Sowetan Ronnie Modimola has been performing stand-up comedy since 1997. He is fast becoming a well-known face on the growing comedy circuit in the country and last Saturday was seen at the Sun City Superbowl in Laughter Blaster, a major gathering of just about every local comedian worth his salt.
Modimola’s routines are, however, in sharp contrast to the country’s standard comedy fare, a profession dominated largely by disillusioned white males.
Were you always very funny?
I remember when I was young, when I was able to see things my way, when I would talk people would start laughing.
What does it mean to see things your way?
Understanding things you’re looking at. Understanding things that I am seeing – without having to get a second opinion.
Tell me a joke.
The first time I went to a comedy club, audiences were not used to the idea of a black comedian so I told them that the colour that they see on black people is not what was initially intended. It’s one of those acts of God – after creating one of us God put the guy in an oven, then God went out to check other things.
He was gone for a few hours and when he came back it was too late. He said, “Oh my God, the man is overcooked.” But because he was God he said: “Oh my Me! Shit, look his hair is fucked,” so to make up for it he gave black people rhythm.
What are you trying to achieve by confronting your audience with the reality of race in this country?
Somewhere I hope that what I say might bring whites, blacks, coloureds and Indians together.
But are you really attempting to bring people together, or is it an attempt to point out to your largely white audience what the problems of racism are? Are you really on a goodwill mission?
I am on a goodwill mission; it’s just that sometimes people take things too seriously. Making people laugh should not be such a big deal. As a black stand-up comedian the audience expects me to play a black man.
The jokes that get a standing ovation are jokes that look down on me as a black person, which I don’t care much about – a joke is a joke. But I wanted to get to that point where a black comedian is looked at as a comedian and not just as a black man joking.
Isn’t there a contradiction in that? I don’t necessarily think that you’re out to bond with your audience. I don’t think that by walking on stage with a whole lot of supposedly stolen car stereos you’re saying, “I’m a nice black man”.
It’s not that I’m advocating crime. The message I’m sending is that it’s a funny country and let’s laugh about it. I’m not saying that only black people steal car radios.
There’s this joke I do about dating black girls. You know what they say, too much of one thing is not good so now I want to try it out with a white girl. I have actually tried it out but it did not work.
I paid her a visit, her mother went to the bathroom to throw up. The sound I could hear from the bathroom was “blaaack, blaaack”. I could get the message. She didn’t have to make it that obvious.
The way I look at audiences in South Africa – audiences I have worked for – I think they still need a bit of education about comedy. Take it for what it is, take it for what it stands for.
Isn’t that an easy device for pulling audiences? The particular routine you do isn’t just comedy, it’s confrontational.
Well they shouldn’t go to comedy clubs to judge comedians. They should go to comedy clubs to enjoy themselves. But right now we can’t move away from race.
You know, they say that a person who plays the piano is a pianist, but Michael Schumacher, on the other hand is a racing car driver, but he’s not called a racist.
Do you do any work other than comedy?
At the moment I’m doing nothing but comedy.
Are you earning a living?
I am earning a little living.
If I asked you to stand up on stage and tell jokes until you can’t speak any longer how long could you go for?
Forty minutes. I have plenty of jokes that I have not tried out on an audience. Some I’ve tried on an audience and they’re not that funny, they still need work. Maybe they were funny, but not that funny.
What isn’t funny?
You mean for me? What isn’t funny for me?
No, generally, in the world.
I can’t think of anything at the moment. Nothing is not funny, for me.
Ronnie Modimola spoke to Matthew Krouse