Paul Mooney Talks Kagan's Nomination, Meeting Obama, & Working With Richard Pryor (VIDEO)

In the 60's and 70's, Paul Mooney and Richard Pryor opened doors for black comedians in America by pushing the comedy envelope all the way to the edge. When Pryor dropped his "Bill Cosby routine" and broke out the racially-charged material he's known for today, Mooney's laughter backed up him from the audience. Mooney went on to write for "Sanford And Son," "Saturday Night Live," and "In Living Color," among other shows and films, and his appearances on "Chappelle's Show" were some of the most memorable sketches. He also recently published a memoir, "Black Is The New White," which is a must-read for any comedy nerd.

We recently got to sit down with Mooney at Caroline's, where he will be performing May 27-31st, and hear his thoughts on Kagan's nomination to the Supreme Court, meeting Obama in Harlem, and working with Richard Pryor and Dave Chappelle. We also have to thank him for pointing us to this uncanny sketch from the short-lived "Richard Pryor Show" where Richard portrays the "first black president" over 30 years before Obama is elected.


WATCH:

Comments

[dare2think]

01:38 AM on 06/12/2010

PAUL MOONEY IS STILL ON TOP OF HIS GAME

[letthemdrinkkoolaid]

04:34 PM on 05/20/2010

I love Paul Mooney, and I don't think he's racist at all. He's a comedian! He's JOKING. I didn't think Dave Chappelle was racist either. Because they make jokes about all colors, including their own. And if you can't laugh at yourself, then you just have a problem.

[american-dolt]

12:54 PM on 05/20/2010

I find a "black stacking order" rather in bad taste.

[NewAgeHippie21]

12:08 AM on 05/20/2010

Paul Mooney= Funniest dude ever, and he keeps it real!!

[Cakey4814]

02:34 PM on 05/19/2010

I remember an old tape of Mooney with Robert Townsend. He was hilarious with his "no annie there is no tomorrow; you're ... today". They no longer have him on BET with his "Black people who had a wakeup call" which was also hilarious..

[LuvDaH8ters]

02:33 PM on 05/19/2010

This man simply does not get enough love...

[boston2008]

12:10 PM on 05/19/2010

"I love every one he picks, HE'S GONA PICK A MIDGET NEXT"

[bkrider9]

05:24 PM on 05/18/2010

Two observations (this thread seems to have ended, but anyway):

1. You know race relations are getting better when so many white folks appreciate Paul Mooney on HPo.
2. If a white guy (see ghee99 below) stood up at a Paul Mooney show and said, "I think you're being rude!" it would simply bring the house down. Funniest thing all night.

[unite4change]

11:19 AM on 05/18/2010

Richard Pryor, 1st black President:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_cdbByTeNE

Man how did we not see something like this coming 30 years ago, lol.

[bkrider9]

11:19 AM on 05/18/2010

You're telling me Barack Obama runs out of Sylvia's, distracted by Al Sharpton, the Scouts, the Navy, and everybody else - recognizes Paul Mooney clear across a busy Harlem street, calls him by name - and you think he's "not black enough"? Please.

[Carlton Jordan]

11:13 AM on 05/18/2010

PAUL MOONEY IN BAMBOOZLED WAS TOOO DAMN FUNNY

[Snarkyone]

09:51 AM on 05/18/2010

Paul Mooney while funny comes across as racist. I don't dislike him, but I'm not a huge fan. He tends to pigeon hole others just as much as racist white person in my opinion. He does point out some serious issues, but he seems to fail to understand that racism exist in ALL the races, it's not exclusive to the white man, we just seem to have perfected it.

[noladebby]

02:55 PM on 05/18/2010

He is not racist and surely does not come across as racist to me. He speaks to the black experience in this country. It's okay if you don't understand or can't relate most non-blacks cannot.

[TehChef]

08:00 PM on 05/18/2010

No, I assure you, he's a racist... I'd like to see ANYONE of ANY other skin color get away with the same "jokes" and rabid generalizations that Paul Mooney does (only directed at black folks) without being torn to shreds.

[Opus Loki]

04:25 PM on 05/20/2010

I would more call him racey rather than racist. I think racist hints at a certain level of inferiority toward a certain group of people which is not what Paul does. His jokes and humor are edgy but for some who claim that white comedians can't get away with some of the things he says then you have never listened to Don Rickles. A funny, side splitting funny man that used to do a lot of racially tinged jokes and never had a beef from any side of the isle and recently there is a white man called "Honest John" that does the same type of humor and the Tom Joyner show has a segment called "Ask the White Dude" that utilizes racial humor from a white man mostly making fun of minorities and it is funny as you've ever heard. If Paul had a mean spirit to his humor then yeah I would agree with you.

[smittyboy123]

09:38 AM on 05/18/2010

Sure- But if he were white- and said that a black vice president is terminally black- he'd be run out of town and would never get stage time. Paul is the hater is residence-His angry Black Man is hack-

[noladebby]

02:57 PM on 05/18/2010

It's so funny to see so many whites get upset over his routine. You would never have been able to endure what blacks in this country have endured. And that's one of the points of his entire act. You can dish it but you can't take it.

[Devin Tucker]

04:27 AM on 05/19/2010

No, I can't imagine enduring what blacks have in this country. But I too have become tired of the perpetually angry public personas that many comedians have adopted, such as Bill Maher, Lewis Black, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, and David Cross. Many comedians cannot tackle real-world issues in their comedy without being snarky and dismissive. And while he was an innovator in the 70's his brand of comedy has been done to death in the last 25 years, from Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence, to the myriad hack comedians on ComicView, HBO, and Comedy Central. Race material has since been done from every angle and it just isn't as funny as it used to be.

[noladebby]

03:02 PM on 05/18/2010

Paul said that and meant for it to be funny. If a white comedian more than likely there would've been hate behind that remark.

[Armenta]

09:31 AM on 05/18/2010

Love this guy - his like the Godfather of Comedy.

[westreal]

08:33 AM on 05/18/2010

This guy is a funny mutherfudger. His live acts are superior to any comedian's out there and he goes for the truth all the time even though I don't agree with him all the time.