HIDDEN GEMS: IN LIVING COLOR
The Wayans, Jim Carrey, JLo, Jamie Foxx +
Jamie Foxx.
Jennifer Lopez.
And James, now Jim, Carrey.
Each had decorated careers in film, under both the comedic and dramatic realms of entertainment. Foxx and Lopez have made waves in the music industry, spreading their horizons deep within pop culture.
But it all started with In Living Color.
Spanning 5 seasons between 1990 and 1994, In Living Color was THE alternative sketch comedy series to the much-heralded NBC favorite, Saturday Night Live.
At the start of the decade, SNL was in the process of revamping post-Eddie Murphy. Adam Sandler, David Spade, Chris Farley, and Chris Rock, all played roles in the process. However, in the wake of the blaxploitation comedy, I’m Gonna Get you Sucka, Keenan Ivory Wayans was given the keys by Fox to offset that. And he did everything to do so.
It was named after NBC’s touted broadcasts being “in living color.”
Its competition is set in New York. Themselves? Hollywood.
SNL had a jazzy intro. In Living Color? Hip hop.
Oddly enough, rather than gaining traction through going head to head, they went beyond that; airing live during halftime of the Super Bowl. They drew all-time ratings, a feat that they were all too common with throughout the first two seasons.
It was raw. Diverse. And black, with a hint of white.
Animations, instrumentals, and the characters. Once the intro ended every episode we were greeted by fly girls; a dance group choreographed by 80s star, Rosie Perez, and featuring a young, brunette, Jennifer Lopez.
By the time the sketches started unique energy was already captured by the live audience. Once the scene starts, you are in for a treat. Each star, whether David Alan Grier or Damon Wayans was allowed to express their comedic chops freely, with no precedent they had to live up to.
By comparison, their competition had long been established and tried to recapture the highs of their glory days. And in ways they did, however, for some, it stunted progress as their creativity didn’t mesh with theirs.
Typecast as “the next Eddie” and displeasure with creative limitations led to Chris Rock’s move to Fox. With a diverse cast, spearheaded by an all-black family of comics, Rock soon catapulted to superstardom shortly after his stint with the cult favorites.
Still airing on demand to this day, the show seemed way too much too soon, as many stars were given a chance to show their chops and later became recognized for the roles they did after being discovered through the sketch comedy.
Potentially, without the success of In Living Color, there is no Ray for Jamie. There is no Selena for J Lo.
No Mask for Jim Carrey.
Not to mention all of the classics the Wayans family made following the series end. Sorry Scary Movie and White Chicks fans.
Ultimately, it not only defined an era but facilitated a new one, potentially even more so than its competition to this day.
And that is not just black excellence. It is simply excellence by its own accord.
