When you pick up a book entitled “an anthology of African-American
humor” with a giant watermelon rind on the cover, there are expectations that
you set. Expectations that center around this book debunking African-American
stereotypes in a way that gets its point across, but in a humorous way.
Incorrect. Plain and simple, I do not find this book funny. Not in the guttural
“ha-ha” sense, not in the “that’s so truthful that it elicits as sad chuckle”
sense, not in the “I feel like that was the punch line, but I don’t get it”
sense. It is only funny in the “It said humor on the cover, so perhaps I should
give it a chuckle whether it deserves it or not, and because I’m feeling
incredibly awkward with the material” sense. Admittedly, I found the W.E.B.
Dubois story from the previous reading humorous because of the frankness and
simple-ness of the narrator’s responses. But in general the material deals with
such a dark time in country’s history that it doesn’t have much chance of being
funny. Most of these stories were wrote during the late 1800s or the early
1900s during a time when African Americans were very much having to claw their
way to equality in our society.
This brings me to my next thought. Our readings have all
been centered on that time period. In the readings, the most recent is “Let me
at the enemy – and George Brown” from 1944. This is not a complaint that that
time period of stories shouldn’t be read, it is simply a commentary on the
reason why my expectations for Hokum weren’t met as I expected them to
be. I think when I read the title and saw the demi-modern cover, I assumed
modern African American humor, which this book also happens to contain. Because
in my head I was picturing modern, I was picturing relatable topics and at
least a handful of laughs.
The humor of Hokum
is separated from my humor in a number of ways which I think combine to make it
“not funny” to me. Culturally I am separated from this piece. I am a white
female so I don’t have the prerequisite “race” to understand. I didn’t think I
would be so far blocked by this cultural filter because of the number of
African-American friends I have. Enter the second filter: time period. So now I
have my genetics fighting against me to understand the material as well as a
generation gap. Sure, I’ve learned about how bad racial issues were at that
time in school every year, but to live it is so different. To live it brings an
understanding that surpasses book knowledge within moments.
I like the dialect choices of the authors. I don’t find
it to be a huge barrier to my understanding of the passages. I do find it a
sign of the genius of the authors because they preserve a manner of speech that
I fear will one day become less and less well known. Already our accents aren’t
seen as the ones to use as news reporters are advised, “Use a Midwestern
accent, because then they won’t be able to tell where you are from.” No, be
proud of your culture and where you are from. As our society becomes more amalgamous
every day, remember where you are from and what your individual values are that
you bring to the table.
i can see where people can judge this as a book that "white" people are nervous to read. Yet I grew up in a place where 65 percent of my community was black. I find this funny. Which it is to most black people as well. It isn't exactly racist as most white people would see a "white" joke and not take much offense to it. It's when things get personal and people rally mean hatred towards a group is when it gets nasty. This book was funny, yet hard to understand all the same. This was written in a different time period for the most part and things were so different and we simply can't relate to it. Yet It was still somewhat funny, difficult as you say to relate to and laugh at but still, humorous to me.
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