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| Mat Coe is a junior criminal justice and psychology major and writes 'Screw Flanders' for the Daily News. His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper. |
I have a good joke for you.
It involves the hilarious scenario of a white person acting as though he is a stereotypical black person from the ghetto. That's right, not only is it funny, but it's original.
You see, he's not black. He's -- well he's white! Ha ha ha, that's comedic genius at its best.
(At this point, if you agree with that, you are an idiot. Go ahead, get offended.)
It's not funny anymore. I know what it looks like when a white person tries to "act black."
By "acting black" I mean "like a gangsta." Come on, not all black people act like "gangstas." Why do people think so?
The imitation is rooted in stereotypes of "ghetto," yet I see white guys doing this all the time in real life -- and gaining acceptance.
The imitators are the real jokes. They are funny, annoying and stupid at the same time.
We've gotten to a point where everyone has made fun of these imitators in one form or the next, and it's old. You can stop imitating them now, people. Just point and laugh when you see one.
Friday, a movie called "Malibu's Most Wanted" is coming to theaters. This movie seems to have its backbone on stupid white kid-type jokes -- jokes that only one person in a million would find funny ("The Simpsons" refers to this phenomenon as "The Dennis Miller Ratio").
The sad part is that this film will probably do well at the box office. Why? Because "Dude Where's My Car?" is no longer in theaters.
I wouldn't have such a problem with these types of jokes if they were not so ubiquitous and unfair. We just had "Bringing Down the House" with Steve Martin and Eugene Levy using the same joke.
I can understand a guy like Jamie Kennedy pretending to be funny, but Steve Martin? Eugene Levy? What do they have to say for themselves?
Even reliable comics such as Chris Rock have stooped to stupid with his last movie "Head of State." In the trailer, old white ladies were rapping articulately. Come on Chris, you are capable of so much more.
I wonder if those walking and talking white jokes themselves go and see these types of movies and laugh at the white guy on screen. I know at least some must.
And if they laugh, are they laughing at the dumb white boy who just can't cut it in the ghetto, or are they laughing at themselves for trying to be someone they're not?
All of these old jokes are made possible by actual events. So why do these events occur?
Why do white people "act black?" Do they "act black" because they admire black people?
Why rely on stereotypes to do so?
Do they think black people (with the exception of Bryant and Greg Gumble) are so incredibly cool that pretending to be "black" is worth looking stupid?
Final thought: If you have produced one of the aforementioned movies, you've seriously got me "straight tripping boo."
Now that I've said that, I'm going to kill myself. Good day.
Write to Mat at twobsuguys@yahoo.com
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