2005-2006 Flip Wilson Scholarship Essay

Journalism major Olivia Coombes is of Maori and Pakeha descent and grew up in the United States. Before attending college, she and her parents spent time in New Zealand to help her get to know New Zealand culture and her New Zealand family. At 17, she returned to Seattle on her own, attended Overlake School on a scholarship, and then was admitted to the University of Washington.

Conscious Comedy: the Flip Wilson Legacy

By Olivia Coombes

Olivia Coombes

Laughter has the power to heal a great many things. As a comedy great, the late Flip Wilson not only provoked laughter from his diverse audiences; he used his fame and success to leave behind a legacy devoted to education. Through his generosity, Wilson continues to put smiles on the faces of a new generation through the offering of his academic scholarship.

Wilson's rough and impoverished youth gave him much of the ammunition for his controversial yet highly popular brand of comedy; however, his younger years were nothing to laugh about. Wilson and his twenty-three siblings spent their early years switching between foster homes after their mother deserted their alcoholic father. Over the next few years, Wilson would also run away from many reform schools. It is no surprise that Wilson felt welcomed by the camaraderie of the US Air Force.

It was also in the Air Force that Wilson's knack for comedy unveiled itself. While he and his fellow servicemen were overseas, Wilson became the "go-to" guy for entertainment. One hysterical routine after another, the budding comedian would cause his friends to "flip" - hence his showman worthy moniker. With the slapstick of Charlie Chaplin and the presence of Red Foxx, Wilson's surefire combination left his colleagues howling.

Over the next few years, Wilson established himself as a successful comedian with an innovative brand of comedy. In fact, Wilson took racially and socially charged stereotypes and made it easy for people of every background to let their guard down and laugh. While some of his comments and characters were deemed controversial, Wilson was one of the first comedians who succeeded without having to change his identity or sense of humor to fit the more generic, safe entertainment routine considered appropriate for the 1960s.

A smashing career ensued. Wilson gained the respect of the comedians he idolized, influential people in Hollywood and his growing fan base. In 1970, The Flip Wilson Show made the talented comedian the first African-American to have his own series.

Throughout his illustrious career, Wilson supported fellow African-American entertainers, including brilliant musician Louis Armstrong and his idol Bill Cosby. He broke down racial barriers with comedy, showing black and white viewers alike that they were all human beings; not the stereotypes that separated them. Comedy gave him the power to haphazardly show people in a positive light.

Wilson's characters were embraced by a generation - the generation who went into hysterics whenever Geraldine Jones swore, "the devil made me do it!" and who delighted in the hilariousness of Reverend Leroy, the far from angelic preacher. Wilson's over the top caricatures of African-Americans allowed both black and white audiences to realize together that stereotypes were just that: stereotypes. He essentially removed stigma from the once offensive brand of "blaxploitation" comedy descended from the minstrelsy shows and made a satire of society.

Past Essays: Saran Nason 2004