Phunny Business: A Black Comedy Page #2

DAYS WERE OVER.

BY THE WAY, THOMPSON WAS

GREAT, BECAUSE HE'S AN

ILLINOIS GOVERNOR WHO DIDN' GO TO JAIL.

THE MAYOR AND I ARE OBVIOUSLY

DELIGHTED BY THIS...

WELL, UNDER THESE GUYS,

CORRUPTION MAY HAVE BEEN

SLIGHTLY REDUCED, BU SEGREGATION WAS STILL AN

ISSUE, BECAUSE CHICAGO WAS,

AND ACCORDING TO THE CHICAGO

TRIBUNE, STILL IS, THE MOS RACIALLY SEGREGATED BIG CITY

IN AMERICA.

Y'ALL MY PEOPLE. NOW LET ME

HEAR THE PEOPLE IN THE HOUSE.

INITIALLY, SEGREGATION TURNED

OUT TO BE A GOOD THING FOR

RAY'S COMEDY CLUB.

BUT LATER IN OUR STORY...

SFX:
SCREECHING TRAIN

NOT SO GOOD.

BUT LET'S GET BACK TO RAY'S

NEW GIG IN CHI-TOWN.

IT WAS WITH LEGENDARY

INVESTMENT BANKER CHRIS

GARDNER, OF GARDNER RICH &

COMPANY.

DO NOT CONFUSE YOUR NET WORTH

WITH YOUR SELF WORTH.

YEAH, THAT CHRIS GARDNER.

OUR NEXT GUEST HAS A

REMARKABLE RAGS TO RICHES

STORY, HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY, "THE

PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS" IS OU IN HARDBACK AND THE MOVIE

VERSION OF HIS LIFE STORY

STARRING WILL SMITH IS

SUPPOSED TO BE RELEASED LATER

THIS YEAR.

CHRIS GARDNER CAME TO CHICAGO

TO START HIS OWN COMPANY,

WHICH IS NOW A MULTI-MILLION

DOLLAR VENTURE.

IF YOU LOOK A AFRICAN-AMERICANS WHO'VE DONE

EXTREMELY WELL IN AMERICA, A

DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF

THEM MADE IT HAPPEN IN

CHICAGO.

SO WASN'T NOTHING USUALLY

ABOUT A YOUNG AFRICAN-AMERICAN

COMING TO CHICAGO WITH A

VISION AND A DREAM.

CHRIS IS THE CONSUMMATE

ENTREPRENEUR, AND IF YOU'RE

NOT INSPIRED BY CHRIS, THERE'S

SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH YOU.

RAY LAMBERT WAS A VERY BRIGHT,

AMBITIOUS, BUTTON DOWN

MOREHOUSE MAN.

AND LET ME SAY THIS, I

WOULDN'T HIRE ANOTHER BROTHER

FROM MOREHOUSE RIGHT NOW IF I WAS MARTIN LUTHER KING.

CHRIS LOVED ME AT GARDNER RICH

AND I QUICKLY BECAME CHRIS'

RIGHT HAND MAN AND I WAS

MAKING MORE MONEY THAN MY

FATHER, A SHOP FOREMAN, EVER

DREAMED OF MAKING, BU SOMETHING WAS MISSING.

AND THEN IT HAPPENED...

SFX:
DRUM ROLL

THE INCITING INCIDENT.

IN 1990 RAY MADE A TRIP TO

HOLLYWOOD...

AND STUMBLED INTO BUDD

FRIEDMAN'S WORLD FAMOUS IMPROV

COMEDY CLUB.

IT WAS "MO BETTA MONDAY", THE

ONCE A WEEK BLACK SHOWCASE AND

D.L. HUGHLEY WAS ON STAGE.

I SAW THE DUMBEST SIGN IN THE

WORLD IN LOS ANGELES TODAY.

A SIGN THAT SAID, "DON'T DO

DRUGS, CALL A FRIEND."

WHO IS THIS SIGN FOR,'CAUSE

BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK

TOGETHER.

CAN YOU IMAGINE ONE OF THESE

GUYS CALLING THEIR FRIENDS?

HEY MAN, I'M IN TROUBLE.

I'M ABOUT TO HIT THE PIPE.

DON'T DO ANYTHING UNTIL WE GE THERE.

COME ON POOKIE IT'S A PARTY

OVER AT MADMAN'S HOUSE, LET'S

GO.

THAT NIGHT RAY SAW A LOT OF

GREAT COMEDIANS...

I'M SWEATIN' LIKE A BLACK MAN

ON JEOPARDY.

THEY SEEMED LIKE REALLY NICE

PEOPLE...

I HATE MY KIDS!

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