"Chocolate News": Obama's Not Black (VIDEO)

David Alan Grier, host of Comedy Central's new "Chocolate News," questions whether Barack Obama would really be the "first black president." After all, "he barely passes the brown paper bag test." Watch:

"Chocolate News" premieres Wednesday at 10:30 PM EST on Comedy Central.

Comments

[Scorpioqueen]

Sometimes the best truth is in comedy.


Vote Obama

[Hare]

Aesthete was making a good point, the problem I see is that whenever a black person does well, the tendency of the white person is to single that black person as some one different, special, rare. This is an insult to blacks for people are people and there are good decent smart black folks just like there are ignorant uneducated indecent and criminal white folks. The box is the place where we like to place people to meet our stereotypes because we are too lazy to step out of our own box and realize the world is more complicated than we thought.

[lucite]

No Obama is not black no Obama is not white. Obama is bi-racial. So now we have racism against bi-racial Americans? WTF? Why does everyone need to label people by outside packaging? What happened to the things that matter? Substance of character I guess is dead.

[cobobs]

That is what David is saying, in his own funny way? What is black or white or biracial anyway? But that is too scientific, but before we get to that point, please vote for the white half LMAO.

[ladydriver]

I'm going to vote for the "whole" man...the one who has the intelligence, the judgment, the vision, and the plan to put this nation back on the right track. Color isn't even something that should be an issue in this election, but since it is, guess I'm voting BLUE!

[Teeninchee]

You missed the point, :(

[loyldem]

Amazing - some comments thought this was funny and others truly hated it and found this offensive. Just like beauty, humor is also in the eye of the beholder.

[Grunty1]

Great! Show this clip to racists, then they lose their excuses.

[MariaHopeful]

I can't say that I was overly impressed.

[Grace0727]

I'm not feeling the whole Chocolate News theme. I can't stand those type of shows that put one particular culture (in this case black folks) in a box. People see me and they automatically think I watch BET and that Black Voices AOL is my homepage. But it's not true, Actually I never watch BET and I'm not interested in Black AOL, I already have AOL. Shows like Chocalate News doesn't show any improvement coming from a community of people who have come very far to live out the box. I don't think Obama would find this funny. Not that it's offensive because it's not but merely because it's stupid and doesn't represent Obama well. We all know it's just comedy and not to be taken serious but it can become arsenal for the fix news right wingers to stir up against Black folks/ Obama supporters. Flirting with McCains POW experience and Palin's pregnant daughter is not a good idea. We need to play it safe for just three more weeks. After that we can take them all to town. Respectfully Of course!!

[mcyina]

There is black AOL. I am black but I am not interested as well. Another thing in favor of separatism. And by the way BET sucks.

[Dystopic]

Come on, even Hell Date????

[SheriChardonnay]

BET beyond sucks.,..i­ts past the point of offensive to being embarrassing!

[Teeninchee]

With you on that one.

[America08]

I understand your point, however, I think David's show is the equivant to other popular shows on Comedy Central that mixes sataire and politics. We can always choose not to watch it if we don't want to. Sometimes as Black people, we want everyone to act right, do right and say the right thing.....­guess what, that's not going to happen. David Allen Grier is not "representing" Obama, he's a comedian.

[Pamela1961]

Well said Grace. I don't think you can paint every individual with the same brush.

[DCCommuter]

I agree. We should go for quality not color. But I think this Chocolate News is a parody of such shows.

I agree we have got to get out of "the box". The Box is what forces black young men who are interested in school to pretend like they are not interested in academics.

And half of these "ghetto" type performers are really from suburbia. haha.

[Indygal2]

Good grief! It's just COMEDY people! And SATIRE! If you've watched Obama's interviews on say, the Daily Show, you'd know he has a great sense of humor. He gets it.

[malrubius]

Stupid. The usual dumbed-down political humor for mainstream consumption.

[roch20]

This was the most amazing thing, so funny i almost pee my pants, LMAO!!! Obama/Biden 2008!!!

[AnAmericanWoman]

FUNNY! please vote FOR ANY HALF of Barack Obama! Just make him the POTUS!

