All Things in Moderation

Barack Obama’s Black History Minute

7 Responses

1. 

   bannedagain5446, on February 15, 2012 at 10:19 am said:

   I agree with the otherwise squirrely Morgan Freeman. Black History is American History.

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2. 

   jnc4p, on February 15, 2012 at 12:20 pm said:

   The best was the old Eddie Murphy SNL skit for Black History Minute.

   “Shabazz K. Morton…..Eddie Murphy

   Shabazz K. Morton: Hello, my name is Professor Shabazz K. Morton. In 1895, at the Tuskagee Institute in Alabama, a black man named George Washington Carver developed a new method of soul.. soil.. improvement through crop rotation.. [ a couple of audience members snicker at Murphy’s blooper, causing him to break character ] So I messed up – SHUT UP! [ adjusting his shades so he can read the cue cards ] Stop clapping before y’all make me smile! [ back in character ] ..to end the South African cultural dependence on cotton alone. As a result, Carver came up with hundreds of industrial uses for the peanut. Sure, industrial uses.

   Meanwhile, one night, he’s having a few friends over to his house for dinner. And one of them leans over and says to Dr. Carver, “Excuse me, George? What’s that your putting on your bread?” Carver says, “Oh, that’s nothing but a butter substitute that I made from peanuts. I can’t digest all that animal fat, you know.” So the other fellow tasted it, and he says, “Hmm.. this pastes pretty.. this tastes..” [ the audience again laughs at Murphy’s blooper, causing him to break character again ] Yeah? Keep on smiling. [ back in character ] “This tastes pretty good, man. Mind if we take a peek at the recipe?” And Dr. Carver says, “Take a peek? Man, you can have it. Who’s gonna eat butter made out of peanuts? No, I’m working on a method to compress peanuts into phonograph needles.”

   So, Professor Carver’s two dinner guests.. [ Murphy removes his shades for better cue card reading ] ..Edward “Skippy” Williamson and Frederick “Jif” Armstrong – two white men – stole George Washington Carver’s recipe for peanut butter, copyrighted it, and reaped untold fortunes from it. While Dr. Carver died penniless and insane, still trying to play a phonograph record with a peanut.

   This has been “Black History Minute”. I’m Professor Shabazz K. Morton. Good night. ”

   http://snltranscripts.jt.org/84/84iminute.phtml

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3. 

   markinaustin, on February 15, 2012 at 12:33 pm said:

   Too funny!

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4. 

   markinaustin, on February 15, 2012 at 12:54 pm said:

   The “too funny” was directed at Eddie Murphy, not at BHO. I thought his presentation befitted a law review editor at a first rate law school. I am actually surprised at how little his demeanor and presentation have changed, KW.

   Gotta do some billable work now.

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5. 

   bsimon, on March 7, 2012 at 6:46 pm said:

   Here’s a 1991 clip in which his speaking style is consistent with how we think of it today:

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   • 

     markinaustin, on March 7, 2012 at 7:28 pm said:

     teleprompter? 😉

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6. 

   bsimon, on March 7, 2012 at 8:29 pm said:

   “teleprompter?”

   the only logical explanation…

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