Last night, I had the pleasure of seeing one of the most amazing stand up comedy performances I've ever seen. I've been going to comedy shows for almost 16 years now. I have been performing and writing off and on for 14 of them. But I have never seen a comic like Paul Mooney, at least not live or alive. Let's face it, comic's today don't want to rock the boat. They have their acts and tell their jokes and hack it up! Not, Mooney. He's the equivalent of seeing Richard Pryor live in 2010. He keeps it real, he tells the audience things they know or ignore, or really don't know or want to know but need too. He does all of this and in using the stage to use humor to shed light on extremely important issues and topics that most comedians would dare touch. Mooney isn't going to get a sitcom or become some huge movie star, no, he's better then that. He's not chucking and jiving for a check.
He speaks his mind and doesn't sugar coat the reality that we choose to ignore, and he makes us laugh hysterically at it. He speaks about race, and politics and he is not for the faint of heart. He is brilliant and my hat goes off to him. I inspire to be that honest and great one day. A real comedian, legendary, not just a local comedian telling my hack act for $50 bucks and free drink. Thank you Paul Mooney for being one of the last great comics of our generation. I hope you get your acclaim while you are alive and not after your long and gone.
