HBO’s That Damn Michael Che follows in the footsteps of great Black sketch comedy.
The show is an exciting introduction to Michael Che’s work. HBO premiered the first two episodes of season 2 at the Roxy hotel. Within the first few minutes of the first half hour episode, I was instantly reminiscing about The Chappelle Show. While related to Chappelle’s sketch comedy, Micahel Che makes some novel decisions with the genre.
Each episode begins with a skit, without any host-style introduction. The skits follow each other, weaving a plot through the episode. The plot fleshes out Michael Che’s perspective by letting him tell a story. The clips of his standup are interspersed through the skits. They’re black and white and have an off-the-cuff podcast feel to them. He even includes clips of him going back and forth on stage with another female comic, cementing the spontaneous conversational feeling.
The first episode depicts Michael Che being “canceled,” and he may be correctly predicting a backlash. It would be surprising if a cis male comedian poking fun at gender issues, over the span of many sketches, didn’t eventually cause some type of outrage. Michael Che is a black man and the show touches on Black issues, even those specifically affecting Black women. But Michael Che is a cisgender, heterosexual man who unapologetically creates sketches from that voice and perspective, sometimes leaning into the more contentious parts of that perspective. A frank depiction of these exploits runs the risk of coming off as oppressive, and in 2022 it will likely be met with public criticism. Whether Michael Che is able to avoid serious reprisal will be a testament to his craft, humor, and empathy.
As I mentioned in my previous review of PAUSE with Sam Jay, another HBO production, Ibram X. Kendi proclaimed in Time Magazine that we are experiencing a Black renaissance. This revival is saving space for women and queer people in a way never done before. That Damn Michael Che is testament to how HBO has been providing a platform for the new Black vanguard of T.V. Already, we are seeing a plethora of Black perspectives highlighted by big networks. Instead of just Black characters, or staff, or audience, we are finally witnessing the development of Black perspectives through the voices of Black writers over several seasons. Michael Che contributes to this revival through his candid portrayal of the hangups of masculinity. As a cisgendered Black man, who blasts his own perspective online, I hope that Michael Che will manage to participate in this renaissance in dialogue with women and queer people rather than in opposition to them.
All comedians have the ability to use framing and wordplay to open a dialogue or close it. In a country founded on free speech and democracy we have to find a way to engage in open and respectful conversations about difficult topics. Through their craft, comedians are especially positioned to impact the way the conversation proceeds. The legacy of Michael Che and his show will depend on how he brings his craft to bear on intersectional and political issues.
