Black History Month 2009: Day 19

Time for the TOP TEN! No, it's no David Letterman list, it's better than that. It's the top ten Black TV characters/personalities as chosen by my friend Luke. It really is hard to believe that we are down to the final 10 days in Black History Month. In some ways, this is very depressing as that means the time is ticking before I am subject to criticism and insults again. But I am also very excited because I wanna see this top ten. I talked to Luke earlier and he said the top ten really stood apart from the rest. Let's do it to it.

February 19, 2009
#10 - Leslie David Baker as "Stanley Hudson" - "The Office"

Read Luke's full post here (Office clips galore)

Luke's Take: Stanley is the product of having worked so long under Michael Scott. Stanley is apathetic, stern, typically above all the humor or craziness that is surrounding him (clearly focused on his cross-words), and loves pretzels. Which is why I love Stanley. Just when you think you have his character cornered, he surprises us. He appears to have an uncaring attitude, but had plenty in the tank to yell at Ryan for getting too close to his daughter. Those random Stanley moments often act as the lifeblood for The Office.

My Take: I couldn't agree more with what Luke said about Stanley. I've slowly become a rabid "Office' fan and every time Stanley says something, I laugh. It's because no matter the moment, he has a one-liner ready and waiting to employ. In most cases, it is so simple, it's hilarious. And in a show with such an amazing ensemble cast, he is one of the few that stands out because while he should be more in the background, his hidden sense of humor comes to the foreground, making him an audience favorite.

I don't know what else can be said about Stanley so I'm going to stop there. All I know is that this is start of the top 10. And that excites me because Stanley is a strong character, especially right now in television. When it comes to token black guys on comedies, he might take the cake, or maybe more fitting in this case, the pretzel.

B.H.M. Quote Of The Day: "He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life." ~Muhammad Ali