Black Comedians And Just How They're Affected By Hollywood Pressure

By Edmond Miller


Something is simply amiss in hip-hop comedian Katt Williams' world. He's been charged on gun violations two times within the last 3 years, with the newest charge being terminated. Last year, he was set to host the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta a 2nd time but reportedly pulled out the night just before the show right after losing a break-dancing challenge to hip-hop singer T-Pain to host the show. Other sources declare that Williams and a BET staffer experienced a heated exchange, prompting the Ohio native to walk out.

All these bizarre mishaps come as Williams is ready for megastardom. His highly-rated 2006 HBO special, Katt Williams: Pimp Chronicles Pt.1, took him to new heights and his newest DVD, Katt Williams: Pimpadelic, is now accessible on Amazon. But Williams, who cares for 8 children, one biological, has fallen in to the rhythm of other black comedians before him.

Is fame that much of a pressure cooker? Recent reports about comedian Mo'Nique, who currently helms a struggling night time show on BET, may back that up. Poised for mainstream stardom, Mo'Nique, who gives a riveting, Oscar-worthy performance in Precious, the newest from Lee Daniels, has long been accused of refusing to make performances to market the small budget film unless paid a hefty sum.

The truth that she's entered one of the most difficult genres in tv is ignored. Imagine the pressure that must accompany a decision to enter an arena where failure is the norm. Yet the media has given little support to those pressures, writing Mo'Nique off as a temperamental diva. Apparently, rapper Notorious B.I.G.. hit it on the head when he rhymed, "mo' money, mo' problems."

A few years back during an interview in Atlanta, I asked Williams why so many black comedians lose their edge in Hollywood. He freely talked about the pressures of maintaining his brand of humor. Noting that, once fame placed in, it was difficult to frequent the environments that when nurtured his humor and that of other like comedians, Williams shared instances of going to the types of night clubs he may have once visited following his routines and having to keep alert to avoid robbery attempts.

Are Katt Williams, Martin Lawrence, Dave Chappelle and others crazy or is this the cost that black individuals, particularly, must pay for achievement? It may not manifest by itself on the scale of those better known, but does this truth explain the distance so many profitable African-Americans have between where they're and where they come from?




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