Russell Peters’ Comedy: Style and Significance

Russell Peters, a Toronto native, came from modest beginnings but rose to become one of the most well-known figures in stand-up comedy. Attending small comedy nights in Toronto was one of the most inspiring times for him before embarking on a foray into comedy. His contact, though brief, was another source of inspiration. Russell was advised by the legendary comedian to perform on stage if the opportunity occurred. Russell then notes, "I took the advice to heart, and I believe that's why I'm where I am now." Russell’s comedy is characterized by storytelling and various episodes of his years of childhood. He interacts well with the first rows of the audience. Russell digs into the stereotypes that are assigned to different groups of people and pokes fun into them. For example, some sections of the North American society believe that children born in Indian families are encouraged to take “heavy” courses such as medicine and engineering, and Russell makes fun out of such stereotypes.

Beyond comedy, Russell Peters has been proactive in highlighting various issues affecting the society. For example, he was not surprised that Harvey Weinstein, the Holly Wood producer, was accused of sexual assault. Peters had met Weinstein and he is happy that Weinstein, as the bully he is, has gotten bullied too.

Russell’s fan base is diverse as Hirji (para 1) notes,

Peters, a Canadian of South Asian descent, has an extensive, ethnically diverse fan base around the world.

In connection to this, Russell’s comedy is saturated with ethnic-biased humor. The comedian imitates certain racial groups though some may not be comfortable with a radicalized comedy discourse. The rationale behind this is addressing stereotypes through exposing them. Perez says, laughing at others is a form of boundary construction (Perez 514).

So influential is Russell that he has dominated the socialization process among young people. In fact, some years back, people who never watched him were regarded as “not cool enough.” Manivannan (20), says,

The craze was aided by the fact that Russell Peters gave all the sissy boys a means to show off their dudism to girls.

Russell Peters is not a consistent character in that he assumes various roles depending on the situation. What is surprising about him is his ability to adapt to different environments. However, it is worth noting that most of his jokes fall under what is known as plausible realism. They are not overly absurd or unbelievable.

According to Stebbins (3), one of the most significant features of stand-up comedy is the ability to take it as an art, as a commercial opportunity, and as a lifestyle. When a comedian takes comedy as an art, he is able to inject creativity into everyday phenomena. Again, when he takes it as a commercial opportunity, he is able to analyze his target audience based on various variables such as age and race in order to optimize his income. And when the comedian takes comedy as a lifestyle, it flows naturally. Stebbins explains stand-up comedy and says,

Often, verbal content is augmented with a range of theoretical establishments such as special costumes and props, grunts, snorts, and howls, bodily movements, and facial gestures.

Argumentative Appeals: Ethos, Logos, and Pathos

Aristotle coined three main methods of persuading the audience: ethos, logos, and pathos.

The term ethos is a Greek word meaning character. Russell uses ethos to show that his comedy is backed by credible sources and is worthy of being listened to. In addition to that, he not only uses unbiased jokes but also In this regard, Russell does not shy away from laughing at anyone including himself and his own community. He says thus:

I've seen racism in my audiences. For example, I've seen people laugh at every other group, but then clam up when it comes to their community. You can't laugh at everyone else and then not laugh at yourself. You shouldn't be at my show if you can't laugh at yourself.

In Greek language, the word pathos means either suffering or experience. Comedians adopt pathos in order to make an appeal to the emotions of the audience either through pity or through anger. In Greek language

The Greek word logos means reason or logic. Comedians often use statistics, facts, and an authority. The fact that such jokes are presented in the most light way possible does not negate their authority in the society. For example, Russell Peters takes a jab at the theories of international relations and their point of convergence to business and says in a joke:

Chinese people and Indian people cannot do business together, because Indian people cannot live without a bargain, and Chinese people cannot give you a bargain.

Much as Russell Peters is a comedian, some of his jokes are so close reality that his audience relies on him to have a deeper understanding of social and political events. He has been known to employ observational comedy. In connection to this, he uses humor in order to highlight issues that touch on ethnicity as well as race. He is known to use this punch line as a disclaimer to his jokes:

Somebody gonna get a hurt real bad

Background

There are numerous things that have a direct impact on the comedy of Russell. Writing his own book, Russell recalls how in his young years he was a victim of bullying (43). He was a scrawny and brown kid who had ADD. In addition to that, the fact that he was from an immigrant family compounded the probability of being bullied. Much as his comedy is humor, it has some sad episodes too and the audience cannot help but get over-whelmed with emotions. For example, he says that one of the most difficult moments of his life was about being “brown” in a white neighborhood when he was growing up.

Another background factor which has defined his comedy is the identity question. Other people would call Russell all types of names in defining his racial affiliation. These include the following: Anglo-Indian, South-Asian Canadian, and Indo-Canadian. For the purpose of clarification, Russell is proudly Canadian.

The background of a comedian can have a bearing in the type of audience that is staunch followers. Weaver (3) writes thus:

While having an international profile as a stand-up comedian, the Anglo-Indian Canadian, Russell Peters remains relatively unknown in the UK. His audience is principally made of North American ethnic groups, particularly South and East Asians.

Conclusion

Comedy fans may not know much about Russell Peters- but he is one of the most important personalities in stand-up comedy. His contribution remains immense, and his comedy unique. He has been able to demystify the stereotypes at the benefit of the greater society. Most importantly, he has been able to make a balanced fusion of comedy and punchy and weighty messages to his audience.

Works Cited

Manivannan, K. The Great Indian Democracy. Jodhpur: Pirates, 2014. Print.

Peters, Russell, Clayton Peters, and Dannis Koromilas. Call Me Russell: Inside the Outside.

Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons, 2012. Internet resource.

Pérez, Raúl. Ethnic humor in multiethnic America. (2015): 514-515.

Stebbins, Robert A. The Laugh-Makers: Stand-up Comedy As Art, Business, and Life-Style.

Montreal u.a: McGill-Queen's Univ. Pr, 1990. Print.

Weaver, Simon. The Rhetoric of Racist Humour: Us, Uk and Global Race Joking. Farnham:

Ashgate, 2011. Internet resource.