Homey Don't Play That!
The Story of In Living Color and the Black Comedy Revolution
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Narrated by:
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JD Jackson
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By:
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David Peisner
About this listen
Few television shows revolutionized comedy as profoundly or have had such an enormous and continued impact on our culture as In Living Color. Inspired by Richard Pryor, Carol Burnett, and Eddie Murphy, Keenen Ivory Wayans created a television series unlike any that had come before it. Along the way, he introduced the world to Jamie Foxx, Jim Carrey, David Alan Grier, Rosie Perez, and Jennifer Lopez, not to mention his own brothers Damon, Marlon, and Shawn Wayans.
In Living Color shaped American culture in ways both seen and unseen, and was part of a sea change that moved Black comedy and hip-hop culture from the shadows into the spotlight. Now, Homey Don't Play That! reveals the complete, captivating story of how In Living Color overcame enormous odds to become a major, zeitgeist-seizing hit.
Through exclusive interviews with the cast, writers, producers, and network executives, this insightful and entertaining chronicle follows the show's ups and downs, friendships and feuds, tragedies and triumphs, sketches and scandals, the famous and the infamous, unveiling a vital piece of history in the evolution of comedy, television, and black culture.
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- Unabridged
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From a veteran culture writer and modern movie expert, a celebration and analysis of the movies of 1999 - arguably the most groundbreaking year in American cinematic history.
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Like talking about movies with a friend
- By Shawn Inmon on 05-30-19
By: Brian Raftery
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Pictures at a Revolution
- Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood
- By: Mark Harris
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 17 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Here is the epic human drama behind the making of the five movies nominated for Best Picture in 1967 - Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Graduate, In the Heat of the Night, Doctor Dolittle, and Bonnie and Clyde - and through them, the larger story of the cultural revolution that transformed Hollywood and America forever.
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Would It Be Too Much To Ask?
- By Casey Keller on 12-31-08
By: Mark Harris
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Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted
- And All the Brilliant Minds Who Made the Mary Tyler Moore Show a Classic
- By: Jennifer Armstrong
- Narrated by: Amy Landon
- Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Mary Tyler Moore made her name as Dick Van Dyke's wife on the eponymous show; she was a cute, unassuming housewife that audiences loved. But when screenwriters James Brooks and Allan Burnes dreamed up an edgy show about a divorced woman with a career, network executives replied: "Americans won't watch television about New York City, divorcées, men with mustaches, or Jews." But Moore and her team were committed, and when the show finally aired, in spite of tepid reviews, fans loved it.
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An Interesting Story That Never Quite Gets Told
- By S. Blythe on 07-26-13
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Seven Dirty Words
- The Life and Crimes of George Carlin
- By: James Sullivan
- Narrated by: Alan Sklar
- Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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In Seven Dirty Words, journalist and cultural critic James Sullivan tells the story of Alternative America from the 1950s to the present, from the singular vantage point of George Carlin, the Catholic boy for whom nothing was sacred.
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Carlin's CV with no Depth or Insight
- By Dubi on 01-23-14
By: James Sullivan
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I Want My MTV
- The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution
- By: Craig Marks, Rob Tannenbaum
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 20 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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It was a pretty radical idea - a channel for teenagers, showing nothing but music videos. It was such a radical idea that almost no one thought it would actually succeed, much less become a force in the worlds of music, television, film, fashion, sports, and even politics. But it did work. MTV became more than anyone had ever imagined. I Want My MTV tells the story of the first decade of MTV, the golden era when MTV's programming was all videos, all the time, and kids watched religiously to see their favorite bands, learn about new music, and have something to talk about at parties.
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The Most Entertaining Book of the Year
- By David on 10-24-12
By: Craig Marks, and others
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I Only Know Who I Am When I Am Somebody Else
- My Life on the Street, on the Stage, and in the Movies
- By: Danny Aiello, Gil Reavill
- Narrated by: Danny Aiello
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Beloved stage and screen actor Danny Aiello’s big-hearted memoir reveals a man of passion, integrity, and guts - and lays bare one of the most unlikely success stories ever told. Danny Aiello admits that he backed into his acting career by mistake. That’s easy to see when you begin at the beginning: Raised by his loving and fiercely resilient mother in the tenements of Manhattan and the South Bronx, and forever haunted by the death of his infant brother, Danny struggled early on to define who he was and who he could be.
