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Benjamin Cherian
Professor Stanley Kustesky
UNIV 111-017
4 December 2015
Russell Peters
The use of stereotypes is typically frowned upon in modern society. The premise behind
the decision to reject generalizations lies with the intent to prevent individuals, especially from
marginalized backgrounds, from feeling offended or insulted. However, comedians such as
Russell Peters have positively exploited these differences among ethnicities and have risen to
fame and success. Peters was born in Canada and is of Anglo-Indian descent (Sanneh 68). Other
children frequently bullied Peters due to ethnic differences. The comedian recalled using racial
comedy to diffuse situations before they escalated into violent encounters. Essentially, his
oppressors would succumb to laughter and withhold their abuse (Peters 2010). In an interview
with Neal Conan from the National Public Radio, Peters stated that a few sources of inspiration
for his pursuit into comedy were Steve Martin, George Carlin, and Cheech and Chong. He began
his career as a stand-up comedian at the age of nineteen in a comedy club in Toronto. He spent
four years there before traveling abroad and performing for expatriates (Piccalo). Peters
indicated that he spent the majority of his profession in anonymity; the world had never really
discovered his performances (Peters 2009). According to Maki Motapanyane, an Assistant
Professor of Woman’s Studies at Mount Royal University, his popularity soared after a video of
the comedian was uploaded onto the Internet (99). Since then, Peters has performed many times
across the world. In Canada, he has appeared in sitcoms and acted in a few movies. Additionally,
he has been featured on shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live and Chelsea Lately in the United
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States. Furthermore, Peters won an award for Best Performance or Host in Variety Program or
Series for hosting the Juno Awards in 2008 (“Russell Peters Biography”). Apart from his
performances in Canada and the United States, the comedian has presented his comedy routine in
Australia, India, the Philippines, and other nations (Peters 2009). Russell Peters has gained a
large fan base comprised of devoted individuals from around the world.
Peters is a stand-up comedian. In an interview with Audie Cornish from the National
Public Radio, Peters mentioned that the ideas for his acts and comedy routines originate from
viewing daily events. As such, one can infer that the comedian utilizes observational comedy.
Moreover, his style of comedy incorporates different cultures and ethnicities and involves the
comic freely articulating about what he feels about these cultures and society without any regard
for political correctness (Peters 2010; Motapanyane 98). In most instances, Peters combines
ethnic stereotypes into his routine to boost the hilarity factor for the audience. Unsurprisingly,
many of these generalizations involve his own culture. His use of ethnic comedy is based mostly
“in the experiences of a second-generation son of South Asian parents in a western world”
(“Russell Peters Biography”). When joking about other cultures, Peters often utilizes various
accents in order to present himself as a member of that ethnicity. Examples of these inflections
include Jamaican, Chinese, and Trinidadian (Peters 2010). The comic ensures that he depicts
himself in a way that will not insult audience members, though the usage of a foreign accent may
seem offensive. Despite his blatant use of stereotypes, the comedian shies away from integrating
religion into any of his acts. He justifies this decision by stating his concerns about the fervor
that some people possess toward their faith in a given audience (Peters 2009). Russell Peters
takes advantage of ethnic comedy to form many of his comic routines and presentations.
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One can attempt to categorize the comedy style that Peters uses in his performances into
one of the four theories of humor. Aaron Smuts, an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Rhode
Island College, lists these theories: superiority, relief, incongruity, and play. Furthermore, he
provides a description of each. Of particular interest are the superiority and incongruity theories
of humor. In the former notion, humor is generated when the audience realizes that they are
somehow more dominant over the characters featured in a theatrical production or other type of
presentation. The latter conjecture proposes that humor is created by a sudden distortion of what
an audience expects to happen (Smuts). Situational irony can be used to illustrate the incongruity
theory because an outcome different than what was hypothesized occurs. Based on these two
descriptions, the comedy style used by Russell Peters falls into the superiority theory of humor
although the comedian utilizes aspects of the incongruity theory to produce laughter. Ethnic
comedy is often dependent on racism in order to make an act appealing to the audience.
Applications of racism, such as insulting others on the basis of skin color, even in the slightest
form causes a targeted group to appear subordinate to dominant groups. Needless to say, these
prevailing groups generate laughter in response to such a comment. Motapanyane writes, “The
comedian’s official Web site informs visitors that Peters ‘uses wry observations on the subjects
of race, class, and culture to illuminate our human shortcomings’” (100). One can assume that
Peters actively searches for quirks and irregularities in individuals of different races so that he
may use them in a comedy routine. Such behavior displays a reliance on racial differences that
will be used for the purpose of putting down an ethnicity in front of other ethnicities. However,
the comedian dampens the shame that he causes to one race by mocking all races in a
performance. Ethnic comedy, the style of entertainment that Russell Peters uses during a
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presentation, can be assigned to the superiority theory of humor due to its use of stereotypes and
comments that stem from racism.
