Flip Wilson the Traditionalist
Parker, Jay
Flip Wilson the Traditionalist Jay Parker Whether you're talking to the lady who works part-time at Sears or TV critic Harry Harris, you are guaranteed to evoke excitement when discussing Clever...
...Of course the "give me five" routine is recognized by all sports buffs...
...Dresswise, Flip did not go the route of the Nehru suit and the Mao jacket like so many others...
...These are the same persons who are upset because Flip Wilson does not appear to be one of "the 'lost' children of the diaspora who will be gathering their pride and power about them and coming home again...
...1 new show of the season, the price for a minute of time on it was $45,000 when it premiered...
...Her instant reply was "Thursday of course, Flip Wilson is on...
...Those of us who remember, say that Flip Wilson is the greatest since Amos and Andy...
...Gross said just about all homes would have their windows up and the show turned up in volume...
...The "Flip Wilson Show" had, at the start of 1971, garnered a 27.1 per cent "AA" (average viewing) national rating and an astounding 42 per cent "share" which means that of every 100 homes tuned to television nationally, 42 per cent were zeroed in on Flip and his outrageously , comic characters: the Rev...
...Far and away the No...
...When one views Flip, the first thing seen, apart from the boyish grin, is his "hustler" haircut of the early fifties which apparently means a lot to him...
...There is sufficient empirical evidence to demonstrate Flip's near-equal popularity...
...TV critic Harry Harris and others have named Flip Wilson "Comic of the Year...
...Consistent with his appearance, Flip has maintained all the mannerisms of the postwar era...
...Surely Flip has brought us together...
...In this observer's opinion, Flip Wilson is the greatest entertainment phenomenon since the aborted "Amos and Andy" radio and television show, and rivals it in popularity...
...Blacks have been successful in dramatic and situation comedy shows-such as Bill Cosby and Diahann Carroll-but Leslie Uggams, Sammy Davis, Jr., and the late Nat King Cole didn't last as hosts of TV variety shows...
...Flip is in the tradition of the hard-working American who has made it and will continue to succeed because he has staying power...
...The man responsible for this success read everything he could on comedy and comedians, studying the professions 1 comics from the time he was a youngster...
...Flip Wilson's appearance on the scene is especially significant during this impossible period of hand wringing, teeth gnashing and greening of America...
...Flip means a lot to all Americans- young or old...
...Visibly, Flip is a fantastic traditionalist...
...Flip contends that he is a host and that he is not limited to acts or routines, as were some other blacks who had their own shows but couldn't make it because, as Wilson puts it, "They weren't equipped...
...black, white or plaid...
...or the fiercely independent, shrill-voiced, aggressive and sexy Geraldine Jones...
...Legions of Americans, black and white, have rearranged their schedules to make it possible to view Flip...
...Flip Wilson the Traditionalist Jay Parker Whether you're talking to the lady who works part-time at Sears or TV critic Harry Harris, you are guaranteed to evoke excitement when discussing Clever Clerow, better known as Flip Wilson...
...A middle-aged woman who works part-time for one of the Sears department stores in Philadelphia, was asked what night she would like to have off...
...One need only take note of his walk and especially his greetings, both verbal and non-verbal, as when he appears to throw a shoulder into the one he is greeting...
...He had the nerve or the courage, depending upon your point of view, to do a series of National Guard commercials and public service announcements on radio and TV, at a time when it was not in his best interest according to some "crazies" and "moderates...
...Leroy, hustler Pastor of the Church of What's Happening Now...
...Flip says, "I'm a story-teller rather than a comedian, because storytellers last longer...
...He learned then that it took fifteen years for most of them to become successful funnymen...
...Consider the new look of "peace" cheerleader Sammy Davis, Jr., who abandoned his lacquered looking process for the "fro...
...Critic Gross recalls that before the advent of the transistor radio one could hear the "Amos and Andy" show while strolling down the streets of any American city...
...They fear that Flip is not joining swelling ranks of those who call themselves "Black" regardless of pigmentation...
...There are some who wrestle with Flip Wilson's "degree of blackness...
...In terms of free market place success, Flip Wilson's Show is raking in the dough...
...If it did not mean a lot surely he would have succumbed to the pressure of the fads, which are so enormous on public figures...
...or Freddie Johnson, raunchy bachelor who can't keep his hands off the girls...
...According to the New York Daily News radio and TV critic Ben Gross, "Amos and Andy" changed everyone's life-style during its run...
...Clerow (Flip) Wilson, who may well be the first black comic in modern times to reintroduce black ethnic humor in a raffish, self-assured way, realizes that he is black, but is convinced that his show will succeed or fail on its (and his) own merits...
...On 18 November the price was increased to-|65,000, making it the most expensive show on the NBC-TV network...
...Flip has also bucked the pressures to conform by doing the unpopular...
...In the early fall, the price was raised to $50,000 and on 19 October to $60,000...
...Those who were "hanging around" on the corners of south Philadelphia during the late forties and early fifties recall this period vividly when Flip is on the stage...
...By this he means that "they were out of their bags as hosts...
Vol. 4 • May 1971 • No. 6