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I want to give Danny Aiello a big hug.
- By Mari K. on 01-22-15
By: Danny Aiello, and others
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You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried
- The Brat Pack, John Hughes, and Their Impact on a Generation
- By: Susannah Gora
- Narrated by: Kelli Tager
- Length: 15 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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The landscape that the Brat Pack memorialized is rich with cultural themes and significance, and has influenced an entire generation who still believe that life always turns out like an '80s movie. You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried takes us back to that era, through Susannah Gora's interviews with key players such as Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Andrew McCarthy, and John Cusack, and mines all the material from the movies to the music to the way the films were made to show how they helped shape our visions for romance, friendship, society, and success.
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Brings me back to my teenage years! Fantastic Narration! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- By Amazmama on 06-24-22
By: Susannah Gora
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You Might Remember Me
- The Life and Times of Phil Hartman
- By: Mike Thomas
- Narrated by: Corey Snow
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Both joyous tribute and serious biography, Mike Thomas' You Might Remember Me is a celebration of Phil Hartman's multi-faceted career and an exhaustively reported, warts-and-all examination of his often intriguing and sometimes complicated life - a powerful, humor-filled and disquieting portrait of a man who was loved by many, admired by millions and taken from them far too early.
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I Will Remember You Phil Hartman
- By Roxanna on 12-19-14
By: Mike Thomas
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Let’s Go Crazy
- Prince and the Making of Purple Rain
- By: Alan Light
- Narrated by: Fred Berman
- Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Purple Rain is a song, an album, and a film - each one a commercial success and cultural milestone. How did this semiautobiographical musical masterpiece that blurred R&B, pop, dance, and rock sounds come to alter the recording landscape and become an enduring touchstone for successive generations of fans?
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A Must-Read For Any PRINCE Fan
- By Bryan K. Chavez on 05-06-16
By: Alan Light
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Starmaker
- Life as a Hollywood Publicist with Farrah, The Rat Pack, & 600 More Stars Who Fired Me
- By: Jay Bernstein
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Revealingly candid, this Hollywood memoir is the story of Jay Bernstein, an entertainment industry fixture who helped launch and sustain the careers of many celebrities including Farrah Fawcett and Suzanne Somers. From his childhood in Oklahoma City and his first job in a Hollywood mail room to the ownership of his own public relations firm and his work as a television producer, Bernstein’s life is chronicled in his own words.
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Very Entertaining
- By patrick on 09-27-15
By: Jay Bernstein
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The Improv
- An Oral History of the Comedy Club That Revolutionized Stand-Up
- By: Budd Friedman, Tripp Whetsell, Jay Leno - foreword
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1963, 30-year-old Friedman - who had recently quit his job as a Boston advertising executive and returned to his hometown of New York to become a theatrical producer - opened a coffee house for Broadway performers called the Improvisation. His goal? Simply to make a living, and if all went according to plan, to also make enough professional contacts to be able to mount his first Broadway show within a year's time. Later shortened to the Improv, its first West 44th Street location was in a seedy section of Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen.
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Shockingly tone deaf
- By JenniferW on 06-28-23
By: Budd Friedman, and others
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Steve McQueen
- A Biography
- By: Marc Eliot
- Narrated by: Marc Eliot
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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One of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and '70s with now-classics such as The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, The Thomas Crown Affair, and Bullit, Steve McQueen is renowned as one of the most exciting actors ever to come out of Hollywood. Now, in Steve McQueen: A Biography, best-selling author Marc Eliot gives unique insight into McQueen's life, from his films to his three marriages, many affairs, and struggles with addictions.
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Snooze
- By Cill on 10-27-11
By: Marc Eliot
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What listeners say about Homey Don't Play That!
