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Customer Review
Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2004
Coming out in 1990, "In Living Color" was a major rarity at the time: a show that held up political correctness, racial issues, and just about anything else for relentless mocking, it was a logical progression from the sketch comedy of "Saturday Night Live" that helped pave the way for increasingly daring shows like "South Park" and "Chappelle's Show." While there were a few kinks to be worked out in the first season, and many of the best recurring bits were still to come (think "Handi-Man"), these first 13 episodes hold up suprisingly well 14 years after their initial release. In fact, I get a lot more of the jokes now than I did when I was 11.
With a mostly black cast, the show was a real equal opportunity offender, but it was at its best when it mocked the failings and excesses of black culture, most notably in the consistently hilarious "Homeboy Shopping Network" and "Homey The Clown" sketches. These two recurring skits represented everything "In Living Color" was that other shows of the day weren't: courageous, subversive, and suprisingly insightful. While much shorter, the "Great Moments in Black History" series was another milestone in TV treatment of race issues, documenting the achievements of such unsung black heroes as the first black man on the moon, the inventor of the self-service gas station, and of course Don King. And while I didn't get it when it premiered back in 1990, I now see the "Wrath of Farrakhan" for the five minutes of brilliance that it is. Introducing Louis Farrakhan to crew of the Starship Enterprise, the sketch is a visionary combination of fish-out-of-water comedy, TV satire, and sociopolitical commentary.
Of course, the show wasn't all racial parody, as there was plenty of time devoted to plain old sublime silliness. Its satirical edge extended even farther, poking fun at lame music videos, the popular TV shows and movies of the day, and, naturally, Mike Tyson and Michael Jackson. Season one introduced us to the cartoonish bum Anton and his home-improvement show "This Old Box"; the homosexual caricatures of the "Men On" series; and the world's hardest-working Jamaican family, the Hedleys of "Hey Mon." And sprinkled throughout the episodes are some phony commercials that rival anything on "Saturday Night Live," including an especially funny spot for a feminine product called "Vortex" that's just a bit too absorbent.
Just as importantly, it was "In Living Color" that introduced the masses to the talents of Jim Carrey (known as James Carrey at the time). Furiously mugging his way through his sketches, Carrey's outrageous physical comedy gave us such unforgettable characters as the anrogynous bodybuilder Vera De Milo, a wildly gesticulating Captain Kirk, and an overly aggressive and insufficiently skilled Karate instructor. His "Fire Marshall Bill" days were still ahead of him, but Carrey made quite an impression here.
In sum, this opening season ranks right up there with the initial bows of such justly classic shows as "South Park" and "The Simpsons." Keenan Ivory Wayans had already demonstrated his comedic abilities with the side-splitting movie "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka," and "In Living Color" only continued his winning streak. "In Living Color" was one of those rare shows that managed to balance wit, creativity, and boldness for an approach that was both offensive and intelligent. Now bring on Season 2!
With a mostly black cast, the show was a real equal opportunity offender, but it was at its best when it mocked the failings and excesses of black culture, most notably in the consistently hilarious "Homeboy Shopping Network" and "Homey The Clown" sketches. These two recurring skits represented everything "In Living Color" was that other shows of the day weren't: courageous, subversive, and suprisingly insightful. While much shorter, the "Great Moments in Black History" series was another milestone in TV treatment of race issues, documenting the achievements of such unsung black heroes as the first black man on the moon, the inventor of the self-service gas station, and of course Don King. And while I didn't get it when it premiered back in 1990, I now see the "Wrath of Farrakhan" for the five minutes of brilliance that it is. Introducing Louis Farrakhan to crew of the Starship Enterprise, the sketch is a visionary combination of fish-out-of-water comedy, TV satire, and sociopolitical commentary.
Of course, the show wasn't all racial parody, as there was plenty of time devoted to plain old sublime silliness. Its satirical edge extended even farther, poking fun at lame music videos, the popular TV shows and movies of the day, and, naturally, Mike Tyson and Michael Jackson. Season one introduced us to the cartoonish bum Anton and his home-improvement show "This Old Box"; the homosexual caricatures of the "Men On" series; and the world's hardest-working Jamaican family, the Hedleys of "Hey Mon." And sprinkled throughout the episodes are some phony commercials that rival anything on "Saturday Night Live," including an especially funny spot for a feminine product called "Vortex" that's just a bit too absorbent.
Just as importantly, it was "In Living Color" that introduced the masses to the talents of Jim Carrey (known as James Carrey at the time). Furiously mugging his way through his sketches, Carrey's outrageous physical comedy gave us such unforgettable characters as the anrogynous bodybuilder Vera De Milo, a wildly gesticulating Captain Kirk, and an overly aggressive and insufficiently skilled Karate instructor. His "Fire Marshall Bill" days were still ahead of him, but Carrey made quite an impression here.
In sum, this opening season ranks right up there with the initial bows of such justly classic shows as "South Park" and "The Simpsons." Keenan Ivory Wayans had already demonstrated his comedic abilities with the side-splitting movie "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka," and "In Living Color" only continued his winning streak. "In Living Color" was one of those rare shows that managed to balance wit, creativity, and boldness for an approach that was both offensive and intelligent. Now bring on Season 2!
