and standup career, 186
Morris, Garrett, 44, 46, 53, 71, 152, 332
Moye, Michael, 62, 104–105
Murdoch, Rupert:
and Les Firestein, 316
and Fox, 103, 253–254, 287, 303–304, 305, 326–327
and Chris Rock, 273
and Damon Wayans, 260
and Keenen Ivory Wayans, 254, 289–290
Murphy, Charlie, 87, 135
Murphy, Eddie:
and Black Pack, 87, 88, 245, 306
breakthroughs in black comedy, 3, 75, 86–87, 235
and Chuck D, 146
and Comedy Act Theater, 78
and Tommy Davidson, 114
films of, 54–57, 62–63, 69, 70–71, 77, 87, 135, 246, 336, 340, 345
HBO specials, 68, 78
and Improv, 38–39, 54–55
and Spike Lee, 198
and Richard Pryor, 245, 246, 247
and Saturday Night Live, 51–54, 67, 71, 100, 110, 163, 234, 273, 325, 332
and The Tonight Show, 67–69
Damon Wayans’s relationship with, 70–71, 234
Keenen Ivory Wayans’s relationship with, 2, 38–39, 54–55, 69, 86, 87, 88–92, 93, 95, 97, 140, 183, 199, 234–235, 245, 247, 336
Murphy, Ray, 78, 135
Myra J, 78, 85
N
NAACP, 23, 24, 134, 135, 155, 295, 334
Najera, Rick, 271, 272, 309, 340
Negro Ensemble Company, 37, 39, 54, 63
Newton, Huey P., 22, 24, 48
O
Obama, Barack, 348, 356
Oedekerk, Steve, 272, 275, 276–278, 313
P
Park, Steve, 204–205, 235–236, 266–267
Paulsen, J.J., 181–182, 207, 306
Peele, Jordan, 345, 350, 354
Pepsi, 248, 252
Perez, Rosie:
films of, 189, 307, 348
In Living Color departure, 307
and In Living Color Fly Girls, 168–170, 189–192, 227–233
and Jennifer Lopez, 191–192, 227–229
on Tupac Shakur, 299–300
and Keenen Ivory Wayans, 140, 167, 169, 189–190, 191, 307
Petok, Michael, 1, 195–196, 309
Pinkney, Rose Catherine, 166, 224, 250, 254–255, 286, 291
Piscopo, Joe, 35, 51, 52, 53
Poetic Justice (film), 261, 319
Poitier, Sidney, 62–63, 80
Poussaint, Alvin, 134–135
Prince, 89, 230
Prinze, Freddie, 31, 36
Pryor, Richard:
breakthroughs in black comedy, 3, 75, 79, 86, 246, 345, 346
and Comedy Store, 60
comedy style of, 21–22, 23, 24, 33, 45, 55, 240
comedy-variety series of, 3, 46–50, 78, 79, 130, 344–345, 350
cursing of, 13, 22
and Tommy Davidson, 114
films of, 24, 62–63, 80, 135, 150–151
at Improv, 31
and Paul Mooney, 45, 46, 47, 79, 160, 345
and Eddie Murphy, 245, 246, 247
as Saturday Night Live host, 45–46, 47, 52, 53, 54
on The Tonight Show, 67–68
tribute to, 245–247
and Keenen Ivory Wayans, 5–6, 21, 22, 24, 33, 49–50, 245, 247, 336
wino character of, 171
Public Enemy, 80, 145–146, 169, 189, 190–191, 355
Q
Q-Tip, 194, 231
Queen Latifah, 3, 169, 175, 189, 189–190
Quinn, Colin, 308, 314–315, 317, 348
R
Rainer, Arthur, 189, 307
Rain Man (film), 95, 96
Rakolta, Terry, 104–105, 164
rap and rappers, and In Living Color, 3, 80, 145, 169, 190, 233, 234, 273, 299, 324, 354
rapsploitation films, 80
Raw (film), 91–92
Rawitt, Tamara:
and Emmy win, 1, 2, 3
and Fox’s Standards and Practices Department, 164, 241–242
and Jamie Foxx, 203
and In Living Color cast, 111–112, 115, 118, 196, 204, 278
In Living Color departure, 279
and In Living Color pilot, 107, 109, 127, 136
and In Living Color sketches, 128
and In Living Color title, 108
and In Living Color T-shirt, 155
and In Living Color writers, 110, 124, 139, 150–151, 160, 177, 180, 204, 207–208, 278–279
and John Leguizamo, 236
and Eddie Murphy, 93, 234
and Damon Wayans, 195
and Keenen Ivory Wayans, 93–94, 99–100, 278–279
Reagan, Ronald, 56, 77, 81, 130
Reed, Don, 78, 85
Reed, Robi, 77, 139–140
Reeves, Keanu, 331–332
Rice, Al Sonja, 297, 305–306, 318–320, 335
The Richard Pryor Show, 3, 46–50, 78, 79, 130, 344–345, 350
