We Had a Little Real Estate Problem: The Unheralded Story of Native Americans & Comedy

by Kliph Nesteroff

From Kliph Nesteroff, “the human encyclopedia of comedy” (VICE), comes the important and underappreciated story of Native Americans and comedy.

It was one of the most reliable jokes in Charlie Hill’s stand-up routine: “My people are from Wisconsin. We used to be from New York. We had a little real estate problem.”

In We Had a Little Real Estate Problem, acclaimed comedy historian Kliph Nesteroff focuses on one of comedy’s most significant and little-known stories: how, despite having been denied representation in the entertainment industry, Native Americans have influenced and advanced the art form.

The account begins in the late 1880s, when Native Americans were forced to tour in wild west shows as an alternative to prison. (One modern comedian said it was as “if a Guantanamo detainee suddenly had to appear on X-Factor.”) This is followed by a detailed look at the life and work of seminal figures such as Cherokee humorist Will Rogers and Hill, who in the 1970s was the first Native American comedian to appear The Tonight Show.

Also profiled are several contemporary comedians, including Jonny Roberts, a social worker from the Red Lake Nation who drives five hours to the closest comedy club to pursue his stand-up dreams; Kiowa-Apache comic Adrianne Chalepah, who formed the touring group the Native Ladies of Comedy; and the 1491s, a sketch troupe whose satire is smashing stereotypes to critical acclaim. As Ryan Red Corn, the Osage member of the 1491s, says: “The American narrative dictates that Indians are supposed to be sad. It’s not really true and it’s not indicative of the community experience itself…Laughter and joy is very much a part of Native culture.”

Featuring dozens of original interviews and the exhaustive research that is Nesteroff’s trademark, We Had a Little Real Estate Problem is a powerful tribute to a neglected legacy.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Humor, Indigenous, Audiobook, Comedy, Native American

336 pages, Paperback

First published February 16, 2021

About the author

Kliph Nesteroff is a best-selling author regarded for his vast knowledge of show business. Vice Magazine has called Nesteroff "The Human Encyclopedia of Comedy," and Los Angeles Magazine profiled him as "The King of Comedy Lore."

Reviews

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up
Don’t go into this expecting lots of humor. Instead, this nonfiction chronicles the history of how Native Americans have been represented in the entertainment industry, beginning with Wild West Shows. It also provides a history of how the US and Canadian governments treated them. The book highlights several current day Native American comedians and the issues they face.
I enjoyed the section on Will Rogers the best. So much of his humor is still relevant today. I also appreciated that Nesteroff didn’t shy away from Roger’s racism.
A lot of the book is focused on Charlie Hill. I wasn’t that familiar with his work, and appreciated that the author at least gives us more of his humor than other comics.
While educational, the book can often come across as dry. It might work better to read than listen to it. I definitely learned a lot and appreciated the in-depth analysis of some things I’ve only recently learned about, like the Indian Emancipation Act and the takeover of Alcatraz Island in 1969.
The author narrates the book.

[Dani]

I received a gifted digital copy of this book from the publisher. I really enjoyed it at first! I was expanding my knowledge not only in regards to Indigenous comedians but in many other ways as well.

Although Nesteroff is not Indigenous, I felt he gave Indigenous folks a lot of space to share their uninterrupted thoughts & experiences.

Now onto the less favourable aspects. I believe discussing anti-Blackness in the behaviour of Indigenous folks & communities is so important however I believe there is absolutely no need for a non-Black author to spell out the N word numerous times in their writing. I have seen arguments made that it “doesn’t count” if the author is writing for educational purposes but I’ve read countless works where non-Black authors use asterisks or some other method of not spelling it out. I firmly believe that writing & academia need to stop normalizing non-Black folks using the N word in their work.

