A look at one of the most legendary African-­
American comedians of the 21st century By: Krista DeFils February 2011 FLIP WILSON’S FAMILY BACKGROUND Flip Wilson, (born Clerow Wilson on Dec. 8, 1933) was one of nearly two-­‐dozen children growing up in in Jersey City, New Jersey. His family was unquestionably impoverished and Flip was constantly in and out of trouble. Comedy ran in the family and Flip and his siblings used comic relief as both an escape and a way to fit in with their peers. The comedy alone however wasn’t enough to keep him on the straight and narrow. He began bouncing around from foster homes to reform school until eventually 16-­‐year old Wilson lied about his age and joined the U.S. Air Force. It was then in the military that he gained his famous nickname “Flip” as his comrades said he “flipped out” when he told them jokes. Accounts say that he was so good at making troops laugh that it was arranged for him to tour other bases in order to boost morale. After his stint in the Air Force, Flip took a job working as a bellhop for San Francisco's Manor Plaza Hotel. At the Plaza's nightclub, he got extra work playing a drunken patron in between the regularly scheduled acts. His intoxicated character turned out to be popular and Flip began performing the act in clubs all throughout California. After a while he moved on to the “Chitlin’ Circuit” which was a name for a legendary network of black theaters; such as the Apollo in Harlem and the Regal in Chicago. This circuit was the black counterpart of the Theater Owner’s Booking Association (TOBA) which was white owned and presented much prejudice, violence, and exploitation for black performers. Fellow comedian Rudy Ray Moore stated, “Flip comes from the Chitlin’ Circuit. The same circuit I was from…” The circuit was indeed a network for performers to bond over their craft and also gain a little healthy competition. Other notable comedians from this circuit during this time included Sammy Davis Jr, Redd Foxx, and Richard Pryor. For black comedians including Flip, the Chitlin’ Circuit proved to be a bigger challenge to make people laugh than the TOBA because of the tough and critical audience. As it turns out, it was the fan base that he built up through this circuit during his early career that stayed with him until the start of his own show. Laughing Mad: The Black Comic Persona in Post-­Soul America by Bambi Haggins notes: “Wilson’s engagement in Chitlin’ Circuit humor was apparent and appreciated by black audiences raised on this type of humor. [When] he brought this to a mainstream audience, he did not disguise his blackness and his routines were based in traditional African American comedy…” (44). Flip began to make a name for himself by performing all over the circuit and making friends with popular comedy figures in comedy such as Redd Foxx and Johnny Carson who invited Flip to over twenty-­‐five appearances on the famous Tonight Show. He also managed to appear on The Merv Griffin Show, The Andy Williams Show, The Ed Sullivan Show and Rowan and Martin’s Laugh In. Additionally, Flip had a good reputation because of his ability to tell clean and inoffensive jokes, while still using inspirations from pop culture and everyday life. Kathleen Fearn-­‐Banks, a professor at the University of Washington met Wilson while they both were working for NBC and was a good friend of Flip’s for nearly three decades, their friendship only ending upon his death. Fearn-­‐Banks comments, “It was the type of comedy you could let your grandmother listen to and that was also how he got on television…at that time, comedians wouldn’t get on television if they told dirty jokes.” Overall, it was his raw talent, due-­‐diligence and cross-­‐genre appeal that helped gain him a diverse audience and was the reason for four successful seasons of The Flip Wilson Show. BREAKTHROUGH INTO SHOW BUSINESS In the year 1970, having a successful variety comedy series as a Black man was unheard of, that is until Flip Wilson came along. Whether the show’s wild success was due to the outlandish characters he played or the program’s all-­‐star guest roster (including Richard Pryor and the Osmond Brothers), either way Flip made his mark in the history books. So what was it about Flip that made his show different from other Black comedians that came before him? Timing. Wilson’s show came along right after the Civil Rights movement, an era that signaled great progress on the part of African Americans’ standing in society. Professor Fearn-­‐Banks agrees: “Progress had been made on the part of civil rights so people were more in tune to the thought of African Americans being on television. And he had already been introduced on other shows, specials and the