Dag, DAG. The talking heads over at Comedy Central convinced you to head up an obvious wink-wink-nudge-nudge show to up their cachet and fill the Black comedic void left by Chappelle’s Show. This show — Chocolate News, is supposed to be a satirical look into the issues relevant and prevalent in the Black community, with a dash of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report for good measure. Cram it all into a 22-minute show and you’ve got Chocolate News.
I want to like this show. I mean, it looks good on paper, y’know? David Alan Grier is an accomplished comedian most well-known for his roles on In Living Color. Comedy Central has the political satire game on lock. Surely putting the two together would be comedic gangbusters. So far though, Chocolate News comes off like…well…In Living Color. Characters Grier have played so far include a breast-baring transsexual, an overweight, misogynistic gangster rapper, and a cross-eyed thug against high gas prices. The combination of acerbic editorials and half-assed sketch pieces (along with a 30-minute time slot) will probably doom this show to a first-season cancellation. It’s a shame really; considering how many people are prone to showing their ass because of the overwhelming support of Barack Obama, Chocolate News could be at the forefront of capitalizing on the idiocy and gaffes that are sure to come.
Instead, we have David Alan Grier with fake tits. Nice.
Not to be left behind in the Black-comedian-hosts-current-events-satire trend, CNN will premiere D.L. Hughley Breaks The News tonight at 10pm. My original thought? I hope D.L. has some super glue handy. A Black man and broken property? I’m just sayin’…
I had the chance to see the first episode earlier this week (there are also some video clips up on CNN.com), and just off the top, it seems like more of a finished product than Chocolate News. The show is an hour long, and features interviews and in-the-field type reporting satire.
Y’know, like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.
Tune in tonight and judge for yourself.
yeah I agree with you on your thoughts about chocolate news it is funny but I feel that it would be better if it were of a satire rather than a sketch comedy show. It would be nice to have the same format as The Daily Show and The Colbert Report but from a black perspective…
I think Mr. Hughley actually broke the news. I only caught the last segment (so I’m fully qualified to comment on the entire episode, clearly), but, wow. Painful stuff.
I have not fully wrapped my head around why D.L. has a show on CNN. I feel as if such a show would be more appropriate on Comedy Central. CNN seems to want to break into industries it has no business going into. As for Chocolate news, from what I’ve seen it looks funny, but not something that will last, like you said. But I’ll enjoy it until Comedy Central pulls the plug.
I’m shocked that CNN has taken up this sub-genre. They really should just leave it well alone, or at least go with hometown hero Tyler Perry (you heard it here first).
As for DAG and Chocolate News, I want to like it too. Give it some time and maturing. Black men really don’t need to do drag to crossover. I want CN to be as grown-up as it’s anchor.