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up

I'm so glad someone recommended this to me! We Had a Little Real Estate Problem is a fascinating work of nonfiction chronicling the history of Native American comedy, interwoven with elements of Native American history writ large, especially addressing things like the horrors of residential schools. Even for someone who isn't a comedy afficionado (myself included) I would definitely recommend this one. And be ready to google videos of some of the comics they mention! I've found some really entertaining performances. (definitely check out recordings of Charlie Hill, and YouTube videos from the 1491's)

While the author is not himself indigenous, he did a ton of interviews and other research to put this book together, so a lot of it is hearing from indigenous comics in their own words. You get a real sense of how poorly represented Native Americans have historically been represented in the entertainment industry, and how important the inroads made by these comics have been. This book also has a whole section on Will Rogers and shamefully, I had no idea he was indigenous. Apparently he was outspoken about his identity and a major political activist while living, but after his death his legacy was frequently whitewashed as a sort of wholesome cowboy.

I laughed and also learned a lot. I hope this will gain wide readership.

[Zach Freking-Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published here

Kliph Nesteroff's rundown of Native comedy is both heartwarming and heartbreaking

DISCLAIMER: I am not Native American. So, please, if you are and I have said something inappropriate, please send me a message so I can correct it. I'm learning.

Here I am, wanting to read a nice book about comedy to calm me down during the election. I LOVE stand-up comedy. It's one of my relaxations. Nothing calms me down faster than laughter. The title alone: We Had a Little Real Estate Problem was enough to give me a chuckle, so I thought this would be a perfect election time calm-down.

WELL, I'm not sure if you are aware, but we were (are) NOT the nicest people towards Native Americans. If you weren't aware of that, I'm sure you'll enjoy Trump's new Patriotic Education.

The book itself offers a quick rundown of how we treated Native Americans from about 1800 on. It touches on Buffalo Bill Cody's traveling Western shows and how Native Americans got their "start" in show business. That is, playing caricatures of themselves for White audiences. Yeah, not great.

It's split between two different times. In about half the chapters, you get history of Native American comedy and showbiz. In the other half, it focuses on modern stand-ups and how they are dealing with the dearth of performance opportunities for those on the Rez. It's incredible to hear these stories of people who travel four hours or more just to do an UNPAID open mic so they can get some stage time. There are stories of people who start their own stand-up nights in those comedy deserts, people who go to New York or LA to try and make it big (both success stories and not-so-successful stories). This is, of course, just the tip of the iceberg and there are so many wonderful stories.

One thing that I'm so glad was highlighted heavily was how important representation in media was for these budding comedians. Many said that without those early comedians, they would have thought that comedy wasn't something Native Americans were allowed to do. Representation matters so much and people have a hard time accepting that for some reason.

Sidenote: A lot of Right-Wingers talk about how PC CULTURE IS RUINING MOVIES AND VIDEO GAMES CAST THE ACTOR FOR THEIR TALENTS NOT THEIR RACE!!1!1!!! Two things: 1. This assumes that non-white people are cast to fill a quota, not due to their talents (LOL OKAY) and 2. Look at who usually makes those comments. White dudes. We (white dudes) see ourselves represented so often as the hero, villain, mastermind, idiot, drunk, businessman, etc. that we don't see why people make such a big deal about films like Black Panther, Moonlight, or Parasite. We don't have to worry about representation. WE ARE THE BASELINE. It frustrates me so much when I hear about "pandering to the SJWs". It's not pandering, it's using previous success to amplify discriminated and sidelined voices. Or, you know, casting the best person for the best role. SO WEIRD RIGHT?

Now, for the other part of the book. Why do we always assume that Native Americans are these stoic people? They laugh, joke, cry, act just like everyone else. The stereotypes come from early television and movies. Back in the 20's, you had two choices: play the savage or play the stoic chief. That's it. If you chose neither, a white dude takes the part. Surprise, surprise.

This is an incredibly important work for White people to read. The things that we have done to Native Peoples is, of course, appalling. That should come to no surprise. However, the fact that there were huge movements to get better Native representation in movies and TV surprised the hell out of me. AND IT SHOULDN'T HAVE! Why did we not learn about this? Why am I just now finding out about the Alcatraz Protest? This book has really encouraged me to go out and learn more about the REAL history.