Johnny Carson Show so people already liked him. So they were looking forward to the show before it even went on the air, we could tell it was going to be a hit before it ever hit the airways.” Flip’s early popularity helped to jumpstart his career into superstar status and made him a well-­‐liked figure in the African American community. In those days, every time a Black person was on TV it was a momentous occasion as well as a self esteem booster for fellow aspiring entertainers of color. The most famous elements of the show were Flip’s captivating alter egos like the Reverend Leroy, Freddy the Playboy, and Geraldine (who coined the ever-­‐memorable phrase “The devil made me do it!”). The celebrity guest appearances didn’t hurt either, and neither did the exposure outside of the show. For example Nipsey Russell promoting a new dance based on Wilson’s moves called “doing the Flip” for an issue of Jet magazine. My, what it must have meant for Blacks to see Flip’s face on the cover of Time Magazine with the caption “TV’s First Black Superstar.” The show crossed racial boundaries by having a diverse studio audience and guests. This maximized the demographics of viewership and helped make the show the number-­‐two rated program in the nation (behind All in the Family) during its’ first two years on the air. Many say that it was Wilson’s irresistible charm and charisma that helped set him apart from other failed black shows such as The Nat King Cole Show (1956), The Sammy Davis Jr. Show (1966) or the Leslie Uggams Show (1969). NBC took a gamble on Flip and it paid off and paved the way for black comedians of the coming generations. HIGHLIGHTS OF FLIP’S CAREER Flip Wilson’s comedic style was a mix of a trickster and a jokester, physical humor (shown through his movements, like ‘juke-­‐joint’ comedians), and telling “tales” of black folks. Redd Foxx admired him for his uncanny ability to tell a story, not relying solely on monologues with one-­‐liners. He used a variety of methods from body motions, facial expressions, and funny voices. Notably, he was able to naturalize the use of black slang in mainstream television. This was important because it helped give voice to blacks who were normally ostracized for their choice of style of English and also to challenge the “correct” rules of English speaking in a comedic way. Blacks and most whites alike could enjoy the portrayal of race relations on Flip’s show and could always hope for constant new acts (since it was variety) and new show guests as well. Haggins writes, “What made Wilson unique was the lack of either overt judgment or direct sociopolitical contextualization of the aspects of black life he presented.” Flip was very grateful for the progress the civil rights movement made for blacks however he also did not want to be viewed as affiliated with any particular group or social movement. He said “I never affiliated with any group because I’m a group. I’m for what I represent and I try to be what I represent.”He presented blackness in a way that satisfied all audiences, entertaining but not offending; which maximized his crossover potential. It is widely known that Flip’s most memorable act on the show was playing the sassy character Geraldine, whose character was the source of both praise as well as criticism. Lovers of Geraldine were attracted to her attitude which was part Sapphire, part Foxy Brown; two prior prominent female representations of black womanhood. Haggins writes “She was a figure of a black working-­‐class woman [but also] vilified as a caricature of the bossy black woman.” Wilson used dressing in drag to be liberating, addressing stereotypes and also redefined the identity of the new-­‐age black woman. The difference between Geraldine and any other drag characters was that she was not so much a caricature as they were, Wilson had drag credibility so much that you almost forgot she was a he. Wilson believed, “the secret of the success of Geraldine was that she’s not a putdown of women. She’s smart, she’s loyal [and] she’s sassy…everyone can like Geraldine.” Overall, the praises of Geraldine’s character as a positive image outweighed the critiques who said she portrayed black women as overtly sexual, assertive, outspoken and lacking intellect. It could not be disputed that she was a step up from past representations and nonetheless, it was all about laughs and entertaining the audience. His second most popular character, Reverend Leroy was most famously seen in a black tailcoat, white dickey, black string tie, and spats, being constructed as a figure from a different time period. The act also included deacons and the reverend making the ironic and comical statement ‘this church is all about the present’, when it