I’m sorry, y’all... but two minutes into D.L. Hughley’s monologue on his brand new CNN show, I had to walk away.Weak-ass jokes make the baby Jesus cry.
Hughley is not now, nor has he ever been, a sharp political comic. He’s not deep like that. And he ain’t too funny otherwise.
I don’t know how he got this gig, but I blame Barack Obama.
UPDATE (10/26/08): Okay... this time I made it halfway through before I had to quit. I just couldn’t take any more.
Oh well. You can’t spell cooning without C-N-N.
I will check out “D.L. Hughley Breaks the News” next week. Maybe they’ll tighten their game up by then. If not, I predict a quick cancellation.
43 comments:
Somehow I lasted about 8 more minutes than you did, but feel the exact same way. It was absolutely brutal. And he is usually hilarious.
I predicted this. Man, what's going on when the weak link among the "Kings" gets a cush job at CNN?
Didn't anyone at the CNN HQ ever watch Comicview?
I think "Kings" was the last time D.L. made me laugh.
It's getting better as it goes a long! He just can't read a teleprompter.
I love D.L. but I think CNN just wanted someone who could make fun of Barack without being called racist.
The Hayden Planetarium guy was funny.
What is CNN doing with a comedy show anyhow? They should stick to what they do best and let Fox News be the funny cable news network.
I made it to the end, though I leaned heavily on the FF button on my DVR. The show was weak, though DL seemed to be trying hard to rise above so-so material.
The best segment by far was his man-on-the-street interviews at a Palin rally.
Hey UBM! I thought DLH was a nervous at first and rushed his opening monologue, but no way I could not watch it. This was broadcast news history! CNN - with a black comedian? Amazing. I wondered if some of the jokes would make whites uncomfortable, but he went after everybody and without being obnoxious.
I agree with kelleybelle above about the Hayden Astronomer guy, oh, that was hilarious. The show got better and it was pretty unique. I enjoyed it a lot.
^ Dang. I guess I need to catch the rerun.
It would take a very special comedian to pull this concept off. Like a Bill Maher, a John Stewart or a Chris Rock.
I know David Brenner is too old to be called hip, but I'd like to see him in a format like this. His Vegas act (as of a few years ago) consisted of him literally riffing on that day's newspaper.
rescue yourself and watch SNL.
it's at news update right now and it has been great so far.
cold play is the music. chris martin put on quite a show; the stage just couldn't contain him.
lively up yourself!
I just hope he doesn't make too many black this, black that type of jokes. I always cringe when black comedians resort to that (Chris Rock recently suggested that Mike Vick is only in jail because he's black. Really? Not because he broke the law and everything?)
I just hope he doesn't make too many black this, black that type of jokes.
Well, abe, D.L. came out the box just like that... the very first visual joke being a fake logo for "White Guys Over 50 with Opinions," the fake show that was being pre-empted for D.L.'s show.
I said, "Oh. We're on that level, huh? Okay."
Yeah, you black, D.L. You black. Now say something clever, dammit!
This was an embarrassment to watch. My husband and I both cringed throughout. This took us back decades. It was a wasted opportunity. In his first national debut: 'pimp', 'ho', 'bitch', 'porkchop', 'chicken wings' and 'mac' and cheese' were all guest of DL's show. And quite a few of these stereotypes were attributed to Senator Obama. This should be pulled. The timimg couldn't be worse. This was not smart humor and last I checked CNN carries a broad audience. Oh well, I'm sure Rush Limbaugh loved it!
Hmmm. I have mixed feelings on this show. I think DL was nervous, and he definitely can't read, but I thought it had potential. It's what I thought Chocolate News was gonna be.
The sketches were inconsistent, some of them good. But the Freddie Mac as a pimp thing I thought was a bit cringeworthy and out of place on CNN. It made me wonder what was going on and exactly what they were trying to do. It might get cleaner over time; I'm just glad they are trying something new, and letting a Black man have a chance.
I think I blame Obama too, haha!
oh, i wrote that comment before i saw the one above from anonymous. i was just being cheeky about obama of course....
I have to agree UMB... I was also two minutes in and was washed over with a feeling of mediocrity... It was like watching Kordell Stewart play football. You know he has the talent and potential, but he still has to deliver and DOESN'T
I agree with you 100% UCBM.
D.L. has never been funny and i'm unclear as to how he has made it this far. He is also ignorant. I recall him agreeing/supporting Don Imus by reiterating on the View that the basketball players were "ugly" and "nappy headed"
He's garbage.
^ Ahh... I remember that, Lynn. He was on Jay Leno poppin' that mess. And didn't he get heckled or protested at his live shows after that?
I hate it when comedians would rather be "shocking" than deep.
Was Chris Rock unavailable or too expensive? Couldnt they dig up Patrice O'neal or somebody? Jeez, this was damn near embarassing. I turned after the monologue, checked back later and saw Freddie Mack. Wow, a pimp-characer on CNN.
