When did being Black stop being a punch line?

[24/7 reruns]

I was watching an episode of Laugh-in and Chelsea Brown was singing " I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas " and then said "It's only a Job". I then remembered many of the Dean Martin Roast the black actors often used their race as a joke. This kind of stuff when on for some time. I do wonder when this was no longer a prop. Much of those joke to me were cringe worthy. Certainly wouldn't be used today.

[Alan Brady's Hair]

I think it's basically unchanged - maybe 10% more subtle. I've only been watching two newly produced shows recently - Ghosts and the new Night Court. Each has one black regular* - a fat black woman who is notably "with it." I'm pretty sure they're the only two fat regulars on the shows. I believe the black contractor on Ghosts may be becoming more of a regular next season.

I think it was Chelsea Brown: Laugh-In had (I think) James Garner as a guest, and there was a running gag where each girl would talk to Garner and then kiss him. Chelsea finally had her turn, and when she went in for the kiss they cut to Arte Johnson's German soldier, who said, "Birmingham just went to a test pattern."

[24/7 reruns]

Originally Posted by Alan Brady's Hair

I think it's basically unchanged - maybe 10% more subtle. I've only been watching two newly produced shows recently - Ghosts and the new Night Court. Each has one black regular* - a fat black woman who is notably "with it." I'm pretty sure they're the only two fat regulars on the shows. I believe the black contractor on Ghosts may be becoming more of a regular next season.

I guess what I'm getting at is that in the past many black actors actually made reference to their race and treated it like a joke. I'm not sure how many were actually comfortable with doing that since probably the lines were written for them rather than they doing it themselves. I don't see that approach to getting a laugh happening much if at all these days.

[stevea]

Originally Posted by 24/7 reruns

I guess what I'm getting at is that in the past many black actors actually made reference to their race and treated it like a joke. I'm not sure how many were actually comfortable with doing that since probably the lines were written for them rather than they doing it themselves. I don't see that approach to getting a laugh happening much if at all these days.

Like Pigmeat Markham's Here Comes the Judge bit, hamming it up on Laugh In.