Moms Mabley was indeed a trailblazer. Please watch the documentary Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley to discover how fabulous and talented this individual is. Great black comedians that say they modeled themselves after Moms or just plain ole stole from her act include legends like Red Foxx, Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor. The great female comedians saw Moms as a pioneer that opened the doors for them.
I've always found Moms funny. She was raunchy yet found a way to be thought provoking at the same time. People saw her as the hilarious, dirty old woman. But listen to her jokes and she's forcing people to think about how they view the world and question their biases. But you appreciate it and laugh because she is still just a funny, dirty old lady.
I've done enough research on black queer folks to know that Moms was a member of our community, but I wondered if documentary would be bold enough to share this. I should have known that with Whoopi Goldberg steering the wheel, this film would not hold back the punches. They went there. They spoke her truth. And for that I am grateful. I think we're now in a place where when we discuss on heroes and our role models, we can talk about them in their entirety. If you get a chance, check out the HBO special, Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley. It is so well done.
To hold you over until you get a chance to see the film, check out these clips below of Moms
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