You invited my husband and me to see your show at the Improv. on Saturday night. (the couple in the deli) We went because you seemed like a nice guy and we wanted to support you. I had just gotten off a long day at work and was planning on getting home to relax, but I am a performer too, and thought we should support each other. I have to tell you I am confused as to why you even approached us. When I was walking away from the show, I thought \"Why in the world would you invite us to your show and then insult us?\" From your material I gather that either you do not like white people or you think of us as clods. I know we helped you get your quota of seats filled so you probably could care less about this message, but wanted you to know how I felt anyway. Jane

Hi Jane, First of all, thanks for coming to the show and for writing. I DEFINITELY care about your email and your feedback on my performance and really do appreciate you filling the seats even though you didn't like what I had to say. One performer to another, I thank you for going along with me in that corner store even though you wanted to go home, and I feel bad that my act offended you so much. It was certainly not my intention but is a definite risk with the type of comedy and subjects I deal with. To address some of your points, - I invited you simply because you were people, and I was desperate. I pulled in eight people off the street that night: a 30-something black couple, a single South Asian man, a young Latina woman and her mother, a single white female, plus you and your husband. I'd like to be able to tell you that there was some sort of conspiracy to insult you and your husband, but it really came down to timing. You were there. - I do not dislike white people, nor do I think of all of you as clods or idiots or any other demeaning characteristic. Some of my best friends, in fact, ARE white, and Jewish, but that's really not the point :) The real point is that what I'm talking about on stage are my experiences, many of which have been colored (no pun intended) by race. I don't do comedy that talks about the differences between men and women (i.e. "women go to bathroom in groups. men like sex."). I don't simply talk about the stereotypical differences between whites and blacks. (i.e. "White people can't dance. Black people can dunk.") Where I do use stereotypes, it's in an attempt to discredit them and is based on my own experiences or those of people I know. (i.e. my white friends inviting me over for a black history month dinner of KFC). That didn't quite happen, but the idea that "I can't be racist because I have black people over my house" is something I'm trying to discredit. I discuss the role of slavery in destroying and recreating an identity for all black people in America. "Thurston is a British name which means property of Massa Thurston" I discuss my own displeasure with the economy under Bush vs. Clinton and how I miss Clinton as an ex-girlfriend who often looks better when you're with someone else. I bring up the issue of reparations, and in a very facetious way, tie it to crime (black people robbing white people). Even my points about the Passion of the Christ are only an extension, through undermining Jewish stereotypes (absurdity of media control as highlighted by control of the "lightning machine"), of the point I'm trying to make on race relations. "some of my best friends are jewish, therefore I'm not anti-Semitic" as a parellel to "i have black people over for dinner therefore I'm not racist" In general, the post-Clinton part of my set is my way of addressing the superficial level that conversations about race exist, especially in cities like New York and Boston, which are considered liberal. We have reached a transition in America toward dealing with race. Integration has made significant headway. People of all colors have access to jobs and housing and more like never before, yet racism is alive and well in all areas. Equally-qualified candidates are much more likely to get called back for a job if they have a white-sounding name than if they have a black-sounding name. Banks routinely engage in discriminatory loan practices, and despite high profile, successful figures, a large segment of the black population remains in the underclass, relegated to underfunded school districts and decrepit public housing. Not all of these conditions are the fault of slavery or white people, but there is a connection. Unfortunately, if I describe things in the terms from the above paragraph, it might be interesting, but it's definitely not funny. In addition, I only had seven minutes to perform -- not exactly enough time to communicate all the nuances of my message. I try to use sarcasm, stereotypes, and the occasional wordplay to communicate some of these ideas in a way that is more accessible to my audience. Sadly, it didn't work for you and your husband, and I'm sure others who have seen me feel as you do. I don't expect that I've convinced you that my comments DIDN'T offend you. You know your own feelings much better than I. However, I do want you to understand that it is not my INTENTION to offend, but rather to deal with some pretty delicate and often unpleasant issues through humor. Thanks again for coming to the show, staying and taking the time to write, and good luck in your own careers.