'Phat Tuesdays:' Comedian Guy Torry Shares the Origin Story of the All-Black Comedy Night (Exclusive)
'Phat Tuesdays: The Era of Hip Hop Comedy' will debut on Prime Video on Feb. 4.
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Prime Video is bringing viewers the incredible story of Phat Tuesdays.
Created by comedian Guy Torry, Phat Tuesdays details Torry's journey as he launched the all-Black comedy night at the world-famous Comedy Store on the Sunset Strip during a time in the '90s when Black comedians were shut out of the mainstream clubs. Lacking many options to showcase their talents, comedians flocked to Torry's Phat Tuesdays, attracting audiences that included superstars such as Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant and John Salley, musicians like Prince, Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg, and celebrities like Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall and Mike Tyson.
In ET's exclusive clip, Torry details his move from St. Louis to Los Angeles, and how he immediately spied a need for somewhere for Black comedians to flaunt their talent. The comedian explains how Black comics were suffering from the still-rising tensions rippling through the city after the 1992 Los Angeles uprising. Agents and executives were wary of traveling "in the hood" for fear of their own safety, which limited opportunities for Black talent to be seen. Thus, the inspiration for Phat Tuesdays was born.
"Phat Tuesdays was not just a showcase, it was a comedy party. We saw comedians become stars. We saw Hollywood stocking its shelves with new Black talent," Torry tells ET. "We experienced the healing of a city that had been divided and burned from the Rodney King verdict because laughter purified the air. Phat Tuesdays was not only a movement, it was the best damn comedy show PERIOD."
Torry adds that he created the titular documentary that tells the story of "the best damn comedy show" because "Black stories need to be told."
"We are more than just clowns, court jesters, and humorists. We are entertainers, artists, storytellers, healers and therapists. This story is important to culture; the culture of comedy, the culture of humanity and the culture of the Black community," he goes on to say. "This story is not just a story of Black history, it’s a story of Hollywood history and more importantly, American history that just happened to be released during Black History Month. It’s a story that you can watch any month."
Stars like Anthony Anderson, Steve Harvey, Regina King and more share similar sentiments in the documentary, describing how Phat Tuesdays became a beacon for female comics like Tiffany Haddish and Kym Whitley, as well as comics of other marginalized ethnic groups like Russell Peters and Jo Koy. It became a safe haven that helped launch the careers of legendary comedians and an important platform to make sure those comics' voices were heard.
Phat Tuesdays: The Era of Hip Hop Comedy premieres Friday, Feb. 4 on Prime Video.
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