Riley, Toney, 117, 123, 131, 139
Robert Townsend and His Partners in Crime, 89–90, 92, 100, 123, 310
Robinson, Jackie, 116, 353, 354
Roc, 246, 309, 326, 327
Rock, Chris:
on black comics, 346
and Black Pack, 87, 306
films of, 95, 178
and HBO specials, 78–79
and In Living Color cast, 117–118, 306–307, 319–320, 325, 328–329
and Eddie Murphy, 54, 91–92, 95, 234
and Saturday Night Live, 178, 194, 273–274, 306–307
standup career of, 79, 307
success of, 3, 345
and Keenen Ivory Wayans, 65, 95, 197
Rosenthal, Carol, 306, 312, 313, 320, 321
Roth, Peter, 306–307, 320
Run-DMC, 79, 80, 356
Russell, Nipsey, 102, 113
S
Salhany, Lucie:
and cast contract negotiations, 265–266
and Fox, 285, 287, 290, 303
and Arsenio Hall, 105, 265, 327–328
and In Living Color cancellation, 326–328
and UPN, 335
Sanford and Son, 23, 79, 137
Saturday Night Live:
and Jim Carrey, 112–113
casting of, 305, 321, 348
and Ellen Cleghorne, 204
John DeBellis as writer for, 32
Jean Doumanian as producer, 51–54
and Emmy awards, 176
filming of, 193
In Living Color compared to, 155–156, 240, 321
and Jesse Jackson, 237–238
lean years of, 51, 328, 329
legacy of, 341, 357
and Eddie Murphy, 51–54, 67, 71, 100, 110, 163, 234, 273, 325, 332
opportunities of, 36
and Colin Quinn, 315
and race, 44–45, 46, 49, 51, 52, 100, 152, 177–178, 307, 332, 348
and Chris Rock, 178, 194, 273–274, 306–307
and Adam Sandler, 114
title of, 107
and Damon Wayans, 71–72, 92, 100, 119, 273, 332
and Keenen Ivory Wayans, 2, 100, 110, 237–238
writing staff of, 52, 53, 54, 157, 166, 171, 306, 348, 354
Scary Movie (film), 335–336
Scary Movie 2 (film), 336
Schiff, Mike:
and House of Buggin’, 339–340
and In Living Color writing staff, 270, 273, 276, 277, 283, 288, 295, 312, 316, 318–319, 322
Schimmel, Jeff, 275–276, 318
Schimmel, Robert, 275–276
School Daze (film), 86, 119, 121, 140, 197
Schultz, Michael, 63, 80
Scott, Angela, 39–41, 70
Scott-Heron, Gil, 8, 45, 46
Seabrooks, B. Mark, 314–316, 335
Seinfeld, Jerry, 1, 35, 36, 91, 312
Seinfeld, 309–310, 312, 322, 323, 329, 353
Shakur, Tupac, 3, 233–234, 246, 299–300, 319, 320, 355
Shandling, Garry, 60, 179
Shannon, T. Sean, 317, 318, 322, 3
39
Sharpton, Al, 146, 209–211
Sheffield, Buddy:
and The Edge, 306
on In Living Color filming, 193
and In Living Color writing staff, 109–110, 124–125, 127, 139, 160, 163–164, 176, 177, 181–182, 184–185, 186, 187, 207, 216, 308, 313, 319, 322, 355, 356
Sheffield, David, 53, 110, 163
She’s Gotta Have It (film), 85, 86
Shore, Mitzi, 60, 75
Silver Streak (film), 46–47, 62
Simpson, O.J., 331–332
The Simpsons, 136, 147, 148, 149, 165, 281, 353, 357
Sinbad, 76, 197, 333
The Sinbad Show, 309, 326, 327
Singleton, John, 3, 246, 261, 263–264, 319, 336
Small, Adam, 178–179, 180, 184, 240, 272, 339–340
Smith, Will, 3, 176, 232, 329
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, 110, 163, 181
Snipes, Wesley, 77, 178
Snowden, Michael Anthony, 207–208, 212–213, 217, 222, 234, 252, 272, 309
A Soldier’s Story (film), 73, 116
Sony, 346, 347
South Central, 307, 309, 326, 327
South Park, 344, 353, 357
Spencer, Chris, 234, 333
Star 80 (film), 64, 93
Steinberg, David, 156, 162
Stepin Fetchit, 83–84, 124, 129, 239, 334, 344
Stewart, Jon, 182, 240, 354
Stewart, Nick, 78, 85
Stir Crazy (film), 62, 63
Strictly Business (film), 195, 306
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, 8, 29
Super Bowl, and In Living Color live episode, 248–252, 253
T