Hughley is a decent comic for the most part, but politics and economics is not his style or area of expertise. It seemed that he kept going back to his black/white humor which did not work.
After reading your postI had to check it out. Of course, CNN International didn't show it so I had to watch clips of it online.
CNN.com didn't post the opening monolgue, which based, on your review, I'm glad. My husband I watched all four clips and chuckled just twice.
DL looked like he was having fun, but it was weak. I was especially glad to see Dr. Tyson even though DL kept butchering the name Apophis.
He says a lot of negative stuff about black people, curses all the time, and calls black people niggas. But I'm going to give the program a few more looks before I totally dismiss. Maybe the brotha has grown up as a comic and as a man. We'll see.
Uh damn... I missed it! I guess I'll have to catch it online. But my immediate reaction upon seeing the ads for the show was, "HUH?!?"
Hughley never made me laugh - not at the movie theatre, not on TV, not on stage.
I eventually wrote him off after his foolish and insensitive comment, immediately following the Don Imus "nappy headed hos" debacle. On The Tonight Show, some days after Imus's infamous comment, Hughley said of the Rutgers basketball team, "Them are some of the ugliest women I've ever seen in my whole life."
Nice job D.L. Now you're on CNN and I don't know why.
I'll go search for clips of the show...
Uh damn... I missed it! I guess I'll have to catch it online.
Actually, Tambay, the show will be re-shown tonight after "Larry King Live."
Glad to read I'm not the only one left cringing. The Palin rally stuff was slightly amusing, if only at the expense of the idiots DL was speaking to. Almost anyone could have made those guys look stupid & racist. Political satire is clearly not his strong suit. Embarrasing for CNN - they should stick to news. Their credibility will go the way of Fox with this sort of nonsense on the air. Rush Limbaugh will have a field day. Bill Maher makes enough of a statement appearing on Larry King.
This show was an embarrassment to the African-American race. As for me, this was the first and last time I will ever watch this show. D.L., I hope the paycheck from CNN was worth selling out your race.
DL you are normally funny, but your comedic timing sucks and you appear to be trying too hard. Also, I understand what you are trying to do, however Barak would be better served if you conduct your monologue after he is office...frankly your satire will only hurt him by generating doubt...We Don't Need That Right Now!
I think DL's show was a disgrace to our race!!!!!
What is CNN thinking? A "comedy" show on a news channel? And I use quotes around comedy on purpose. Let's blurr the already muddy lines between news & opinion even further. Good grief. The show is a)not funny, b)embarrasing to the entire Black population and c)fodder for the right wing who already have it in for the liberal media. Get this crap off the air.
ROFL! I have to agree with you on this one. Maybe the next shows will be better, but I'm hesistant to watch again.
Hated it! The show was embarassing. He and Palin? What was the purpose of showing Sammie Davis dancing with a pork chop in his hand. This is not the time for this silly stuff. We are in a serious political time and not a time for making the black man look stupid. He is just doing the job of the man who can't do it without looking racist. D.L. You are a sellout who will do anything for money.
I'M BOYCOTTING CNN.
ONE WORD: OUTRAGED.
I have lost all respect for DL Hughley. His show was absolutely disgusting and appalling. Now is the worst time for him or anyone else to be drawing attention to African-American stereotypes. It is even more disturbing that CNN would support/promote such programming.
DL,
WTF was that? You have managed to take the black race back AT LEAST (bare minimum) 200 years with the first broadcast of your show! Please do the black community a favor and shut the hell up!!!!!!!
DL get a clue. Today is a new African-AMERICAN with a new consciousness. I understand your excitement about Senator Obama but just because you are a famous black man does not mean you have something worthwhile to say and God forbid people of other races or in other countries think you speak for the black community! Your show was embarrassing to say the least. You are so far removed from the "community" and HINT, HINT: it is not about pimping, blinging, pork chops, and the other stereotypical nonsense that filled your show. It was just demeaning....and you are black.....WTF? I can understand the overall concept of your show but please be CONSCIOUS of your actions not only for the REAL African-American community but for the American people as well.
I teach in the lower income neighborhoods of Atlanta and can't recall the last time I've seen/heard from a FAMOUS BLACK entertainer/musician/comedian in support of our schools. Here in Georgia we are suffering from a 50% drop out rate amongst our African-American male students. Several students that go on to graduate are not prepared for college or the workforce and there aren't enough vouchers in the U.S. that can fix this problem! Now find the joke in that DL while you send your children to private schools to be educated with the "privileged" and put up "Freddy Mac" on your show to remind the mothers of our sons of the BS that we fight against on a daily basis just to provide our children with a glimpse of success, regardless of their surroundings. Understand Senator Obama is an excellent role model for our children who is not an athlete, entertainer, or musician of questionable character. Now we can tell OUR sons that they can be anything in the world and offer up proof of this. And here you go putting gold teeth on him and associating his presidency with pork chops and Armageddon. NEWSFLASH: THE JOKE WAS NOT FUNNY WHEN DIANE FEDELE TOLD IT AND YOUR BEING BLACK DOES NOT MAKE THE BEHAVIOR ANY LESS OFFENSIVE, DEMEANING, AND/OR BIASED! Additionally, I can't believe CNN put their stamp on this nonsense because if the same jokes had been told on FOX or any other white commentator's show regardless of the network, there would be a national outcry to cancel the show, fire the host, and sue the network.
