OPINION: Why Tracy Morgan Isn’t Taking Us Two Steps Back
The best show on television-hands down- is 30 Rock. It’s not an argument, it’s not an opinion, it’s not a point of view; it’s empirical. I’ll smile if you counter by picking Family Guy, but I won’t agree.
30 Rock, bolstered by the brilliant writing of former Saturday Night Live head writer Tina Fey who also stars, and the absolutely splendid acting of screen great Alec Baldwin would be nothing more than a cutesy white folks’ comedy a la Seinfeld if it weren’t for one significant fly in the buttermilk: Tracy Morgan.
Morgan, who came to television prominence as “Hustleman” on Martin Lawrence’s Martin and parlayed that role into being a SNL cast member alongside Fey, stars in 30 Rock as Tracy Jordan, the chronically late, woefully unprepared, lecherous, libidinous modern Black star; always tragically lost somewhere between being a rapper, a gangster and a fool.
Foes of Morgan’s portrayal might be quick to suggest that in the age of Obama, negative Black images aren’t really helping. These foes would also probably be missing just how much skill and timing are necessary to aptly feign ineptness as effortlessly as Morgan seemingly does.
As good as Morgan is, however, he’s far from a trailblazer. When Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry made over a million bucks as an actor in the 1920s and 30s Black people were outraged. Using the screen name Stepin Fetchit, Perry took mad heat from the Black intelligentsia and various Black rights movements for taking recurrent film roles featuring him as the stereotypical lazy, shuffling mush-mouthed Negro. In real life, however, Perry was a highly literate contributing columnist for the Chicago Defender who later in life converted to Islam and became a confidant of Muhammad Ali.
So feel free to laugh at Tracy Morgan while you’re watching 30 Rock. You should only get mad if he doesn’t win an Emmy.
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What ’s up chief!
Tracy is a stumbling , dumb, shiftless , ignorant , minstrel.30Rock would be funny without him. People say at least he’s making money, so does a dope dealer and a prositute.
Tracy Morgan is a comedian with skilled specifics. Just as Martin L.,The Late Bernie Mac, Chris Tucker, Will Smith, and an array of specific comedic skills. It appeals to specific crowds… Some crowds are larger than the next, but all still enjoy the broad idea.
Why is it that when a person is making money, the images he portrays don’t matter??? It seems that money negates a person selling out his race.
Times really haven’t changed all that much, in the eyes of many non-blacks; they still think of blacks as hostile, loud, violent, crimminal, dumb, ghettofied, and everything else you can think of that is stereotypical. And it’s not just WHITE AMERICA that thinks this either. Many other cultures get their information on black american culture from media and from how they or those they know have interacted with blacks (which usually isn’t great).
Now, we have people like Tracy Morgan, Tyler Perry, and a host of others, who are these bafoon-like characters. What is that doing but perpetuating a stereotype?
But hey–as long asnegros are making their mill, I guess that is what really counts, right? Doesn’t sound much different from when Butterfly McQueen took the role of “Prissy”, the mammie in “Gone with the Wind”.
i say three steps back but he is just not my cup of tea
WTF? What are we supposed to get out of this story? I like Tracy Morgan, but this story is weak, undeveloped, and could have been summed up in two sentences: Tracy Morgan is not setting black people back because he makes a lot of money when he plays a stereotypical black person. Reminiscent of Stepin Fetchit his portrayal of an ignorant black man is genius.
That was almost as good as the BET Nightly News back in the day. Thanks for the insight; moreover, advertisement for 30 Rock.
Not much of a Tracy Morgan fan. I don’t find him funny at all. But at the end of the day, he making money!!!
Cut off da goddamn TELL LIE VISION and open a book. KNOW THY SELF by na’im akbar and MISEDUCATION OF THE NEGRO by carter g woodson. Then cop the dvds by ashra and merira kwesi at “kemetnu.com”
It’s a thin line people. I find that we do have to be careful about the images we portray and/or support b/c, unfortunately, there are still ppl out there who see us as monolithic, as Spike said. I love comedy. I am not familiar with “30 Rock,” but I love “House of Payne.” Even though Curtis’ character is outrageous, that show upholds family values and does show successful African-Americans. We are polylithic, we are made of many fabrics, colors, etc. I understand Spike’s concern, but also see what Tyler Perry is going for…I also think the problem is some “others” are not gonna get the genius of Tracy Morgan playing such a ridiculous role, and so it’s the double edged sword, creativity at the risk of embarassment or safety at the risk of supression. I just think when ppl create characters, they should consider all sides of the coin. Will it being shame to us as a ppl? Will it be written cleverly enough to illicit change in the way we think? Be blessed!
Tracey Morgan is funny. On the show he is hilarious! I don’t know about 30 Rock being the best show on t.v, but to each his own.
People need to stop taking stuff so seriously and just sit back and enjoy life. Sometimes, it’s okay ti laugh. The only reason I watch 30 Rock is for Tracey…I LOVE HIM! He’s not taking us back, he’s taking our minds off of the burden of life, bills, kids, jobs and everything else that’s sometimes unpleasant in life. Hello People, it’s okay to enjoy yourself sometimes.
lol..I love me some Tracey. He makin money niggaaaaaa…lol..He good. He’ll get other roles. Just like Taraji started off small..him too..he’ll get big. He’ll want to grow. He wouldn’t do anything to dehumanize his character. He good. We good. I’m good. and Ol boy who left the last comment looks good..lol…
F**k all the bull s**t..We gon laugh at whatever is funny and relevant
And I love me some Tracy Morgan. “He’s lookin’ at me.” “Who?” “White Jesus”. LOL!
Maybe Spike Lee is “hating” on Tyler Perry because he used to be “The” black director in Hollywood and now Tyler Perry is the man. lol. DON’T HATE THE PLAYA, SPIKE, HATE THE GAME, BROTHA!
THERE SEEMS TO BE A DOUBLE STANDARD CONCERNING MR LEE’S COMMENT COMPARING MR.PERRY TO AMOS AND ANDY. I DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW SPIKE LEE CAN LIKE 30 ROCK AND NOT LIKE WHAT TYLER PERRY IS DOING BECAUSE 30 ROCK HAS TRACY MORGAN PORTRAYING THOSE SAME TRAITS THAT SPIKE LEE SAYS HE DOESN’T LIKE IN TYLER PERRY’S MOVIES. WHAT’S GOOD FOR 30 ROCK IS GOOD FOR TYLER PERRY. MR. LEE THERE IS ROOM AT THE TOP FOR YOU AND TYLER PERRY. MR. LEE DID YOU FORGET THAT MALCOM X SAID HELP YOUR BROTHER “BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY”? I THINK HE WOULD BE SADDENDED THAT YOU WOULD HURT INSTEAD OF HELP TYLER PERRY BY YOUR MEAN- SPIRITED COMMENTS.
so I guess the point was smart blackmen acting like dummies is the new smart…hmmm
I’ll agree with you guys, that Curb was a trip. Don’t sleep on the other joints, they’re just as funny as well! Tracy Morgan has indeed come a long way from both “The Uptown Comedy Clun” and playing Hustleman on “Martin.”
gotta agree with burg. Curb is the funniest show out.
I’ve been a fan of Tracy Morgan aka “Hustleman” for years. He’s hilarious!
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Family Guy? 30 Rock? Try Curb Your Enthusiasm. Before that it was the Wire. The best show on TV will never be on broadcast television because there are too many rules and regulations.