obviously portrayed otherwise. Haggins notes that “…the reverend blends the old school Baptist preacher, the Chitlin’ Circuit comic endman (who delivers the punch of the joke), and the black hipster humor of his contemporary persona.” The reverend’s persona was reminiscent to other famous black male figures like Kingfish and Calhoun, arrogant ‘hucksters’ who were dominant yet comical. Flip’s work was both hilarious and innovative to the majority of the viewers; however there were still criticisms on the part of the pro-­‐black audience. In reference to the overtly apolitical nature of his humor, he said, “My racial message and my political point of view is my humor. My funny is my defense and my offense. Either you like it or you don’t…I’m a comic-­‐-­‐
-­‐all my experiences and my emotions and hard times-­‐-­‐-­‐I have reflected in what I do.” Wilson’s reputation as a “clean” comic, avoiding both profanity and sexually explicit jokes (for the most part) helped him to appeal to crowds from different ages, races, sexes and ethnicities. Because of his high popularity and talent, once his show ended (he walked away, it wasn’t cancelled), Flip was able to make the transition from The Flip Wilson Show to other shows down the line; People Are Funny and Charlie and Co. co-­‐starring Gladys Knight. None could match the success of his first show however and eventually he stepped out of the spotlight. Though he preferred doing television above all, Wilson appeared in a few films; Uptown Saturday Night (1974), The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (1979) and Skatetown, USA (1979). By the end of his career Flip acquired a Golden Globe and two Emmys for his show, along with a Grammy for his comedy album “The Devil Made Me Buy This Dress.” This was definitely a great success, especially for a black entertainer during this time period. Flip was setting records, breaking boundaries as well as uplifting, celebrating and informing the world about black comedy and culture. FLIP WILSON-­THE MAN When celebrities have the ability to portray so many different characters, sometimes fans never get to know them as people apart from the characters they play on TV. Professor Fearn-­‐Banks was fortunate enough to know Flip as both a professional working on his public relations and as a close friend. In an interview, she reminisces on her first encounter with Wilson: “Monty [Flip’s manager] said do you want to meet Flip. And I said ‘no that’s ok, I know he’s busy getting ready for the show’…and he said ‘no I’m sure he would want to meet you’… so he took me in the dressing room, he was getting made up and we talked and he said ‘if you’re a publicist then that means you went to college’, and I said ‘yeah, I did’ and he said ‘oh a college girl, well if you went to college, you can write my life story’ and I said ‘yeah but it’s too soon right now’ and he said ‘yeah but we’re gonna do it…” Almost forty years later, Wilson’s premonition would prove to be true, as Fearn-­‐
Banks is currently preparing to write his biography. In his personal life, Flip was married twice and had five children. Having come from a poor family, it was new for him to have to learn how to balance large sums of money and deal with family members depending on his income to make a living. By the time The Flip Wilson Show ended, Wilson was divorced and had custody of his children. Fearn-­‐Banks acknowledges that although Flip had gotten used to his life in the spotlight, he was a private person who only trusted a small circle of people. Even though he came from a very large family, he still kept to himself since so often he was looked to for money. Kathleen notes, “It got to the point where I’m pretty sure I was the only person in his life who didn’t want anything from him, and he knew this for a fact.” She also notes however that he was not a sad man or a recluse either, just guarded. Though comedy was his passion, Flip had other hobbies, Fearn-­‐Banks recalls: “He enjoyed his life, he enjoyed traveling, he enjoyed playing golf, motorcycles… a lot of music…going to regular Hollywood parties was just not something he liked to do. And he had friends like Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, some other comedians that were his friends…” Although Flip reached new heights through his comedy that no other Black comedian had reached before, traveled the world, and played an array of characters like the most notable Geraldine, if there was one thing in life he wished he could have done it was finished his education. Being from such a poor family and dropping out of school in the eighth grade, Flip never made it on to high school or college, instead opting for the Air Force. He regretted that only one of his