Definitely worth picking up when it comes out on 2/16/2021. 5/5, 10/10.

Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC!

[cvtherin · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a bitch eating crackers sort of review. If that's not your vibe, probably best to skip this then.

Okay, so.

This is not a book for Natives.

This is a book for white people – both to learn a little bit about Natives in unique or novel setting (comedy), and to feel better about themselves for knowing fuck all about Indigenous peoples of the United States and Canada. This sounds mean, and yeah I acknowledge that but really; go forth and read some of the comments.

"I'm not sure if you're aware, but we were not the nicest towards Native Americans"

"This made me want to learn more about Native Americans, especially those who live on reservations"

Oh wow. Hahahahaha. Omg.

(Why do I suddenly feel like a penguin in a zoo?)

Well, as a real gen-u-ine Native™ , I will say I was initially intrigued by the topic of this book. In the community, humor is a big part of culture after all, but I admit my interest waned once finding out the author is white, lol. Soz.

The author even touches on this, himself.

"Obviously First Nations and Native peoples should be in charge of their own stories without the interference of a non-Native interpretation. For this reason an effort has been made to quote each comedian at length and let them speak for themselves. I’ve worked with Jessica H.L. Elm, MSW, PhD, of John Hopkins University, to lend an Indigenous perspective to the manuscript. A citizen of the Oneida Nation and a descendant of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of the Mohawks, Elm is also a huge fan of Charlie Hill, the revered Oneida comedian.”

Like, cool. But if you can acknowledge this then why not co-author a book? Also, the Indigenous perspective from a person who is NOT in the comedy scene did … what exactly? A basic google search shows that Ms. Elm is in academia (nice), but other than being "a big fan of Charlie Hill", I'm failing to see how she really contributed to the book other than giving Nesteroff the opportunity to point to her and say, "see! I'm woke and a good ally!"

If you're taking the time to give this sort of lip service, why not take the time to have one of the Indigenous people interviewed during the course of the story, and have them look things over? People who are actually living and doing the comedy circuit? It would seem that they would be more appropriate (and perhaps would have been better able to help with the topic at hand than a person in academia), but I digress. A strong editor would have really helped this book.

Certainly, Ms. Elm wasn't much help in the pronunciation department as Nesteroff, who narrates the audiobook, proceeded to mispronounce various tribal names (Sac and Fox has two: "sock and fox" and "sank and fox") to people's names (it's not "tone-key", it's "tohn-kee-eye", show some respect to Sammy "Tonkei" White pls). Am I being really nitpicky here? Probably. But it's personal by this point.

The book itself, is a quick and dirty history of Indigenous peoples in media, specifically in relation to film and tv; then later, comedy. It's not bad but there's a clear emphasis on Canadian history and it's blended in with American history which can make things confusing. I guess since we're covering all Indigenous comedians this makes sense, but it's a bit jarring to hear about the 60s Scoop and then later, the Trail of Tears. These are mentioned with the assumption that the reader knows both but these are two very separate, very distinct events in history that affected different groups of people in different countries (60s Scoop in Canada, and Trail of Tears in the U.S., respectively).

Likewise with Standing Rock. There was brief mention of the whole affair but I found that leaving out small details such as the pipeline's original route of passing near a white community which they fought against, only to be moved to Standing Rock; that while yes, a lot of community and solidarity amongst various people/races/ethnicities occurred, there was also a lot of shit that went down that people still don't know about and/or acknowledge. I'm not expecting Nesteroff to necessarily know this intimately, but if you're gonna make a point of bringing these events up (60s Scoop, Residential Schools, Trail of Tears, etc.), it DOES HELP to ground the reader with some background knowledge so they can better understand the points you're trying to make (in this case, Native perseverance via comedy and humor).

