Flip Wilson: A Comedian and Pioneer

Amara Russell

While it is somewhat commonplace to see African Americans on contemporary prime time television shows, things weren’t always this way. There was one man who played a major role in paving the way for many of the African American’s that appear on television today. In 1970, Flip Wilson became the first African American to headline a successful television show when his self-titled variety hour was broadcast on NBC. Wilson not only left an imprint on millions of fans whose televisions he graced, but his words have carried on through the decades. Coining phrases such as “the devil made me do it” and “what you see is what you get,” (spoken by his most famous character, Geraldine), Wilson has earned a spot in the American lexicon.

While Wilson’s career as a television star afforded him many luxuries, his road to stardom was considerably less glamorous. Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, on December 8, 1933, Clerow “Flip” Wilson, along with his 17 brothers and sisters, grew up in the shadow of poverty. After being abandoned by his mother at the age of seven, Wilson was put into foster care. Nearly ten years later, in an effort to escape his life of poverty, Wilson lied about his age in order to join the Air Force, where he gained the nickname Flip for his “flippant” behavior.

Upon returning from the Air Force, Wilson began performing his comedy in many of the small black clubs along the West Coast. As his audience grew and his repertoire became more polished, Wilson began touring the country, eventually becoming a regular headliner at the renowned Apollo Theater in Harlem. In 1965, Wilson was propelled into the limelight when comedian Redd Foxx mentioned his name on NBC’s Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, leading Wilson to appear on the show numerous times, often as the guest host. It was this exposure that allowed him to expand his audience, and in September 1970 The Flip Wilson Show premiered on NBC.

In its first two seasons The Flip Wilson Show was the epitome of success, placing second among all television programs, winning two Emmys, and gaining Wilson a picture on the cover of Time magazine. Perhaps the greatest achievement for Wilson, however, was his ability to captivate such a diverse audience at a time when racial turmoil was still very prevalent in the United States. With the show’s debut occurring in the aftermath of the racially charged turbulence of the civil rights movement and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, one would assume that the presence of African Americans in prominent roles in the media would be met with great resistance and protest. However, as his ratings indicated, Flip Wilson’s success was nurtured by his uncanny ability to communicate with the masses, both black and white, through humor which was unthreatening, affable, and ultimately devoid of any overt political statements or profanity. Wilson held strong to his belief that as a comedian, his job, first and foremost, was to make people laugh, and because of this he avoided using his show as a forum for defiant black politics, which was prevalent in the African American community at the time.

While avoiding overtly political rhetoric, Wilson maintained artistic control over his show, which was unparalleled at the time. This allowed him to intermittently incorporate social messages into his act. With the liberty to choose the show’s guests, Wilson was able to expand the boundaries for black television performers and entertainers of his time, making an undeniably political gesture in the face of institutionalized racism. Other messages were portrayed through his most famous reoccurring characters: Geraldine Jones and the Reverend Leroy of the Church of What’s Happening Now. Through Geraldine, Wilson was able to illustrate one of only a few respectful media images of black women, who were generally marginalized or typecast to play stereotypical roles. Reverend Leroy’s character was somewhat more controversial and met with much opposition, as he was utilized as a vehicle for displaying the conflicting rhetoric of the black church. Despite the criticism that he encountered, he remained true to his ideals, a truly admirable trait in an industry that often calls for conformity. Wilson always demonstrated his feelings towards social issues in comedic fashion, never straying from his primary goal of making his audience laugh.

The Flip Wilson Show ran for four very successful years, until coming to an end in 1974. Wilson’s decision to withdraw from public attention stemmed from his desire to spend more time with his children, whom he had promised to raise better than he himself had been raised. He continued to make occasional appearances on variety shows, but permanently retired from the spotlight soon after. Wilson’s death in November of 1998 from liver cancer saddened the nation, as he had impacted the lives of so many people. Upon hearing the news of Wilson’s death, the Reverend Jesse Jackson stated, “Flip was a breakthrough artist for African Americans. He led with a brand of comedy that was clean and decent and not vulgar. To the end, he was a man I held in high esteem—as a comedian and as a person.”

The sheer impact that Wilson had on television, and on comedy specifically, cannot be overstated. His ability to captivate audiences from all walks of life through his storytelling and descriptive portraits will continue to reverberate for decades to come.

Works Cited

Acham, Christine. Revolution Televised: Prime Time and the Struggle for Black Power. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2004.

The Museum of Broadcast Communications. 15 July. 2006 http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/W/htmlW/wilsonflip/wilsonflip.htm

Past Essays: Saran Nason 2004 | Olivia Coombes 2005 | Leoule Goshu, 2006