children made the decision to further their education (his daughter who went on to nursing school). He was said to have been a very generous man when it came to supporting adolescents who aspired to go to school, handing out money to them periodically. Even after his death Wilson continues to support the goals of minorities who have aspirations to pursue higher education. Fearn-­‐Banks speaks on this particular aspect of Wilson: “He asked me, before he even got sick, he asked me what did I want in his will, he was preparing his will. And I said, I don’t want anything and he was very sensitive, if I had said a million dollars or a painting, if I had said anything valuable, in his mind he woulda thought that’s why she stayed around all these years. Because you know he thought everybody wants something. So that’s when I said, ‘how bout a scholarship?’ And that’s when the scholarship came about. I forgot about it then when he died they told me that was in the will.” The ‘Flip Wilson Scholarship’ is awarded to African-­‐American students pursuing a degree in journalism or public relations and is housed at The University of Washington, Wayne State University in Michigan, California State University-­‐
Northridge, and Howard University in Washington, D.C, and Rutgers University (because it has the leading journalism program in Wilson’s home state). The scholarship is Flip’s gift to the future generation of members of the black community and a perfect way for his legacy to live on. FLIP’S CONTRIBUTION TO BLACK COMEDY As Flip Wilson was the first Black comedian to have a successful comedy variety series, it was natural that he would inspire future comedians to come. Laughing Mad talks about Wilson’s comedic legacy in saying: “By bringing black voices with inner-­‐city vernacular and ties to traditional forms of black humor into the mainstream, Wilson provided a point of departure for a new comedic discursive strategy. He opened up the possibility for the African American condition to be both subject and object in stand-­‐up and the possibility for th African American condition to be both subject and object in stand-­‐up told by an unabashedly, specifically black voice.” His comedic peers admired him as well and Wilson did play a role in the boosting of the career of another famous comedian Richard Pryor, who wrote for and guest starred on The Flip Wilson Show. In reference to Flip’s “nice guy” image, Pryor commented that “Flip was the only performer when he comes out onstage, the audience hopes that [he] likes them.” Other opinion’s included Spanky Hayes who said “He made it safer for guys to wear dresses”, a testiment to Flip’s courage in playing a controversial Geraldine. Jay Phillips agreed: “I could definitely appreciate what he was doing and knowing all of the hoops he had to jump through and probably all the budget that he did get and all of the extra help that he didn’t get and all the work he had to do himself in order to get something funny out on television at that time, in an era where it was really not allowed for us to be on TV and be superstars at the time. He made it possible, man. So I’ve got to appreciate him for his hustle.” A Popular comedian in the 90s, Sinbad also stated “I loved Flip, man. I loved Flip Wilson. He was funny. He was talented. It is clear that Wilson’s artistic genius inspired the work of other great comedians of the modern era decades after the show ended. Other comedians that were influenced by him include Martin Lawrence (whose Sheneneh character was an evolution of Geraldine), Arsenio Hall, Chris Rock and Paul Mooney; all of which had much acclaim and success themselves. Many say that Flip’s greatest contribution was to offer a distinct black voice to mainstream comedy and in a way that attracted a huge fan base. His role in the future of modern black comedy will always be recognized and appreciated and his legacy will live on; especially through his scholarship fund. Flip’s use of creativity, courage and charisma, gave black entertainers a much needed confidence in their own acts and more importantly helped further break down the black/white color barrier in the media. References: •
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Sutherland, Meghan. The Flip Wilson Show. Wayne State University Press, Detroit, 2008. Haggins, Bambi. Laughing Mad: The Black Comic Persona in post-­soul America. Rutgers University Press, 2007. Littleton, Darryl. Black Comedians on Black Comedy: How African-­Americans Taught Us to Laugh. Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, New York, 2006. Professor Kathleen Fearn-­‐Banks-­‐ University of Washington/friend and former publicist of Flip Wilson The Flip Wilson Show-­‐ recorded VHS tapes of episodes