{"title":"Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy","originalTitle":"Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy","src":"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/M\/MV5BMjA5MjM5Njg3MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMTI2NjQzMw@@._V1_QL75_UY281_CR8,0,190,281_.jpg","srcset":"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/M\/MV5BMjA5MjM5Njg3MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMTI2NjQzMw@@._V1_QL75_UY281_CR8,0,190,281_.jpg 190w, https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/M\/MV5BMjA5MjM5Njg3MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMTI2NjQzMw@@._V1_QL75_UY422_CR12,0,285,422_.jpg 285w, https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/M\/MV5BMjA5MjM5Njg3MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMTI2NjQzMw@@._V1_QL75_UY562_CR16,0,380,562_.jpg 380w","rate":"7","numVotes":"292","year":2009,"runtime":95,"isAdult":null,"type":null,"actors":[{"id":"8351331","name":"Franklyn Ajaye","const":"nm0014977"},{"id":"8351333","name":"Angela Bassett","const":"nm0000291"},{"id":"8351335","name":"Bill Bellamy","const":"nm0004740"},{"id":"8351337","name":"Julian Bond","const":"nm0093971"},{"id":"8351339","name":"Todd Boyd","const":"nm0101940"},{"id":"8351340","name":"Topper Carew","const":"nm0136882"},{"id":"8351341","name":"Jeff Clanagan","const":"nm0163335"},{"id":"8351342","name":"Bill Cosby","const":"nm0001070"},{"id":"8351343","name":"Stanley Crouch","const":"nm0189459"},{"id":"8351344","name":"Elijah Cummings","const":"nm3067972"},{"id":"8351345","name":"Tommy Davidson","const":"nm0203508"},{"id":"8351346","name":"Michael Eric Dyson","const":"nm0246044"},{"id":"8351347","name":"Walter Fauntroy","const":"nm2277416"},{"id":"8351348","name":"Shang Forbes","const":"nm0285402"},{"id":"8351349","name":"Marla Gibbs","const":"nm0004958"},{"id":"8351350","name":"Louis Gossett Jr.","const":"nm0001283"},{"id":"8351351","name":"Dick Gregory","const":"nm0339793"},{"id":"8351352","name":"Eddie Griffin","const":"nm0341176"}],"directors":[{"id":"2875","name":"Robert Townsend","const":"nm0870186"}],"writers":[{"id":"2172","name":"John Long","const":"nm0519026"},{"id":"67284","name":"Quincy Newell","const":"nm2802840"}],"countries":[],"languages":[{"id":"1","name":"English","short":"en"}],"genres":[{"id":"7","title":"Documentary"},{"id":"10","title":"Comedy"}],"metacritic":null,"releaseDate":"2009\/1\/","plot":"An off-screen narration, four dozen talking heads, and clips of performances tell a chronological story about Black comedy: who has made us laugh since 1901, what is the nature of their humor, and what social and political contexts inform it. We look at minstrels, Stepin Fetchit, \u0022Amos \u0027n Andy,\u0022 \u0022Beulah,\u0022 Redd Foxx, Dick Gregory, Flip Wilson, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, \u0022The Cosby Show,\u0022 Chris Rock, Whoopi, \u0022Hollywood Shuffle,\u0022 entrepreneurship and Black comedy clubs, Robert Harris, urban street culture and \u0022In Living Color,\u0022 the rise of the Fox network, Def Comedy Jam, and the Original Kings of Comedy. The film asserts Black comedy helps America change.","wins":0,"nominations":null,"casts":[{"name":"Franklyn Ajaye","code":"nm0014977","characters":"Self"},{"name":"Angela Bassett","code":"nm0000291","characters":"Narrator"},{"name":"Bill Bellamy","code":"nm0004740","characters":"Self"},{"name":"Julian Bond","code":"nm0093971","characters":"Self"},{"name":"Todd Boyd","code":"nm0101940","characters":"Self"},{"name":"Topper Carew","code":"nm0136882","characters":"Self"},{"name":"Jeff Clanagan","code":"nm0163335","characters":"Self"},{"name":"Bill Cosby","code":"nm0001070","characters":"Self"},{"name":"Stanley Crouch","code":"nm0189459","characters":"Self"},{"name":"Elijah Cummings","code":"nm3067972","characters":"Self"},{"name":"Tommy Davidson","code":"nm0203508","characters":"Self"},{"name":"Michael Eric Dyson","code":"nm0246044","characters":"Self"},{"name":"Walter Fauntroy","code":"nm2277416","characters":"Self"},{"name":"Shang Forbes","code":"nm0285402","characters":"Self"},{"name":"Marla Gibbs","code":"nm0004958","characters":"Self"},{"name":"Louis Gossett Jr.","code":"nm0001283","characters":"Self"},{"name":"Dick Gregory","code":"nm0339793","characters":"Self"},{"name":"Eddie Griffin","code":"nm0341176","characters":"Self"}],"budget":null,"lifetimeGross":null,"openingWeekendGross":null,"worldwideGross":null,"keywords":[{"text":"dark comedy"},{"text":"talking heads"},{"text":"minstrel"},{"text":"black american"},{"text":"concert footage"}],"production":[{"id":"co0172361","text":"Codeblack Entertainment"}],"prestigiousAwardSummary":null,"moreLikeThisTitles":[{"code":"tt0093200","title":"Hollywood Shuffle"},{"code":"tt0107563","title":"The Meteor Man"},{"code":"tt0101891","title":"The Five Heartbeats"}]}