Tartikoff, Brandon, 99, 329
The Parent ’Hood, 335
3rd Bass, 169, 190
Thomopoulos, Tony, 95, 96
Thompson, Lisa Joann, 265, 300
Tienken, Richie, 39, 52, 89, 91
Titus, Andres “Dres,” 233–234
Todd, Lisa Marie, 121, 140, 191, 228, 230–232, 265
Tomlin, Lily, 31, 44
Tompkins, Steve, 158, 176–178, 183, 197–199, 242–243, 257, 272, 306
Tone Lōc, 177, 302
The Tonight Show:
and Franklyn Ajaye, 150
in California, 44
and Jim Carrey, 112
and Improv, 35, 36
and Eddie Murphy, 67–69
and Robert Townsend, 89
and Keenen Ivory Wayans, 22, 64–65, 72–73, 247
writers for, 181
Townsend, Robert:
and Black Pack, 87
and black stereotypes, 83–84, 318
breakthroughs in black comedy, 3
and Comedy Act Theater, 76–77
films of, 2, 73, 84–86, 89, 91, 92, 94, 97
and David Alan Grier, 116
and HBO specials, 78, 89–90, 92, 100, 123, 310
and Improv, 33, 34, 37, 40
on In Living Color legacy, 354
and Kitchen Table, 39–42, 73
and Eddie Murphy, 69, 87, 91, 92
and The Parent ’Hood, 335
and Richard Pryor, 245
and Saturday Night Live, 51–52
standup career of, 38, 73, 74, 245
variety show of, 309, 310, 327
Keenen Ivory Wayans’s relationship with, 2, 33, 34, 37–38, 61, 63, 73–74, 84–86, 89–90, 92, 97, 100–101, 197, 310
Townsend Television, 309, 310, 326, 327
The Tracey Ullman Show, 103, 104, 136
Trading Places (film), 54, 56, 69, 87, 336
Trexler, Kris, 165, 255, 294
A Tribe Called Quest, 231, 232
Tucker, Chris, 3, 234, 340, 345
Tuskegee Institute, 28, 29–30, 33, 34, 37
Twentieth Television, 106, 137, 166, 250, 283–285, 293, 306, 320
2 Live Crew, 80, 177
227, 105, 131, 173
Tyson, Mike, 77, 100, 109, 125, 127, 130, 148–149
U
Untamed Heart (film), 189, 307
UPN, 335, 342
Uptown Comedy Express (HBO standup special), 78–79
Urban League, 24, 134, 295
Urbisci, Rocco, 47, 48
V
Vandross, Luther, 149, 320
Vanilla Ice, 177, 192
Veasey, Pam:
In Living Color departure, 325
as In Living Color producer, 267, 269, 272, 292–293, 294, 296, 301, 305, 314–315, 321
and In Living Color writing staff, 177, 180–181, 210, 216, 218–219
VelJohnson, Reginald, 39, 40–41, 309
Virgin, 230–232, 264
Voting Rights Act, 17, 56
W
Walker, Jimmie, 23, 31, 36
Wallace, George, 38, 102
Warfield, Marsha, 47, 60, 78–79, 197, 320, 355
Warner Bros., 232, 264, 272, 334–335
Washington, Denzel, 73, 77, 87, 89, 234
Wayans, Craig, 90
Wayans, Damien Dante, 91
Wayans, Damon:
and Black Pack, 87
in California, 67, 69, 70
and Jim Carrey, 112, 113, 118, 123
childhood and youth of, 7, 12, 14–19, 26–27, 106
clubfoot of, 16, 185–186
and Comedy Act Theater, 76–77, 85
education of, 25
films of, 85, 92, 95, 112, 195, 198, 246, 259–260, 267, 332–333, 347
and hip-hop, 44
and In Living Color cast, 118–119, 127, 130, 142, 152, 161, 170–172, 222, 240, 276
and In Living Color characters, 26, 42, 100, 183, 185–186, 201–202, 211, 212, 239, 250–251, 252, 256, 276, 349
and In Living Color departure, 258–260, 267, 279, 292, 300, 303, 305, 311, 322, 326
and In Living Color return, 276, 292
and In Living Color revival, 349
and In Living Color sketches, 128
as In Living Color writer, 111, 164, 171, 177, 205, 240
and Kitchen Table, 41–42, 70, 72, 100, 125, 309
and Eddie Murphy, 70–71, 234
and Richard Pryor, 21, 247
and Chris Rock, 79
and Saturday Night Live, 71–72, 92, 100, 119, 273, 332
and Sinbad, 333
standup career of, 69–70, 112, 133, 161, 171, 186, 195, 239, 240, 275, 277
and television comedy, 23
Keenen Ivory Wayans’s relationship with, 2, 16, 26–27, 41, 42, 67, 69, 70, 171, 258–260
