I’ve written about Russell Peters before: the Canadian of Indian (East Indian, that is) parentage, who grew up in Brampton ON.
His stand-up comedy targets every ethnic group, around a core of jokes about Indians:
- The cheapest people in the world – Invention of zero
- The biggest negotiators in the world – Take it and go
It’s not surprising that he gets away with making fun of his own group, but he also gets a pass for making fun of other brown people. He violates other social norms, too, telling white parents to beat their kids, for example, so they won’t feel left out in a multicultural schoolyard where all their immigrant classmates are being whupped by their parents.
I had trouble finding clips for this piece, because his shows have become much ruder and cruder over the years, but his early stuff was magnificent.
Isabel
Kinda wonder when the market for “ruder and cruder” will fade? I’m not a prude but it’s off-putting to say the least. I used to like Russell Peters.
Tom
Tom – Yeah, I used to like him, too. The newer stuff isn’t for my demographic, that’s for sure.