Funny My Way  By  cover art

Funny My Way

By: AYR Media, Team Coco
Narrated by: J.B. Smoove
Episodes
  • Funny My Way Trailer
    Jul 7 2022

    Please note: This Audible Original contains explicit content and language some people may find offensive. It is intended for mature audiences only. Discretion is advised.

    Take a deep dive into the personal and political lives of six trailblazing Black comedy icons with your host comedian/actor JB Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm). This engaging docuseries shows you how these fearless heroes of comedy broke color barriers and challenged the racist status quo, all while making audiences roar with laughter. Without them, we wouldn’t have the superstars we have today.

    Produced by Team Coco, AYR Media and Toni Judkins, each episode of Funny My Way: Breaking Boundaries in Black Comedy presents a comedy great of the past: Paul Mooney (known as “The Godfather of Comedy”), Flip Wilson (the first Black entertainer to host a successful weekly variety show on network TV), Moms Mabley (the first Black comedian to play Carnegie Hall), Dick Gregory (the first Black comedian to break the color line in the nightclub scene), Rudy Ray Moore (known as “The Godfather of Rap”), and Redd Foxx (known as “The Dean of X-rated comedians”).

    Through funny and moving archival footage, their stories are told alongside incisive commentary from various popular comics, political commentators, and legendary creators, including Cedric the Entertainer, D.L. Hughley, Godfrey, RuPaul, Margaret Cho, Deon Cole, Sandra Bernhard, Norman Lear, and more. Hear how these Black comedy legends made it to the top and influenced so many by doing it their way.

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    2 mins
  • Episode 1: Paul Mooney
    Aug 4 2022
    One of the fiercest and most fearless comics of his generation, Paul Mooney masterfully crossed the line with humor and intention. He told the truth about race and politics in America through his iconic work on shows like In Living Color, Saturday Night Live and The Chappelle Show. Dubbed the “Godfather of Comedy” for his unflinching, unapologetic style, Mooney influenced generations of comics and kick-started the careers of some of the biggest names in the comedy game.
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    53 mins
  • Episode 2: Flip Wilson
    Aug 4 2022
    Flip Wilson, television’s first Black superstar, hosted his own variety show that rose to the top of American TV ratings. He united the world to the sound of laughter while snatching a slew of industry awards. But while he enjoyed audience adoration on-stage, Flip struggled with trauma and addiction in his personal life. Yet his enduring work paved the way for more groundbreaking shows, like Sanford and Son, that continued to expand horizons and opportunities for Black comics on the small screen.
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    54 mins

Take a deep dive into the lives of Black comedy icons.

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About the Performer

Best known for his iconic role as Leon on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, JB Smoove is an award-winning actor, writer, and stand-up comedian. For that show, Smoove received a SAG nomination as a part of the series ensemble cast as well as an NAACP Image Award nomination. He also won an Emmy for Outstanding Actor in a short form Comedy Series or Drama Series for Mapleworth Murders. As a writer on Saturday Night Live, Smoove received a Writers Guild award for Best Comedy/Variety Series. An accomplished stand-up comedian, Smoove has hosted NBC’s Last Comic Standing, the Comedy Central stand-up series Russell Simmons Presents: The Ruckus, and shot his own one-hour stand-up special How I Dooz It. Smoove also hosted the show Four Courses with JB Smoove, featuring comedians, athletes, and entertainers on the MSG Network. Additionally, he has starred in many film and television projects, including The Sitter, We Bought a Zoo, Date Night, Hall Pass, Uncle Drew, CBS’s The Millers, as well as the hit Marvel film Spider-Man: Far from Home. Smoove’s unique comedic voice has been heard in animated films where he had voiceover roles in Ice Age 4 and The Smurfs 2 and in TV shows, such as American Dad and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Featured Article: Best of the Year—The 10 Best Comedies of 2022


Discover memoirs and essay collections, scripted podcasts, and even—in the case of our winner—a documentary series. The protean nature of this list makes sense for comedy, because there’s humor just about everywhere and in everything if you’re looking for it. Sometimes that humor is just plain silliness, but sometimes that humor gets down to the core of what it means to be a person—a way to make sense of the bumps and bruises we get along the way.

What listeners say about Funny My Way

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hOw d0 i gEt tHiS oFF mY iPaD! LoL

Great history behind the comedy. It’s like an audio documentary. I love hearing how these comedians paved the way for the generations.

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Excellent

This was a great listen! JB did a wonderful job regaling the greats stories! Well worth my time. I hope there are more episodes to come!

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Short Bios of Comics

This is a biography series of some legendary Black comedians. Four I was familiar with and two I was not. This gives their background and history with commentary, samples of their works and comments from friends and family. Do note that there is a good deal of language, especially in the Rudy Ray Moore episode. My two favorites were Flip Wilson and Redd Foxx. Not as entertaining as I hoped. Only my favorites made me laugh.

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THE FUNNIEST OF ALL TIME

THIS A VERY INFORMATIVE PODCAST OF HISTORICAL COMEDIANS OF ALL TIMES I ENJOYED EVERY MOMENT AND I LISTEN TO IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN

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Loved this series

Loved this series. Great history and insights on some of the best comedians of our time.

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Great Podcast!!

Excellent! Really enjoyed the history and the actual skits from my childhood. Amazing! Great podcast!

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Loved it!

I stopped another book I was into and just tried listening to see how this was…. I didn’t go back to the other audio until I finished all episodes available!

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so funny and educational

it is so good to hear the life stories of the legends that made a way for all the black comics after them and hear jokes I never heard

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history worth knowing and telling

waiting for part two. I need more history on the greats . I'll be waiting

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Great collection.

I enjoyed listening to the greats. Don't listen with the kids though! Reminds me of the old party records back in the day.

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