[citadelgrrl05]

oooo..that was so funny!!! ROLFLMAO TIMES 10

[trigpalinin2036]

Even No Soul Simmons is voting for Barack!

[neesy08]

I forgot about this news show. I will have to try to remember to watch it.

[crossoverwriter]

HILARIOUS!

I posted the following on many conservative blogs earlier, during the primary:

For all of you secret racists out there: Think about the fact that Barack is also half white. Also think about your own heritage. Do YOU have any Native American blood in you? How about the blood of former slaves? Are you at all Semitic? Middle Eastern? A mix of European stock? Eskimo? Asian?

Let's get real here, folks, Barack may actually be more WHITE than you!

[FACINGREALIT]

It's amazing that these right wing Christian conservatives want to see the world as Black or White not realizing that their Bible (Word of God) gives credence to only Adam and Eve - so one would have to ask what color was Adam and Eve if they are the originators of the human species? Logic tells us that they couldn't have both been white or we would have the black race - so it leaves only one option - they were mixed, with every race - leaving us all mixed with something other that what we see on the outside.

Two white people can only make a white child but a mixed person can make every shade under the rainbow. I hate to burst their bubble but every single person is mixed with SOMETHING.

[ListenPeople]

I am mad that it's called "Chocolate News" I guess there aren't enough black people watching Comedy Central since Chappelle left and they need a clear indicator, "Hey, black people, over here!" But, what's going to be funny is when Grier finally gets his white audience and not the black audience they're going after. I miss Rock's show!!! His HBO special was fantastic!

[robXdion]

So true. Many whites love this kind of stereotypical crap. And Grier doesn't have Chappelle's intelligence to turn it around on the audience and make them think about themselves. And he sure as he!! won't have hip hop artists with musical interludes that could alienate the warmed over "Friends" and "Seinfeld" fans he'll attract.

[DeniseD]

I know what you mean about hating the sterotypical stuff. I hate all those mob shows like Soprano and that reality TV show "Growing Up Gotti". Not all Italians are a bunch of ignorant criminals with thick New York accents.

[DeniseD]

I thought Chappelle was funny. I love Chris Rock too.

Just out of curiosity, do black people find the title "Chocolate News" offensive?

[robXdion]

Some do, some don't. The ones who do not, haven't really thought deeper than their own laughter.

[ListenPeople]

I'm offended as a person with a sense of humor. Why not just call it Black News. Chocolate News, Really? black = chocolate because they're both brown. Not funny.

[nibblybits]

David Alan Grier is a Republican.

I was disappointed to find that out, since I used to like him.

[DeniseD]

Are you sure about that?

[mama4justice]

Hi Nibbybits (love your name!)
Anyway I think you might be wrong on this point about DAG's political affiliation.

Exerpt from the Tavis Smiley show May 2007:

Grier: Well, I'll tell you - there's a couple of things. First of all, they asked me a bunch of times to go over and entertain the troops. Now, early on in the war - I am not for the war, okay? I am not a Republican, I did not vote for Bush, and I didn't want to get it confused that people would think I am supporting the war by going over to entertain.

So that's why I never went. Also, it was always, like, you couldn't control the tour, meaning it's me and a bunch of country-western stars who flood over there. And after the - we've been over it almost five years, I talked to a friend of mine who asked me to go over. And again, we talked about it and I was ready to go, but the military doesn't give you a lot of advance notice. They're, like, "Can you be in Germany tomorrow?"

Tavis: That's definitely the military. Like, now, exactly.

Watch the whole segment at:
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200705/20070515_grier.html

Hope that helps to clear that up...doesn­'t mean DAG doesn't have Repugs writing for his show though.

[lecraftygirl]

actually he denies that. you can listen for yourself.
it starts at 11:19
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200705/20070515_grier.html

[nibblybits]

Thanks for the link. I will be thrilled if he's not a Republican, because I like him a lot. I was told that he was, and then I noticed he was in "American Carol" which is chock-full of Republican actors and I was pretty disappointed. But if he's really not, I can forgive!