I can not even tell you in words how disappointed, hurt, and angry I am with your show! I will finish with this. Stop trying to speak for struggling black people because you have not known what it is like to be black, broke, struggling, and praying for hope within the last decade and a half. Just in case you were wondering, us real broke black people do not let our finances determine our circumstances or levels of decency....I guess you've been too busy being "rich" to have noticed.
Hello,
I think that the viewers need to make their opinions known at CNN!
We need to stop tolerating this crap. Black people want to see intelligent discourse on CNN and we need to make that known!
Jonathan Klein
President
CNN
1 CNN Center
Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: 404-827-1700
Fax: 404-827-1099
OR...
Susan Bunda
Executive Vice President of Content Development
OR...
Bart Feder
Senior Vice President of Current Programming
Peace, blessings and DUNAMIS!
Lisa
That was some shigity. DL really ain't that funny. How did get that gig? I'm sick of the coon jokes. Take it from Dave Chappelle; just cause you can don't mean you should. Even Sarah Palin laughing at your dumb ass.
Oh well. You can’t spell cooning without C-N-N.
Well played.
I'm perplexed enough at how he got a show period, but why did it have to be so blatantly coontastic?
Ok. I just watched parts of it online. Wow! The Freddie Mac bit? Wow! Unbelievable. I'd like to see the Nielsen numbers for this.
Have you seen Chocolate News, the new Comedy Central program with David Alan Grier assuming hosting duties? It's supposed to be a "black" send-up of The Daily Show. I watched a few clips online, and wasn't at all impressed. In fact I cringed a few times. I liked it better when it was called, "In Living Color."
Horrible show, needs to be cancelled. I can't believe CNN is airing a show that sets racial stereotypes back to the 70's. Why couldn't they just stick to the news or give someone qualified like Gwen Ifill or Tavis Smiley a show?
THis is a disgrace. I cringed when I saw it. We need to protest this show.
I hear a lot of variouz perceptions and observations concerning D.L. As a comedy connoisseur, I thought the show and D.L. were brilliant. I really did. There were moments that the comedy was shaky, but I think that has more to do with the platform of the show than D.L. himself. I believe the tongue-in-cheek nature of the show has great potential, and if the show will free D.L. to be who he his, the show will be awesome. It captivates me as a young black man, to hear politics done in a way that deals with the serious nature of the subject manner, with a pinch of sarcasm and humor.
Totally agree man, I talk about it on my blog too (www.katuwapitiya.com), but I hate what D.L. Hughley is doing on CNN. More disgraceful than unfunny.
What is the communist news network thinking hugely sucks big time? It gets worse with each show. With a little luck this is the first nail in CNN coffin.
I have never even so much as smiled at DL Hughley. But now I am highly insulted. He is a coon the spook who sits by the door. He is making money off his insulting the entire black race. CNN should be ashamed to think anyone would find this funny! We must do whatever it takes to get this insult off the air...
D.L.,
Where is your "Breaks the News" website? CNN can't hook you up? How are you supposed to get feedback from your people w/just a myspace page?
Secondly,
I got put off by your piece on Kwanzaa. I know its jokes and all but you missed an opportunity to show the positivity behind this holiday and clear up some misconceptions. If you really want to know about KWANZAA, visit Malcolm X College in Chicago (26TH-JAN1) and see what its really about. Don't get it twisted, I understand that people feel it is not a "real" holiday but it is derived in response to historic dehumanization of African Americans, just as the phrase "I'm black and I'm proud" KWANZAA is a communal affirmation and celebration of us as a people, though we do not know what country we are truly from. I am 23 years old and have celebrated X-mas and Kwanzaa my entire life. I, the youth, feel we as a people could benefit so much from the principles addressed, UMOJA-Unity!, Kuchichajulia- SELF DETERMINATION!!!... and if you ever want to hear some real KWANZAA songs check out Steve Cobb and Chavunduka.
It's hard to shoulder the responsibility of your people, but we do have that responsibility just the people who came before us. Make significant use of your talent and privilege brotha hughley.
Habari gani
MC SODA from MySpace
I believe the show is improving as it goes along. Although I do agree he sometimes tries way too hard to be funny. He is however booking more interesting and relevant guest. Let's try to give him some support. I appreciate most of all that these political issues has us as African American talking like never before. I believe the world is beginning to see just how intelligent we really are.
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