One of the original Kings of Comedy believes people have a right to be wrong.
Let Mel Gibson rant, says D.L. Hughley. Let Dr. Laura use the N-word. Air it out.
"I'm not as offended by language," says the comic, actor and former gang member. "The reason that we have become a society that's regressed is that people can't feel that they can express themselves. They always have to explain themselves. You let people say what they want and eventually we'll figure it out."
Hughley, who performs Thursday to Saturday at the Pittsburgh Improv, can empathize with Vince Vaughn, who drew the ire of gay rights groups for a gay joke in the trailer of his latest movie. Hughley's remarks on gay black males on "The View" this summer caused a similar set-to.
On his 2007 HBO special "Unapologetic," Hughley ridiculed the oversensitive culture that makes people afraid to say what they mean. This auto-censorship inhibits meaningful dialogue, he says. It actually has set us back as a country.
"I think it's a mistake to make people fit into this cookie cutter political correctness," he says. "People say and do dumb, silly and offensive things. You got a guy running for governor in New York -- Carl Paladino -- who is regularly misogynist, racist and homophobic. Where there's this much freedom, people are going to be free to be idiots."
Comedy fans shouldn't worry about hearing a lecture from Hughley, however. If he didn't make it funny, people wouldn't listen. A native of Los Angeles, Hughley ran with the infamous Bloods gang, but foreswore the thug life after his cousin was killed in a shooting. Because his cousin had been in a rival gang, the Crips, Hughley couldn't even attend his funeral. That woke him up to the insanity of gang life.
He got a job as telemarketer with the Los Angeles Times and worked his way up into management, where he met the woman who would become his wife.
She convinced him to try stand-up. In 1999, he joined Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer and Bernie Mac on the wildly successful Original Kings of Comedy Tour, which Spike Lee made into a concert film. His 1998 sitcom "The Hughleys" ran for four seasons.
Forays into television included a role on "Studio 60 on Sunset Strip," and a commentary spot on CNN titled "D.L. Hughley Breaks the News."
He's still breaking the news. At the Improv, he'll talk about the rescue of the Chilean miners and the scandal involving Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre.
"The reason comedy means so much to me is that it is a permission slip to be exactly who you are," Hughley says. "There are things I believe about women. There are things I believe about men. There are things I believe about whites and blacks. There are things I believe about gay people."
Additional Information:D.L. Hughley
When: 8 p.m. Thursday; 8 and 10 p.m. Friday; 7 and 9 p.m. Saturday
Admission: $30
Where: Pittsburgh Improv, Waterfront, Homestead
Details: 412-462-5233
