mitchell
I am african n i love it when i hear jokes on my african brothers...its not racial but healthy humor..BERNIE MAC AND KOJO ARE KINGS OF COMEDY

Raymond B.
I think that the future for black people in comedy is to branch out so that they can entertain everyone regardless of their background. Bernie Mac, (my favourite at the moment), can do this.. and still represent for the black man. More black british comics need to achieve this.. Besides, if you can make a name for yourself as a comedian regardless of colour then there's likely to be more people taking notice of you if you have real issues to discuss.

Jas
To say that comedy is comedy and is not dependent on colour is naieve student rubbish! GROW UP! Watching stand up we see the person in front of us according to our own social backgrounds, judging them black or white! The reason that black comics do the "And white men dance like this" is because in British comedy clubs the audiences are predominately white and the race card is the easiest one to play to keep those audiences happy.

It's not just black people though, Canadians, Americans, Australians - ALL of the comedians from these countries talk about muchly the same thing, because that is what works in the comedy industry and ensures they get repeat bookings.

ReDz aged 16
For the few we do have i.e Lenny Henry, Richard Blackwood, Angie LeMar, although they have worked to where they have got to, it's also a matter of luck and being in the right place at the right time. The Americans are no better than us Brits, it's just that we live in a heavily influenced americanised culture!

Joy Carter
As a Black Female comic I am proud to say that we are out there, and doing our stuff, but it's HARD!! I hardly see any black people out there in mainstream comedy, both in the audience and on stage. why?

All the things i go through just make me more determined, like cutting a new path through a white, middle class British society jungle that would try and depict what is funny or 'an act'.

Support us! I book especially different types of acts at the Joyful Comedy Club, in Camberwell in London - simply to get more variety on stage, as it is so RARE to see see.

Rich
I have a friend who is a high profile black children's television presenter. She once told me that after presenting a show with two black colleagues, the BBC received complaints from people stating that three black televison presenters is not representative of British society. I can confirm that since the complaint she has never presented a programme or link without the presence of a white face. If the BBC are seriously taking notice of what a few ignorant people are saying, then how on Earth can more black comedians (presenters) be expected to break through to mainstream television?

shirly crabb
There is a black actress called T M Murphy who is not only a brilliant actress but one of the funniest comedians you will ever see, her comic genius is not so much stand up comedy but situation comedy. I have never met anyone so funny. all who know her will say it is a crying shame she has not been sounded out. we need people like her. The talent is out there.

Jody
Good comedy is good comedy. The colour of the person creating it shouldn't be an issue.

Rob
As a white person I find a lot of black comedians really funny as it allows you to look at the world from a different perspective which can be a big part of comedy. I do find some black comedy relies too much on identity selling though ie: black people buy into it just because they are told it's what they should be laughing at. Sometimes black comedians broach subjects white comedians just couldn't without coming across a racist. The classic for this is Chris Rock when he does his "N*****s versus black people" skit. That really touched on what a lot of black and white people were thinking but there is no way a white person could have said it.

Murph
Chris Rock is the funniest man alive, the next funniest is Jerry Seinfeld (and you can't get much 'whiter' than Jerry!) Stand up comedy is about your personal perspective so if you're black, that will demonstrate itself in your work but good stand ups, black or white, can write stuff that all of us can relate to... All except Elija Hunter who I'm suprised can escape their own bitterness long enough to laugh at anyone ever, black or white.

Steph E.
Being from the US, I still see much of the stereotyped racial humor as well. Naturally, comedy pokes fun at awkward or different situations, and racial differences can be awkward at times. If racism is really dying, why do we need to be constantly reminded of the differences between us that fuelled the fires of prejudice in the first place? I applaud black and white comics alike with new and funny material that is funny without "making fun of". Congratulations to the black British comedians who break the mold. Stale American humor could take a hint from them.

Euan
We're lucky here - I recently visited the US, and a lot of black "comedy" there is not far short of openly racist. Frankly, if a white said about blacks the things black "comedians" say about whites, he'd be prosecuted. Race isn't funny, and it really doesn't matter what colour a comedian is. If he can make people laugh, he'll succeed. Why can't people just be judged on their skill rather than the colour of their skin?

MOMO
I AM BLACK BUT I THINK IT DOES GET ANNOYING WHEN BLACK COMEDIANS SAY "SEE, WHITE PEOPLE JUST DON'T KNOW...". I THINK WE ALL NEED TO LET GO OF SAYING STUFF LIKE THAT.

Johnny Cage
Comedy is comedy, there is so colour involved. People really need to realise that in actually categorising black comedy and white comedy they are being racist, not politically correct. People are people regardless of colour. Comedy is comedy regardless of colour etc. Oh and by the way Lenny Henry is an awful comedian, Cabaret at best. He wasnt even good in the 80s but he's even worse now.

Melissa
Black comics in the UK need more exposure; it's ok for them to talk about stereotypical subjects because many of them are just making light of personal situations which are not all the same, and they are funny because most of us can relate in some way.

Kojo is a very talented comedian who does not weigh down his act with steretotypical jokes and definitely needs more exposure, but it's doubtful that he will make it onto mainstream TV with the current attitude of broadcasters in this country. Maybe he should think about going over to the US where his act might be more appreciated.

elijah hunter
to be frank, i cant stand 'white comedy' because i cant relate to it.

Stuart Noble
I find some black comics amusing. However when their entire sketch is full of the same old stale stereotypical jokes, it makes "black" comedy seem like a one trick pony. I literally cringe when I hear the words "Its okay for you white people..." or "Incase you haven't noticed, I'm black" because more often then not it's followed up by some palpable mediocre joke.

Donna Prendergast
I would love to see more black comedians in the UK than having to look for America for laughs. Lenny Henry right about now is the only person who springs to mind - does this show a lack of black comedians or a lack of knowledge as even there is not enough coverage of the black artists in the UK?

N Brown
Sorry but I don't agree that all black comedy relies on cliche and stereotype. African American comics like Dave Chapelle and Chris Rock are far from simply conforming to black stereotypes - their comedy is challenging and refreshing. Don't get me wrong there is a lot of rubbish black comics out there but let's not get it twisted.

KERRYANN WRAY
the difference between black american comics and black british comics is they aren't scared to say what they are thinking! they will stereotype and tell stories that relate to other black people which may be hard for white people to understand. i have to say my fave comic is eddie murphy. as a black person i can relate and that's what makes it funnier. though comics dont need to be about black/white. i love peter kay, he is funny because of his observations and telling stories we can all relate to whether black or white!