It was also disjointed and we would jump all over the place in the past, it was sometimes hard to keep track of what was happening as Nesteroff brought us up to current events. Again, a stronger editor would have helped.

As the book went on, it quickly became repetitive since transcripts of jokes are repeated wholesale (and hearing some rando white guy narrate Charlie Hill's jokes is just cringe), to the point that it's aggravating. I really don't ever need to hear, "hey how are ya" to an imaginary drum beat repeated ad nauseum, thanks.

I do appreciate Nesteroff taking time to focus on a large variety of people – those well known in the community vs. those less known but there' still an unevenness in male to female comedians. Yes, yes, I know this is a general problem. But there ARE in fact many women to shine the spotlight on. And really, how are you gonna miss out on Auntie Beachress played by Tania Jo Hall?? The fucking nerve.

Anyway, as mentioned previously this is not a book for Natives per se. If you're curious about Natives and comedy, this could act as a jumping off point if you have no idea where to start, but it really could have used a stronger editor to better iron out the details and flow of the book.

--

review to come when I'm less irritated.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm being a little tough on this book, giving it only 3/5 stars, as it does touch on an important issue and that is the misrepresentation of indigenous people in our North American society. The book, however, seemed disjointed and jumped around a lot, giving us a lot of names that blurred together ( for me, anyway). I have to admit I knew next to nothing about Native American comedians, with the one exception of Will Rogers. So I did learn a lot, especially about Charlie Hill. I'll have to check him out on youtube, as he sounds like a most amazing person. I hate to admit this but I was a fan of the Letterman show but I don't remember him on it at all.
I read this book for a book discussion group and I think it'll make for a good discussion. A lot of the topics raised should be looked into in more depth, such as the 1973 occupation of Wounded Knee. If the book leads to greater awareness of issues relating to indigenous people, then it is a very worthwhile read.

[lauraღ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We got a lotta white people here,” said Jim Ruel, looking out at the audience. “That’s fine. I hope you guys enjoy the show… and the land… and the guilt. You guys didn’t even know we told jokes, did you? Well, we joke together all the time. We just don’t do it around you. We don’t want you to steal our jokes.”

This was a really fun and informative read; chock full of history, and told in just the way I prefer biographies to be: a mix of recitation of facts, interviews, and quotes. It's about Native Americans and comedy, and necessarily goes into a lot of history, social trauma, racism, and some of the hardships that are unique to Native people, all while focusing the spotlight on Native humour and comedy, starting from the late 1800s. I was a little hesitant when I realised that the author is non-Native, because this doesn't seem like the kind of narrative that needs to be told from an outsider perspective. But I've read that he's had support from a lot of Native Americans, and I think that he did a good job in focusing his efforts where they needed to be. This is a book about comedy, but the author never tries to insert jokes of his own, which would have been tasteless no matter how it turned out. The humour came from the people he interviewed and the accounts he told; he'd do quotes from bits of the people he was talking about, and talk about how they reflected real world issues. I really enjoyed that there was a mix of old and new talent on the scene, and I came away from this feeling like I'd learnt a lot. It was fun, while being serious and sincere.

Listened to the audiobook as read by the author, and while it was good... I can't help but wish some of it had been interview format? Maybe then it would have been less of a book, but so much of this consisted of account from comedians and personalities who are still around, and it would have been nice to hear some of these things in their own voices.

A really good read, all in all.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This history of of Native American comedians stretches from Buffalo Bill's wild west show through vaudeville, radio, and network television all the way up to YouTube videos by the 1491s and other contemporary acts. Traditional biographical profiles of pioneers Will Rogers and Charlie Hill are broken up over several chapters and interspersed between oral histories from lesser known figures from the 20th century through today.

For being about comedy, the first half of the book is actually a little dry and humorless though still fascinating, but things pick up with the introduction of Hill, the many people he inspired, and the jokes they were telling. Be prepared to rush to YouTube to search for routines from the many people mentioned and interviewed.

