Comedian Paul Mooney Dies At 79

Paul Mooney - the comedian best known for his work writing for Richard Pryor as well as iconic [...]

By Kofi Outlaw

Paul Mooney - the comedian best known for his work writing for Richard Pryor as well as iconic series like Sanford and Son, Good Times, and Chappelle's Show - has died at the age of 79 of a heart attack, at his home in Oakland, California. Mooney's passing was confirmed by the team behind his official Twitter account, in several tweets: "Paul Mooney Joins the Realm of the Ancestors... Thank you all from the bottom of all of our hearts ...you're all are the best!...... Mooney World .. The Godfather of Comedy - ONE MOON MANY STARS! .. To all in love with this great man.. many thanks🙏🏾".

As stated above, Paul Mooney's influence on comedy (especially black comedy) is nothing short of legendary. In addition to aforementioned classics like Good Times and Chappelle's Show, Mooney was influential in shaping other mainstream hits like Saturday Night Live (1975), The Richard Pryor Show and Pryor's Place, In Living Color, The Larry Sanders Show, and most recently Kevin Hart's Real Husbands of Hollywood faux reality series.

Mooney also stepped in front of the camera to take on roles and/or cameos in now-iconic projects; most fans probably remember him from his featured segments in Chappelle's Show, such as "Negrodamus" "Mooney at the Movies" or "Ask A Black Dude" - or appearances in cult classics like Hollywood Shuffle and The Buddy Holly Story.

Mooney's comedic niche was his acerbic analysis of racial politics in America, with jokes and observations that both made humor out of the African-American experience, while also reflecting a lot of the deeper pain and injustice of racism. That unabashed comedic pursuit brought Mooney success and fame as a comedian - especially via his relationship with Richard Pryor. Mooney helped Pryor shape the material for some of his biggest stand-up performances/albums, including Live on the Sunset Strip and Is It Something I Said. Pryor tapped Mooney to be head writer on The Richard Pryor Show, where Mooney helped break new comedic talent that included Robin Williams, John Witherspoon, Sandra Bernhard, and Tim Reid. He and Pryor had an infamously ugly falling out regarding abuse allegations about Pryor's son, Richard Pryor Jr.

Mooney's scathing racial comedy also brought controversy in public forums. In the 2000s he sparked several controversies for going after black celebrities he felt had "sold out" their blackness to Hollywood (2005 BET Comedy Awards), and discussions about the use of "The N-Word" in the black community, following the infamous rant by Seinfeld star Michael Richards in 2006. In 2013, Mooney had his stand-up shows canceled, after allegedly making jokes about white victims of the Boston Marathon Bombing.

Controversies aside, it's undeniable that Paul Mooney helped shape comedy and comedic TV in an indelible way that still has fans laughing, thinking, and maybe even crying.

Rest in Power, Paul Mooney.

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