MovieChat Forums > Top Five (2014) Discussion > "Black man tryin' to get a cab..."

"Black man tryin' to get a cab..."

posted 9 years ago by mcc2121
21 replies | jump to latest

(eyes roll)

Really?

To paraphrase Seinfeld: "I'm not offended by this as a Jewish person. I'm offended as a comedian."

As brilliant as Chris Rock is, at what point does his reliance on "black" become hacky?

This is NOT a statement saying that race does not play a role in society. Of course it does. This IS saying that it would be refreshing to see Chris Rock (and all black comics, for that matter) not fall into his default comedy crutch of "white people are like this, black people are like that..."

I respect Louie CK as an artist because he seems to make legitimate attempts to grow and challenge himself by stepping outside of his comfort level. As it is, I know that if Rock does a show, 75% of it will touch on race. Simply based on the trailer and ad spots I'm setting the over/under on "black" jokes/references at 100. Simply as entertainment, I've seen this movie too many times. Pass.

[–] fctiger 9 years ago

Man, I get your point but the punchline is the cab stops for him. It was just suppose to be a silly gag. If the entire film is sprinkled like that you got a point, but ONE joke does not make the entire film one racial comedy rift.

12 Years a Slave Best Picture Of The Year!!!!!!

[–] Professor59 9 years ago

Yeah, but he doesn't know the punchline. He only saw the trailer, then acted like he knew the whole film. His loss.

[–] ker007 9 years ago

Correct. In that bit he's actually making fun of black people ( which he actually does quite a bit if you pay attention )

[–] RustyShacklefordd 9 years ago

The cab stopped for him though, that's what made it funny.

[–] mcc2121 9 years ago

Whether or not that particular bit subverted racial issues, it was still a "race" joke. Sure, it can be funny. But can Rock be consistently funny without it? I'd like to see him try.

[–] bellaalma 9 years ago

I didn't find it funny because the reality is that it is still difficult for black people to get cabs in certain places. The joke makes it seem as if his perception, and as a result the experiences of blacks who speak on this lingering slice of racist pie, are inaccurate.

[–] smithc93 9 years ago

What if the joke is making fun of the "white people be like..." and "black people be like" jokes

[–] pankoeken 9 years ago

I didn't find it funny because the reality is that it is still difficult for black people to get cabs in certain places.



The joke makes it seem as if his perception, and as a result the experiences of blacks who speak on this lingering slice of racist pie, are inaccurate.



[–] ker007 9 years ago

That is an economic issue that will never go away. It's not that cab drivers feel unsafe ( the cabbies are from the same neighborhoods and know how to spot "bad actors"; which themselves are incredibly rare ). It's just that statistically black people are more likely to take them to the outer boroughs. Since they have no fare coming back to Manhattan, that can ruin their day/night financially. Hence they avoid black people. White people are more likely to live nearer to the city where there is fare in both directions, or at least it's 10 minutes getting back to city center.

[–] aquarianbrass 8 years ago

No, it's race, cabbies have no idea where people live before they pick them up. You're trying to draw a sanitized veneer over blatant racism.

[–] flynnflon 8 years ago

The joke makes it seem as if his perception, and as a result the experiences of blacks who speak on this lingering slice of racist pie, are inaccurate.

I genuinely have no idea, what you're trying to say, here...

[–] joshdamis 9 years ago

He does it for nearly two hours in this movie.

[–] flynnflon 8 years ago

I love it when someone (like yourself) tries to make some clever point, only to be shown just how *beep* precious & pretentious their attempt actually was.

Kudos

[–] padzok 8 years ago

... it was still a "race" joke...

If you didnt "get" that gag, then I think you missed the whole point of the movie.

The point was that he used to be relevant, and now he wasnt (at the start of the movie).

So, at the start of the movie, he trots out a cliché which the woman that he's with would not have been impressed by.

To make things worse, not only is it a cliché, but the cab actually stops. Making his comment just seem misplaced and useless.

HOWEVER, of course, (surprise! surprise!), by the end of the movie, he has got his groove back, all thanks to the love of a good woman, yada, yada

TL;DR: The character's joke about the taxi fell very flat. The butt of the movie's joke
was the character.

[–] ChipDouglass 9 years ago

I love Louie CK, but you just know you're going to get an hour about his kids in every special.

This is just a Tribute.

[–] mikeyflatley 9 years ago

And why does he yell

Werd 2 ur mudda, bruddafckka

[–] lastflip 9 years ago

it's impossible to black and be from a major city and not have your race be a second nature thought because not recognizing that can be deadly.white ppl don't have to think about race.

[–] 249 9 years ago

op

louis ck is part mexican, if his appearance was more in line with that part of his heritage i think race and racism would play a larger role in his life and be reflected in his comedy

[–] cbogeasy 9 years ago

I don't even think he's part Mexican I think he's just Mexican both his parents and Grandparents are from Mexico. And he lived there in his youth.

[–] denny004 9 years ago

Some of the great Jewish comedian make Jewish jokes so why should Rock not make black jokes. In the movie his stand up was brilliant and they were sex jokes.

I'm your daddy and what do I do?

[–] duaneincali 8 years ago

actually I thought that was a good schtick. I think it was 60 minutes or some such show a few years ago who did a bit like this. they had an impeccably dressed black man in a corp. suit and then a white guy all disheveled about 50 feet closer to where cabs pick up and like 90% passed the black guy for the white guy. can't quite figure out why people here on imdb would have a problem with a hip black comic making a movie about hip black people. like, who else would?
enjoy the movie.
and, Rosario is hot. must be said. even with that half shaved head.