[Jifu · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're hesitant to give We Had a Little Real Estate Problem a try because you don't consider yourself a "comedy person," don't make the same assumption I initially made that led to a needless delay. I greatly enjoyed reading about numerous Native American entertainers from both past and present-day, their trailblazing successes in a realm where they've long been severely underrepresented, and the many challenges they have face in a stubborn entertainment industry that that, among other frustrating injustices, has long preferred to highlight terrible stereotypes and shy away employing actual indigenous peoples in favor of white performers.

However, that's not all that was delivered to me through these pages. For example, before this book, I was not able to consider that many contemporary books and movies about Native Americans, even those created by Native Americans (for example, the numerous Louise Erdrich books that I have consumed in the past year) may lead to a different stereotyping - one where native communities are mainly places of trauma and sadness, instead of places that (among other things), have their own rich humor traditions, not to mention just regular people who love to laugh just as much as anyone else (because why of course wouldn't they?). I will also admit that I am definitely guilty of partially of partially developing this oversimplified and of course very wrong perspective. However, that doesn't embarrass me nearly a fraction as much as the fact that until now, I had no real grasp of the extent of residential boarding schools here in the United States (I know that my education has left me with quite a lot of gaps, but even by those standards, GOOD GOD was this ever a blind spot). These are just two of the wealth of revelations that I received from We Had a Little Real Estate Problem, and greatly appreciate in turn.

In a year where I have had the good fortune to come across several eye-opening reads, this is definitely one of my top favorites. I highly recommend it to all how have the opportunity to get their hands on it either through a local bookstore, library, or borrowed copy from a friend.

With all that being said, I look forward to finally sitting down and watching the backlog of sketches from the 1491s that have accrued on my Youtube Watch Later list.

[Ai Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really cool book; I wasn't sure what I was expecting at first and I think I was thrown off that Nesteroff is non-Native but he leaves plenty of space for Indigenous people to tell their own history, and I think this is a really really accessible way to approach Indigenous history, especially if you are already interested in histories of comedy but don't know much about Indigenous history after Wounded Knee (the first one.)

It's a great blend of that history and also telling the stories of contemporary Native comedians, both more visible ones like the 1491s and Joey Clift, and comedians who are not as famous (or at least were not as immediately familiar to me, a non-Native person.) I think it could be a really great gift for folks who are into comedy, and I honestly might use some of it in teaching; the parts about Will Rogers in particular I learned quite a bit about just how political his actual comedy was. Definitely recommend!

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic. I am disgusted that there was so much covered in this book like Mohawk Steelworkers, the extent of the trauma at the boarding schools, the Church Rock nuclear spill, the Alcatraz Occupation, that I learned about (or learned about from Native American perspectives) for the first time. Its an abject failure of the education system, but I'm glad I've learned now and will be seeking out more works on each of those subjects.

Its a great book that puts Native American voices first. I took the time to pause the book and go watch YouTube videos of many of that acts and I highly recommend that. Theyre doing great work to reclaim their history and fight against Hollywood/American stereotypes of Indians.

Would recommend to everyone.

[Kristina Coop-a-Loop · Rating 4 out of 5]

We Had a Little Real Estate Problem: The Unheralded Story of Native Americans & Comedy by Kliph Nesteroff is an excellent read. It begins with a little background history of European settlers murdering, torturing and otherwise making their best effort to subdue and eradicate the indigenous peoples of North America. This segues into how Native Americans and First Nations people got into stand-up comedy. Most of the book is comprised of interviews the author did with the comedians and the chapters alternate between them.