Wayans, Devonne, 7
Wayans, Diedra, 7, 90, 106
Wayans, Dwayne, 7, 10, 14–16, 18, 27, 64
Wayans, Elvira (sister), 7, 26
Wayans, Elvira Green (mother):
childhood of, 8–9
on education, 34, 267–268
and Emmy win, 1, 2–3
family life of, 6–7, 9–10, 11, 12, 13–19
on Richard Pryor, 21
Keenen Ivory Wayans’s impressions of, 64–65
Kim Wayans’s characters influenced by, 171
Wayans, Howell (father):
and Emmy win, 1, 3
employment of, 10, 13, 14
family life of, 6–7, 11, 12–15, 21, 64
and Keenen Ivory Wayans’s education, 34
Wayans, Keenen Ivory:
and black stereotypes, 83–84, 318
and blaxploitation films, 24, 336
in California, 59–64, 67–69
and Jim Carrey, 113, 118, 256–258, 274, 294, 313
childhood and youth of, 5–8, 9, 10–19, 24–28, 106
and Comedy Act Theater, 77, 100, 117
and Comedy Store, 60, 65, 74
early comedy style of, 26–27, 33
education of, 25, 27, 28, 29–30, 33, 34, 37, 63, 267
and Emmy win, 1–3, 176
films of, 84–86, 94–97, 99, 172, 191, 206, 207, 269, 284, 328, 333, 335–336, 347
and Fox’s Standards and Practices Department, 241–242
&
nbsp; and Improv, 30–31, 32, 33–34, 35, 36–39, 40
influence on black comedy, 309
on In Living Color cancellation, 328
and In Living Color characters, 89, 183, 199–200, 237, 250, 256
and In Living Color legacy, 354, 356, 357
and In Living Color revival, 348–350
and Kitchen Table, 40–41, 42, 73, 100, 309
and Spike Lee, 197–199
and live show during Super Bowl, 249, 251
and Jennifer Lopez, 192, 228–229
and Rupert Murdoch, 254, 289–290
and Eddie Murphy, 2, 38–39, 54–55, 69, 86, 87, 88–92, 93, 95, 97, 140, 183, 199, 234–235, 245, 247, 336
personality of, 215, 238, 294, 349–350
and Richard Pryor, 5–6, 21, 22, 24, 33, 49–50, 245, 247, 336
and Saturday Night Live, 2, 100, 110, 237–238
show business dreams of, 24–25, 26, 33, 34–35
and Michael Anthony Snowden, 208, 213
and Sprite commercial negotiations, 265
standup career of, 35–38, 59–60, 63, 64–65, 72–73, 74, 245, 275, 277, 309
success of, 263–264, 346
talk show of, 333, 345
and television comedy, 22–23
and Mike Tyson, 148–149
writing of, 73–74, 93–94, 177
See also In Living Color
Wayans, Kim:
childhood of, 7, 14
contract negotiations of, 265, 292, 294, 298–299
films of, 85, 95
and David Alan Grier, 117
and In Living Color cast, 173–176, 183, 211, 274, 289, 296, 298, 301
on In Living Color legacy, 354
and In Living Color pilot, 111, 128, 130, 132, 148, 173
and In Living Color writing staff, 171, 174
as performer, 25–26, 171, 183
and television comedy, 23
temp jobs of, 133
on Keenen Ivory Wayans’s education, 28
Keenen Ivory Wayans’s relationship with, 259
Wayans, Marlon:
childhood and youth of, 7, 12, 13–14, 15, 18, 27, 34
education of, 267–268
films of, 95, 267–268, 333–336, 347
and Jamie Foxx, 204
and Melvin George, 40–41
and In Living Color cast, 268, 272–273, 289
and In Living Color departure, 292, 300, 303, 305, 311, 322
and In Living Color pilot, 111
and In Living Color writing staff, 205
and Eddie Murphy, 90
and Keenen Ivory Wayans’s departure from In Living Color, 288, 292
Keenen Ivory Wayans’s relationship with, 215, 259
Wayans, Nadia, 7, 95
Wayans, Shawn:
characters of, 273
childhood and youth of, 7, 12, 13–14, 15, 18, 27
contract negotiations of, 292, 294, 298
and Emmy win, 1
films of, 95, 333, 334, 335–336, 347
and Jamie Foxx, 204
and Melvin George, 40–41
and In Living Color cast, 197, 205–206, 213, 221–223, 234, 268, 272–273, 289, 298, 301
Homey Don't Play That! Page 43
