Paul Mooney: Jesus Is Black - So Was Cleopatra - Know Your History

There's no doubt in my mind that Paul Mooney is a comedic genius, but it's also very clear that he's a left over from a much more racist time in America. Watching this material tinges between semi-hilarity, disgust, and sheer disbelief at some of the things he tries to pass off to his audience as fact. I'm not referring to certain details of a story being exaggerated for the sake of artistic license or the humor of a joke. What I'm talking about are blatant lies. Perhaps his audience is uneducated and he is telling them what they want to hear. I do know one thing, Paul Mooney is educated enough to know that he isn't telling the truth, but I suppose everyone has an agenda to feed and that only makes him human. Watch and enjoy this special if you like Paul Mooney. Just remember that nearly all of the facts he's using to wrap his jokes around are quite the opposite. I watched most of it, but between that and the racist banter I decided enough was enough. It seems to me as though in this day and age that as long as someone says something on TV, everyone else instantly entertains it as fact and that is sad. 1) Sad that people would believe something just because they saw it on TV and 2) Sad that they weren't educated enough to pick out that it was false in the first place.

You should never make a movie (and pretending to "educate" people) with such lack of honesty and precaution ! Of course, if you want to demonstrate that Jesus was black... before having any proof, well it's easy ! You will read and interpret any element in this direction.

Problem of this movie is that it's not convincing at all... and that serious historians (who are not all whites, members of the KKK and prejudiced against colored people !) are still debating about it...

We know for sure that Jesus did not have a Nordic type : it's not a proof that he was black ! And Cleopatra was a metis between Egyptian and Greek : she's the last queen of the Ptomele dynasty... which is coming more from Athen than Africa !!! so watching this movie is really scary sometimes ! Especially when you start to imagine that uncultivated people will take its "researches" for truth...

Olivier Ghis (Paris, France)

Paul Mooney is truly one of the greatest comedians of all time. He has never ceased to make me laugh, which is why I bought this film. I watched this piece expecting to get only laughs. However, not only did I laugh my butt off, but I was also educated. He has a way of delivering the truth in such a funny way. Unlike most comedy shows, I left this one with knowledge. I received a lesson in Black History that I've never gotten anywhere else. He made me proud to be an African American. I STRONGLY recommend this film to anyone who is a fan of Mooney. Word to the wise...I would not watch this film with a different race. If you are WHITE, approach this film with caution. You will be slightly offended. Whether you like Paul Mooney or hate him, one can't help but respect his style of comedy. This does contain strong language and I don't recommend the presence of children. Never the less, this is truly one of Mooney's finest performance that deserves to be seen.

A good deal out of context, or just plain wrong. I've seen PM for years, and I think he mostly annoyed he was born too late to be a 60's militant.

Nobody is trying to hide history. The reason "you weren't taught this in school" is twofold: 1 - You weren't paying attention, and 2 - You only took it for a year. The average history teacher has to go from Plato to NATO in 38 weeks. In classrooms full of kids who don't care. Take a look at an average HS history 101 text. Each PARAGRAPH deserves a separate book to cover the basics. Can we all stop pretending it's a big plot? You think you've been lied to or glossed over? Go to the local library and do some work.

Love and kisses, a cranky ex-high school history teacher.

You know Mooney's got it going when folks walk out, and most of the reviews pay scant due respect to the comedy, while arguing about Mooney's historical accuracy. Although I think he was occasionally factually off-target,why does that matter so much? The man is a brilliant comedian, and one of the finest American story-tellers currently working. He should be a national treasure. Just because "Know Your History" happens to be part of the title, doesn't mean Mr. Mooney has become an academic. Thankfully, he never was, and never will be.

I just don't understand why Paul Mooney evokes such responses in people. It's not as if he has continually slagged any particular race. He's always willingly spread his wicked wit among any and all deserving targets. In this show by the 40 minute mark, he had insulted about every ethnic group I could think of--finishing up with Australian Aborigines. Maybe it's his absolute fearlessness, and complete willingness to skewer deserving people that other comics fear to take on.

Relax, lighten up, and enjoy this unique talent while he's still with us.