Right up front, the author addresses the issue that he, himself, is a just your average white (Canadian living in California) guy. This is what he says:

Obviously First Nations and Native American peoples should be in charge of their own stories without the interference of non-Native interpretation. For this reason an effort has been made to quote each comedian at length and let them speak for themselves…Jessica H. L. Elm, MSW, PhD, of John Hopkins University lent an Indigenous perspective to the manuscript. A citizen of the Oneida Nation and a descendent of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of the Mohicans, Elm is also a huge fan of the late Charlie Hill, the revered Oneida comedian (xiii)

Nesteroff is true to his word. While the book provides historical background and context necessary to help the reader, the comedians he interviewed are directly quoted. Many of the chapters are basically the interview subjects discussing what motivated them to get into stand-up, that electric moment when they realized that stand-up comedy is what they had to do with their lives and what kind of act they do. For almost all of them, their motivation is to get over the anger and resentment they feel at being considered almost subhuman by the rest of the white population. The other theme that is overwhelming is that these people want the rest of us (white people) to know that Native Americans are FUNNY. Many of the comedians commented how irritated they are by the image presented of them: either sad (the famous crying Indian commercials of the 1970s) or serious. These Indians (I will use this term because the comedians in the book do so as well) want non-Natives to know that they turn a lot of their pain into humor and the motif of the jokester/trickster is prevalent in Native mythologies.

When I read the background history of all the injustices and indignities suffered by First Nation peoples and Native Americans, I’m amazed they can laugh at all. Not just the stealing of their land, the breaking of treaties (to this day, both Canadian and United States governments don’t give a fuck about treaties when it comes to pulling that sweet, sweet oil and gas from the ground) and the massacres and etc. As awful as all that was, both the US and Canadian governments separated indigenous children from their parents and forced them to go to religious schools. In these schools, the children were forbidden to speak their native languages, told they were savages, had their hair cut, were often tortured and raped by the priests (imagine that—priests raping children). Many of these children died. These schools existed merely to reinforce the idea of white supremacy and to make over the children in the superior white image. I find it difficult to understand how torture, rape and murder are characteristics of a superior race, but whatever. Nesteroff begins with this history and traces the beginnings of Indians in showbiz back to the Buffalo Bill traveling road shows. In these shows, Indians were coerced into performing as stereotyped, racist versions of themselves. If they refused, they could be jailed or (as a last resort) killed. I find Nesteroff’s research into the Buffalo Bill shows much more thorough and complete than the last book I read, Aloha Rodeo. The authors of that book painted Buffalo Bill with a much kinder and gentler brush and left out all sorts of derogatory details.

The undisputed star of the book is Charlie Hill, to this day still the only Native American stand-up comic to have appeared on The Tonight Show and other national shows (The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Late Night with David Letterman. However, Nesteroff interviews many talented new comedians who may soon have national breakthroughs.

We Had a Little Real Estate Problem is a great title and also the punch line to Charlie Hill’s most famous joke. This book is a fascinating look at the struggle of Native American and First Nation peoples to have their voices heard above the din of established stereotypes and a peek inside the comedy stand-up scene.

[La Crosse County Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spanning the last 100 years, the book mainly chronicles Oneida native Charlie Hill, known to be the first Native American stand-up comic. The book title comes from his most famous joke. "My people are from Wisconsin. We used to be from New York. We had a little real estate problem."

But spread throughout the 300+ pages are years of history where American Indians attempt to enter mainstream media and break down racial stereotypes. Dating back to the start of Cherokee actor, Will Rogers, and up to present day Indian improv groups like the 1491s, spanning across time, tribes, and talent. Nesteroff provides context for what was going on in the country and entertainment industry at the time, what successes and setbacks Native performers experienced, and the impact of simply having Native performers on stage. The book poses questions about audience, such as who is the joke for? Who is re-claiming a culture vs who is profiting at their expense? How does visibility of indigenous performers impact the indigenous community and the barriers and stereotypes they're still having to break down? What would happen if we witnessed Native people laughing?

So much of what gets depicted and broadly advertised is their struggle, and while these comics don't negate the reality of that struggle, they are challenging racist beliefs by celebrating Native peoples' ability to laugh as much as their ability to survive.

The sheer amount of stories and people included can be overwhelming to a white reader who is unfamiliar with these names and events, but that's the very reason this book needs to be on shelves. It is a long history of hard won screen time/stage time, one that continues to be disadvantaged, but is nonetheless reshaping the reality of our Native American communities, who are still here, still surviving, and still laughing despite it all.