Reactions toward Russell Peters are mixed, with some expressing praise and some
displaying hatred. As with all comedians who use controversial subject matter in their acts, the
possibility always exists for backlash and anger against the individual who incorporate these
topics. In an interview with Arun Rath from the National Public Radio, a comedian named Bill
Burr credits Russell Peters with the introduction of stand-up comedy in India and other nations.
Due to his initial work, this form of entertainment now exists in India and other nations. Chris
Jones, the chief theater critic for the Chicago Tribune, states that a Russell Peters performance at
a comedy club was heavily attended by Indians. One can infer that this large turnout was
generated by the comic expertise of the Peters. Jones paints the comedian in a positive light,
going so far as to consider him as “a kind of de facto spokesman for the born-in-America
children or grandchildren of immigrants from India.…” Similarly, Dominic Cavendish, the
theatre critic and comedy critic for the Telegraph lauds Peters with his ability to welcome and
seemingly unite all members in his audience. His ability to humorously mock the cultures that
comprise his audience foster respect among those present at a comedy routine. However, not all
reactions have been positive. Renuka Vyavahare, a reporter for The Times of India, criticized
Peters for his distasteful comments about Bollywood. The lack of fondness displayed by Peters
toward Mumbai and its filmmaking industry led him to insult an actress who was pregnant at the
time. A spectacular counterattack occurred such that even a leader from a conservative Hindu
political party became involved and demanded that Peters be banned from India for his failure to
“respect our traditions and films” (Vyavahare). The reactions and reviews concerning this
comedian are varied.
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In reviewing several comedy routines and shows by Russell Peters, one can conclude that
he speaks openly about his past with a particular emphasis on culture. For instance, Motapanyane
lists certain stereotypes that are widespread in his acts. She writes, “Indian and Chinese people
are cheap; immigrant parents are prone to violent corporal punishment…” (Motapanyane 100).
As the son of two Indian parents, I feel that can relate to these generalizations. Whenever I
would shop with my parents, I observed them as they felt disgusted with the seemingly low price
of a product and then emphatically declared that they would purchase the item were it to go on
sale. In my opinion, Russell Peters summarizes this phenomenon perfectly by stating, “‘‘Cause
Indians cannot live without a bargain…’” (Peters 2010). Additionally, I remember being harshly
disciplined by my father for disobedient behavior. He often resorted to branches and leather belts
if a committed transgression was especially severe. The comparison between the events of my
personal life and the experiences in the life of the comedian serves to trigger laughter because I
realize that I was not the only individual who faced these types of occurrences. My ability to
connect to the events that Peters experienced as a child serve as the primary reason why I find
this comedian to be funny.
Russell Peters is a talented comedian whose career has germinated after a long period of
dormancy and anonymity. He utilizes ethnic comedy, a type of amusement rooted around
stereotypes and racial differences, in order to engage his audience and stir laughter. Though
offensive, Peters diffuses anger by mocking all cultures so that no one group is excluded or
constantly insulted. The comedian unknowingly promotes mutual understanding among different
groups of people through his style of comedy because he attacks issues that are commonly
associated with different ethnicities and presents a new form of thinking.
Word Count: 1556
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Works Cited
Burr, Bill. “Comedian Bill Burr Says Stand-Up in Asia In Its ‘Lenny Bruce Years’.” Interview
by Arun Rath. Weekend All Things Considered. Natl. Public Radio, 15 Feb 2015.
Cavendish, Dominic. "Russell Peters: Notorious, LG Arena, NEC, Birmingham, Review." The
Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 15 Apr. 2013. Web. 25 Nov. 2015.
Jones, Chris. "Russell Peters Gets First Laughs in the New Laugh Factory." Chicago Tribune.
N.p., 24 Feb. 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2015.
Motapanyane, Maki. "Capitalizing on Multiculturalism: Reading the Success of Canadian
Comedian Russell Peters." TOPIA 25 (2011): 97-113. TOPIA: Canadian Journal of
Cultural Studies. 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2015.
Peters, Russell. “Comedian Russell Peters Capitalizes on Indian Roots.” Interview by Audie
Cornish. Weekend Edition Saturday. Natl. Public Radio, 30 Jan. 2010. Literature
Resource Center. Web. 25 Nov. 2015. Transcript.
Peters, Russell. “Comedian Russell Peters Insults Your Heritage.” Interview by Neal Conan.
Talk of the Nation. Natl. Public Radio, 4 June 2009. Literature Resource Center. Web. 25
Nov. 2015. Transcript.
Piccalo, Gina. "No Joke - Russell Peters Is a Famous Comedian." Los Angeles Times. N.p., 16l
Apr. 2010. Web. 25 Nov. 2015.
"Russell Peters Biography." Tribute.ca. Tribute Entertainment Media Group, n.d. Web. 25 Nov.
2015.
Sanneh, Kelefa. “Funny Person.” New Yorker Nov. 2010: 60-70. Academic Search Complete.
Web. 25 Nov. 2015.
Smuts, Aaron. "Humor." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2015.
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Vyavahare, Renuka. "Russell Peters Should Die: Bollywood Fans." The Times of India. N.p., 23
Sept. 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2015.