Skip to content
Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy

Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam — Season 1, Episode 1 (premiere)

Steve White, Derrick Fox, Yvette Wilson and 1 more

HBO · 1992 · 30 min

Martin Lawrence hosts the debut episode of the HBO stand-up showcase.

Martin Lawrence struts out to Kid Capri’s turntables, hyping up a loud, responsive audience for the inaugural broadcast of Russell Simmons’s late-night HBO series. The format is an immediate departure from the polite, brick-wall comedy club broadcasts of the era. Four comics get a few minutes each to make an impression without the constraints of network censors. The crowd dictates the energy in the room, vocally backing up the performers or letting them know when a premise is missing the mark.

Filmed at the Wilshire Theater in Los Angeles and aired in the summer of 1992, the debut lineup leans heavily on rising club talent. Steve White, then appearing in a string of Spike Lee movies including Malcolm X, opens the half-hour. He is followed by Derrick Fox and Yvette Wilson. Joe Torry closes the showcase; his aggressive, crowd-focused set resonated well enough that he eventually succeeded Lawrence as the program’s primary host.

The set list

4 bits

  1. Explaining the definition of 'Def' and joking about misconceptions

    Host Martin Lawrence clarifies that 'Def' doesn't mean deaf, playfully mocking how white and deaf audiences might interpret the title.

  2. Derrick Fox joking about rapper Biz Markie's appearance

    Reflecting on his mother saying 'God don't like ugly,' Fox jokes that if that's true, Biz Markie must be the Antichrist, accompanied by an appearance as his drag alter ego Shante.

  3. Steve White concluding his performance with hip-hop

    Closes out his short stand-up set by transitioning directly into a rap.

  4. Yvette Wilson calling out a smiling audience member

    Dances with a man in the crowd, invites him to stand, and roasts him by saying men who grin cannot perform well in bed.

How it plays

Tone
Raw, edgy, aggressively obscene, and irreverent.
On stage
Host Martin Lawrence delivers smooth, assured stand-up and roasts, while the featured comics deliver raw, profanity-laced sets.
Pace
Fast-paced, high-energy party atmosphere where audience members danced, jumped onstage, and actively engaged with the performers.
About
Hip-hop culture, Sexual stereotyping, Physical appearance, Dating and sex

What the critics said

Entertainment Weekly gave the show a B grade, describing the comics as fitfully funny and aggressively obscene; contemporaneous critics were often taken aback by the extensive profanity, sexual candor, and stereotypes.

In the room: Electrifying and raucous party atmosphere with athletes and rappers in the crowd, audience members surrounding the thrust stage on three sides, and patrons physically reacting and jumping on stage.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: therokuchannel.roku.com, trakt.tv, tvmaze.com, ew.com, watch.plex.tv, decider.com, pluto.tv, en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.

Backstory

Conceived by Russell Simmons, Stan Lathan, and Bob Sumner to bring hip-hop humor and urban club energy to HBO cable subscribers, featuring music spun by DJ Kid Capri to create a dance-party atmosphere.

Details

Lineup
Steve White, Derrick Fox, Yvette Wilson, Joe Torry
Released
Runtime
30 min
Where
HBO
Director
Stan Lathan
Topics

More from this lineup

If you liked this