Despite my initial reaction, I decided to tune into “Chocolate News” and see for myself what all the hype was about on TV and online. The show promised to be as edgy as Chapelle’s Show while retaining the same level of sophisticated humour and faux credibility of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Seeing as how these two shows were the both the funniest and my favorite shows on TV, I was somewhat excited to tune in and see if the once genius David Alan Grier managed to make comedy magic again.

What I saw was a bastardized version of Mind of Mencia on crack. Not only is Chocolate News not funny in the slightest, but it focuses on solely racial stereotypes and prays that the jokes turn over. I’m not against racial stereotypical jokes, but what made Chapelle’s Show so frikkin’ hilarious is that the racially motivated jokes were clever and took a completely different approach to the same issues as well as brought new ideas on screen as well. Furthermore, Chapelle’s Show did not bank solely on racial punchlines, there was actual substance there.

To make matters worse, Grier has been working on this show for years, battling back and forth with Comedy Central executives (who were hesitant in producing another Black show after Chapelle’s impromptu departure), to ensure the content of Chocolate News was responsible.

“Are you laughing with me because you get the joke, or am I giving you license to laugh at me in a derogatory, dehumanizing way?” says Grier [while considering content for the show].

And this is the best you can do? I guess this is the level of material Comedy Central approves from of black comedians or maybe Grier set his own bar low as all hell. This is quiet possibly one of the worse show’s I’ve seen in a long time. I wish I had two sets of hands so I can give this show four thumbs DOWN! I respect Dave Chapelle even more for leaving Comedy Central before the network turned his show into Chocolate News…or Mencia’s crap show. Fail.