Everyone who knows me knows that Paul Mooney is my favorite comedian of all time. And if anyone knows anything about Richard Pryor, you'd know that Paul Mooney was Richard's best friend, writer, and designated driver. Paul Mooney is also a legendary comedian who broke down doors for black comic writers when those words had never been used in a sentence: "black comic writer"... yeah, he was there from the beginning, paving the way and being brutally honest about race in America. The reason so many don't know Mr. Mooney has a lot to do with why I love him so. He would never compromise his integrity to be more famous. He is a comedian who doesn't sugar-coat and saturate so that mainstream (white) audiences can laugh comfortably. Mooney makes it plain! He is hysterically funny and incredibly brilliant, one of the smartest and definitely one of the most respected comedians of all time. The great comedians all acknowledge him as one of the greatest.
A fascinating interview was posted on popmatters.com and it made me want to acknowledge the brilliant Mr. Mooney on my page as well.
Paul Mooney's also written a tell-all memoir called "Black is the New White" about his complex, loyal friendship with Richard Pryor, Hollywood, and life. It's a very entertaining read and a sharp observation of the industry as a whole. And there are definitely a few surprising revelations.
He has a new upcoming stand up special on Showtime called "It's the End of the World" and it's a not to be missed event. Definitely check your local listing.
And if you remember Homey D. Clown from "In Living Color": Paul Mooney created that. Yeah, peoples, he's just that good.
