.
Black women should starve them of attention, period and see their so called popularity plummet a hundred fold. Lets see how then get on in life with our support. Let them seek validation from the white male who will continue to bitch slap him back into his place.
You have to decide if your issue is the content/material or the delivery. I pretty sure that ignoring or wishing the problem away isn’t going to change anything. The reason these skits are so popular is because it’s easy to identify with them. Remember, these character skits are imitation, not total fabrication. Either you know a friend or someone who at some point acted this way, or you have or would act that way under certain circumstances.
The change you’re talking about calls for social change. When acting this way stops being a norm then this comedians won’t have anyone to base their material on.
I no not know any women that behave this way. Why don’t they make fun of black men? There is plenty to laugh at where black men are concerned yet black women are a convenient scapegoat and the butt of joke for profit.
Not surprised at black male behavior. They will sell their own mothers and daughters for a few cents.
This is modern day minstrel shows and you seem to think its ok.
I agree.
In terms of the negative rap that’s out there and the videos to go with them it’s usually the WM who are responsible for heavily endorsing this crap. It’s evident that much of the positive stuff is rejected by those who control the Industry. They could careless about the damage they are doing to BW and BM’s image, reputation and credibility.
Thank you…..they get rich and popular off of Black women…why do Black women need to be told not to support their own degradation?
This is true!