Review by Booklist Review
In Living Color, the sketch-comedy hit of the early 1990s, broke particular ground in its initial airing and continues to maintain cultural relevancy today. Created by Keenen Ivory Wayans with a largely Black cast, the show managed to find success in the largely white television landscape. The iconic opening line of its theme song--"You can do what you want to do"--became the ethos of a program that spoke directly to the experiences of being Black in the 1990s. Giacomazzo takes a deep dive into the history of the show, examining how the characters and sketches operated in its initial run as well as providing a rundown of sketches that were deemed too raw for future airings, illustrating when the "do what you want to do" philosophy ran against censorship standards. While the show is known for introducing the Wayans family, Jim Carey, and even "fly girl" dancer Jennifer Lopez, Giacomazzo demonstrates how In Living Color's legacy resonates much further than the careers it launched. An incisive and rigorously researched look at how television is created and consumed, particularly a show by Black creators for Black audiences, this is a worthy addition to any library's media-studies collections.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Giacomazzo (Swimming with Sharks) writes a thorough analysis of what a monumental TV show In Living Color came to represent and the sociocultural background that played a role in its shaping. At a time when the fragility of the white identity would not leave a lot of room for Black sketches and comedians, Keenan Ivory Wayans internalized the experience of earlier enterprises like The Richard Pryor Show to create a series that would give the main stage to unapologetic Blackness and Black comedy. Giacomazzo discusses many of the skits that rewrote the history of Black sketch shows, acknowledges episodes that were left out from syndication over the years, and invites readers to look through the cultural lens of the times when they were produced. It is undeniable In Living Color (1990--94) represented an invaluable milestone in opening up a conversation about race and social and cultural justice. VERDICT A must-read book on the history of a show that molded Black comedy sketches and brings together different threads of social awareness, race, entrepreneurship, comedy, resilience, and bravery in the face of a world not used to seeing "in living color."--Alessandro Cimino
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