Murphy had been holding his legendary concert film 'Delirious' off of DVD for a long time because he is embarrased about the language and gay bashing. It just came out with an apology from Murphy on the disc.
Glad you participated with us on the thread. YOu added some fun & thoughtful ideas/comments!
"Get that lighter fluid outta here...".
Good for him on both counts. Stand-up comedy should be harsh, it should be brutal, and it should be in and of its time; it's a potent form of satire, and the comics I respect least are the ones who try to be bland and inoffensive so they can land a sitcom deal. Actually, make that second-least. The ones I like least are the ones who aren't funny.
If the language is offensive to latter-day ears, it should be explained and put in context. If I had some of the stuff I said in my early twenties widely circulated on video today, i would certainly want to attach some disclaimers.
There is a great cartoon titled "Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs." Warner Brothers has tried to flush it down the memory hole. It's a 1941 parody of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" voiced by an all-black cast. It is a fabulous example of the animator's art in 1941, and also of the state of jazz in that year. And it is wall-to-wall with grotesque and offensive racial stereotypes.
It's on Google video. I wouldn't recommend watching it unless you're able to separate artistic merit from content; like watching "Triumph of the Will" or "Birth of a Nation." I'll FRmail the link on request. So how do you deal with that kind of thing? The usual response has been to bury it, but that's not feasible in the internet era.
I've had an idea for several years now to put together a series for cable with the most egregious examples of stereotypes that also include the best performances by black (or Asian, Hispanic, American Indian, whatever) actors of their day. To me, it is a cruel irony that black performers, who did good work despite worse oppression than anyone in America faces today, are consigned to be forgotten because the roles they were offered are now considered demeaning.
During the Civil Rights era of the '60s, Hattie McDaniel -- the first black Oscar winner -- was criticized for playing subservient "Mammy" roles (Most memorably in "Gone With the Wind"). Her response, which is pretty damned difficult to fault, is that when she couldn't find acting gigs she had to make ends meet as an actual domestic servant. Playing at scrubbing floors is better than scrubbing floors, and it pays more.
So my idea is this: bring out the offensive cartoons. Bust open the Disney Vault and let Song of the South out. Bring back Amos 'n' Andy. And intercut the segments with commentary, discussion, and debate over where the stereotypes came from, what they mean, and why they're wrong. Write teachers' guides for class discussion, Don't try to hide a bad message, because folks who want that will find it; take it head-on and kill it where it sleeps.