WEBVTT - 060124 Way Black History Fact - How 'In Living Color' Changed the Super Bowl

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<v Speaker 1>Right now, It's time for the Way Black History Fact

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<v Speaker 1>and Today's Way Black History Fact is sponsored by Major

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<v Speaker 1>Threads for innovative, fashionable sportswear checkmajorthreads dot com. Today we're

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<v Speaker 1>going to talk about how the In Living Color Show

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<v Speaker 1>changed the Super Bowl Halftime show. This comes from a

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<v Speaker 1>guy named Coffrey J. I subscribe to his posts on LinkedIn,

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<v Speaker 1>so these are his words. In the annals of television history,

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<v Speaker 1>few shows have dared to tread when and where In

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<v Speaker 1>Living Color boldly stepped for those uninitiated in its dominating

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<v Speaker 1>legacy in the Black community, envision a show that wasn't

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<v Speaker 1>just a platform for comedy, but a polsetting heartbeat of

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<v Speaker 1>cultural revolution seen for the first time. Created by Keenan

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<v Speaker 1>I Ruwains, In Living Color emerged in nineteen ninety as

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<v Speaker 1>the first sketch program to feature a predominantly black cast.

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<v Speaker 1>It represented a beacon of black creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and

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<v Speaker 1>unfiltered representation in an industry often marred by monochromatic white narratives.

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<v Speaker 1>The Wayne's Families ernie to bring In Living Color to

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<v Speaker 1>life was a testament to resilience in the face of

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<v Speaker 1>systemic barriers The show's inception was an uphill battle against

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<v Speaker 1>an industry that continuously undervalued and misunderstood the depth and

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<v Speaker 1>breadth of black talent and storytelling. Keenan and his siblings Damon, Kim, Shawn,

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<v Speaker 1>and Marlin faced skepticism and resistance at every turn. The

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<v Speaker 1>primarily white network execs were hesitant to green light a

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<v Speaker 1>show that was so unapologetically centered around Black and Latino voices,

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<v Speaker 1>stereotypically cycling through the fear that black art wouldn't resonate

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<v Speaker 1>with broader audiences. However, even after its premiere, the show's

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<v Speaker 1>worth was constantly scrutinized, mirroring a larger American cultural tendency

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<v Speaker 1>to devalue the contributions of artists of color. Each sketch, character,

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<v Speaker 1>and performance of an in Living Color was a bold

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<v Speaker 1>defiance against the systemic and undervaluation. The show was more

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<v Speaker 1>than entertainment. It was a statement, a declaration that black

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<v Speaker 1>creativity was not just valuable, but essential to the tapestry

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<v Speaker 1>of the American media, whether accepted by the majority or not.

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<v Speaker 1>In Living Color birth the careers of stars like Jamie Fox,

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<v Speaker 1>Jim Carey, and Jennifer Lopez who might have otherwise remained

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<v Speaker 1>in the shadows of a less inclusive industry that didn't

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<v Speaker 1>give people like us a chance. Yet, despite its role

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<v Speaker 1>as a launch pad for these luminaries, the show often

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<v Speaker 1>didn't receive recognition for being a groundbreaking force in transforming television.

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<v Speaker 1>Before In Living Color intervened, the super Bowl halftime was

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<v Speaker 1>an exercise and predictability, often featuring banal acts like magicians,

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<v Speaker 1>marching bands, and figure skaters. The super Bowl halftime show

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<v Speaker 1>of nineteen ninety two, headlined by Brian Boitiano and Dorothy Hamill,

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<v Speaker 1>was set to continue this trend. Gloria Estefan was scheduled

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<v Speaker 1>to perform, but the event lacked the spark to captivate

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<v Speaker 1>a diverse modern audience enter In Living Color, a show

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<v Speaker 1>that had already disrupted the TV landscape with his raw

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<v Speaker 1>humor unapologetic celebration of hip hop culture. The show's creator,

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<v Speaker 1>Keenan Ivory Wayne saw a genius opportunity in the super

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<v Speaker 1>Bowl's lackluster halftime offerings. In a move of strategic brilliance,

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<v Speaker 1>Fox decided to air a live episode of In Living

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<v Speaker 1>Color during the Super Bowl halftime in nineteen ninety two.

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<v Speaker 1>This wasn't just counter programming, but a cultural gauntlet thrown

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<v Speaker 1>down the face of his established norms. The result was seismic.

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<v Speaker 1>An astounding twenty nine million viewers switched over to in

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<v Speaker 1>Living Color, captivated by its edginess and relevance. This mass

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<v Speaker 1>exodus of viewers from the Super Bowl halftime show was

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<v Speaker 1>a wake up call to the NFL and entertainment industry

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<v Speaker 1>at large. The message was clear America's young, increasingly diverse

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<v Speaker 1>audience wanted more than just culturalist filler during one of

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<v Speaker 1>the year's most significant television events. However, the NFL did

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<v Speaker 1>not directly acknowledge or credit In Living Color for its

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<v Speaker 1>role in this transformation. According to Kenyan Ivory WAYNAS, the

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<v Speaker 1>NFL strategy was to ensure a situation like the nineteen

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<v Speaker 1>ninety two halftime show where a significant portion of the

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<v Speaker 1>audience switched channels, would never happen again. Consequently, the NFL

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<v Speaker 1>continued to secure big names for subsequent halftime shows, including

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<v Speaker 1>Prince Madonna and others, elevating the event to a significant

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<v Speaker 1>entertainment spectacle. And I believe the year after that was

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<v Speaker 1>nineteen ninety three, and that's when they booked Michael Jackson

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<v Speaker 1>for the Super Bowl because they didn't want anyone to

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<v Speaker 1>look away. So shout out to in Living Color