The Daily Show: Ears Edition - CP Time - Black Christmas

Episode Date: December 26, 2022

Ever heard about “Jingle Bells”’s more sinister history? Or the triumph of the first Black mall Santa? Roy Wood, Jr. has the scoop in this special Christmas CP Time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. Welcome to CP Time. The only show. As for the culture. Today, we discuss black people and the joyful festive holiday of Christmas. So let's start with slavery. Today, we discuss black people and the joyful festive holiday of Christmas. So let's start with slavery.

Because remember, black people weren't celebrating Christmas before that. None of us were on the boat ride over here going, Falla la la deck the halls. But once they were in America, many slaves began to see Christmas for the blessing that it was. A chance to escape while their owners were away for the holidays. The great abolitionist Harriet Tupman even used Christmas to free her three brothers, which may sound good to you. But if I let my sister free me around Christmas, I'd never hear the end of it.

Every year she'd be like, oh, thank you so much for the slippers. This almost as good as the gift I got got got got got got got got got got got got got got got got got got got got got got to get to the slippers. This almost as good as the gift I got you last year, not shackles. And I'd be like, shut up Bernice. You ruin the holidays. Of course, music is an important part of Christmas. And black people have been covering and improving the classics for years. Like, let it snow by boys to men. Or, do you hear what I hear?

By me. Here's a sample. Do you hear what I hear? Sounds like oppression. But some holiday music is tainted with a history of racism, like the classic jingle bells, which at first just seems like an innocent song about reckless driving. But back in 1857, its first public performance was part of a minstrel show

song by a bunch of white dudes and blackface. It's a terrible legacy. And that's why every time I see a one-horse open sleigh, I key that shit for justice. But it is also important to recall the true reason we celebrate Christmas. Santa, the breakthrough for black Santa's was in 1943, when one of Harlem's biggest department stores hired the country's first black Santa Claus, which surely was a distraction for customers who didn't know what was going on. I'm sure they was all like, who's a niggin' the red jacket talking to my child? After that, Black Santas took a 70-year L until two years ago when Larry Jefferson became the first Black Santa at the White-ass Mall of America, a victory for our people. Mostly because Larry used his employee discount

to get all the black people he knew 20% off. A hero indeed. But Chris Kringle would be nothing without the gifts he brings. The toys. Without the toys, Santa's just a fat bastard that broke in your house. And for decades, manufacturers didn't even consider making toys for black children. And when they finally did, some of them would just paint white dolls black.

Like this Willie Talk doll. Look at that. Looks like Willie got thrown into a bonfire. But the great thing about kids is they'll like whatever you give them because children are not very intelligent. Like my favorite toy when I was, to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to toy to toy toy toy toy toy toy toy toy toy toy, toy, toy toy toy the their their toy their toy their their their their making their making their making their making their making their making their making their making their making their making their making their making their making their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their toy toy toy toy toy toy toy toy them because children are not very intelligent. Like my favorite toy when I was a youngster was Mr. Chomp-chomp-chomp. Oh, I'd play with Mr. Chompi-chump for hours. I make him babble, I make him talk to me, and lose all his teeth.

Took me 45 years to realize this. Mr. Chompi-chump was a stapling. A good friend Cornell West told me that. That's all the time we have for today. I'm Roywood Jr. This has been CP time and remember before the culture. Make sure you put my website up at the end so people can order my compact disc and cassettes. Watch the Daily Show, Week Nights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount Plus. This has been a Comedy Central podcast.