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-06-18
fascinating
On par with so many others that analyze what makes a show great. More than just behind the scenes stories, it is a deep dive into the rise and fall of the show.
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- Reggie
- 07-05-23
Very informational
I’m thoroughly enjoyed this book. Detailed Chronicle, the black comedic evolution in living color. It was much more than I bargained for much more than a book on Living Color the television program it was intrinsic insight on the people in front of the camera behind the camera, and in the boarding homes of the cameras.
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- Admiralu
- 07-16-24
History of Iconic Show
This book is the story of one of the most influential, funny and ground breaking comedy shows ever. In Living Color tells the story of Keenan Ivory Wayans, his talented family and the rise of black comedy in the 1990s. We start with the childhood of the Wayans family and the influences that shaped them. As Keenan grows and hones his craft he envisions a show. A show that came at the right time on the right network. Lots of behind the scenes, cast and show stories and a mini history of black comedians, writers, shows and films give a picture of the era. I used to watch this show and loved it. It is still funny today and has a number of iconic characters. It covers the talented cast, Fly Girls, crazy writers and more throughout the shows history, including Keenan's exit and the eventual end. Great book that makes you want to watch it again. Great narration by JD Jackson.
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- Chyna
- 01-10-19
History Lesson on Comedy and Hip-Hop
I really enjoyed this audiobook. So much information about In Living Color and how it’s shape so much of the comedy that I personally enjoy. It goes to explain what and who inspired this show, it goes to talk about all the people involved in the making of the show and how many shows it has been the inspiration for. Great read if you enjoy comedy.
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- JIM HOWELL
- 09-14-24
Extremely well-written
The author absolutely did his homework on this one. Covers all angles well, and doesn’t go off on tangents at all. Sticks to his story. He also tackles the delicate issue of race with class and wit, and even if he gives an opinion, it is well-versed in fact. The narrator has a fantastic voice for this, and doesn’t try to change his voice for quotes, which I think really helped keep the mood of the piece. The narrator could stand to use a little more energy, but he still delivers a great script, and because of that, can be forgiven for the 6 or 7 things he mispronounced in the book.
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- bshawk24
- 07-04-18
Before you purchase this book...
This was a well researched and entertaining behind the scenes story of one of my favorite shows growing up. I will tell you that if you get this audiobook, and only care about the story of In Living Color, skip to chapter 12 when that story begins. The chapters before that talk about other comedian/actors careers like Eddie Murphy. There are also several beginning chapters about the Wayans’ childhoods. From chapter 12 on its about ILC. And though I thought I knew a lot about the show before, I learned A LOT about every aspect of making the show and how important it was at the time and for the future of television. Overall- great listen. Hope this review helps!
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5 people found this helpful
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- Avary
- 10-09-24
Not what I expected…but not bad
Story was good but over the years I was hoping this would offer the sole perspective of some key figures. Instead it was a compilation of stories tied through the narrative. And that’s fine. I was just hoping for a true behind the scenes look at what this was. Holding out hope keenan or damon or any of the stars have an autobiography on the way.
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- Just W
- 10-11-18
Wow, that sucked......
One of the most derivative books I've ever listened to. 97% of this is Cliff Notes on Black America from 1980 to 2010's. These same facts that fill up the bulk of the book are easily found on Wikipedia.
What I wanted was a book about In Living Color. You know, the TV show. Not notes from a community college sociology class. Taught by a bored professor. On weekends. At night. In a blizzard.....
And when the book does actually get to the show, everything is third party. So & so said this: type of writing. The writing is so uninspired, that I had to finish it in order to know if it got better. It didn't.
The performance is not much better. Feels like JD Jackson hated the book just as much as I did. Let's just say he took one for the team here.
If you are interested in African American Comedy, the recent Richard Pryor book Furious Cool, is head and shoulders above this sad excuse for a book.
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12 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Tanya
- 02-13-20
It was just ok
There is a lot of repetition and this book could have easily been half the length.
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1 person found this helpful