The darkness behind the comic genius Richard Pryor
"I am angry. I am angry because I am talented and I'll never get the recognition for what I do in the industry," one of the greatest and most influential stand-up comedians of all time, Richard Pryor, said during an interview in 1979. This was the first time a black comedian had highlighted the rampant racism in Hollywood and despite evident social obstacles, made it big.
Pryor opened a window for his audiences to get a peek into the insides of a less economically affluent black community — he relayed the dark truth and did it with humor. The acclaimed comedian played a powerful role in influencing the "woke" comedy we see today during prime-time late night comedy shows — of telling the facts as they are at a time when only "white bread" comedy was fit for television. Pryor took everything dark and made it light.
