Representations of Blackness in the Comedies of Dave Chappelle and Key & Peele

From Essentialism to Post-Blackness

Term Paper (Advanced seminar) , 2016 , 25 Pages , Grade: 1,7

English Language and Literature Studies - Literature

The concepts of Essentialism and Post-Blackness are contrary to each other in their perception and construction of Black identity. This essay deals with the concepts of Essentialism and Post-Blackness in comedy, namely in the comedies of Dave Chappelle and Key & Peele. I will argue that, against the claim of Touré that Dave Chappelle's comedy is the best representative of Post-Blackness, Dave Chappelle's sketches show essentialistic representations of Blackness, whereas the
comedy of Key & Peele represents Blackness in the light of Post-Blackness.

Thus I will claim that there has been a change in the representation of Blackness in the comedies of Black entertainers from essentialism to Post-Blackness and will integrate Paul Gilroy's, Stuart Hall's, Wahneema Lubiano's, Arthur R. McGee's and Touré's views on essentialism and post-blackness.

Table of contents

1. Introduction

2. Historical background

3. Theoretical background

4. Material

5. Analysis

6. Conclusion

7. References

• College: University of Freiburg (Englisches Seminar)
• Course: Black Power
• Grade: 1,7
• Author: Marc Läpple (Author)
• Publication Year: 2016
• Pages: 25
• Catalog Number: V344717
• ISBN (eBook): 9783668344785
• ISBN (Book): 9783668344792
• Language: English
• Tags: Englisch, Literature, Blackness, Essentialism, Post-Blackness, Dave Chappelle, Key&Peele