-Jess

Find this book and other titles within our catalog.

[Moonkiszt · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting read. . . .and I totally grabbed it because I thought it was going to be funny, by a Native American. . . .what a surprise. It was funny in places, and certainly introduced me to a different kind of hero, and a world I've not thought much about - the fight for space and opportunity to use one's voice to entertain - and I don't mean singing! I'm talkin' 'bout Co-medians. And to add a twist, Indigenous comedians. And to add another twist, written by a white guy. Last twist - he does a good job of laying out the case for History Written By The Victors isn't what happened at all. . .

And bonus: Charlie Hill. I lived during his days. . .how the heck did I miss this? I'm pulling up all kinds of comedians now. . . or maybe they are just available to me now. . . .hilarious and fresh and funny and we are all different but those commonalities can be very deeply felt as you catch your breath and wipe your face.

So, I felt a little tricked when I realized what this book really was. . .and the writing is more "just the facts, m'aam" report-y. . . but agree that it is absolutely time for this Voice to be heard, and open ears to the other Voices clamoring for their opportunity to speak their truth. I'm hearing, and recommend this read.

[Jenna Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read for anyone who questions the importance of representation in media. I learned so much more of our country’s unspoken history of the horrific treatment of American Indians. The mythos created by whites to ensure Indigenous Americans remain “in their place” is truly ingrained as fact in our culture. It’s despicable the harm one group of humans can inflict on another.

[Lucas Wold · Rating 5 out of 5]

SIX STARS, MOFOS

[Marian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm truly torn on a rating for this one... The first 1/3 was truly gripping and interesting. I flew right through it. The last 2/3 was a bit of a slog, and if I was not reading it for a book club, in all honesty I might have DNF'd it.

This is a work of what I'd call journalistic history. Written in the style of a Ken Burns documentary, it draws largely upon primary sources and interviews, each chapter a vignette focusing on a particular indigenous person(s) in comedy, with some overlaps in media at large. Overall, I found the topic extremely fascinating. From my limited perspective, the book does a fairly good job of navigating the balance between two very different topics: the terrible atrocities suffered by the indigenous peoples of the US and Canada, versus their desire to negate stereotypes and amplify their perspectives through the medium of comedy.

There were a couple of things that bothered me. First... this book will not age well. Unfortunately it demonstrates one of the issues it critiques - namely, being geared towards an old-school white audience. If you have never heard of Andy Griffith, Jackie Gleason, Johnny Carson, or any of those older-generation personalities, then you're going to be greatly confused by many of the references. (I have heard of most of them, and even I was struggling to keep up with the whirlwind of names mentioned!)

Another problem is that due to its highly focused style, this book doesn't serve an ignorant reader (such as myself) well in contextualizing Native American comedy within their own cultures. We do get a good understanding of how it is contextualized within Hollywood culture and media... much is covered about various comedians' stints in Nevada and LA. But apart from a bit about powwow emcees, I felt there was a great deal lacking in explaining their personal history of comedy or even storytelling. I was disappointed not to have come away with a bit more knowledge. Rather, most of the book is quite repetitive, talking about how each comedian found their career path, who inspired them, etc. Good info for sure, but a bit limited in scope.

One thing I highly recommend is looking up these artists and comedians on YouTube as you go along. It makes the book much more enjoyable, getting to see the comedy style of the 1491s and Charlie Hill, or listening to a protest song by Buffy Sainte-Marie. Take your time with these sections, and you'll be glad you did.

[Onceinabluemoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 So much atrocity told through comedy, such a shameful past its unbearable...

[Julie Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

All kinds of educational! To honor Native American History Month, my public library had a display that included this book. Otherwise, where would I have heard of it? Just another nod to the impact my public library has on my life. This book taught me much about prominent American Indian/Native American/First Nation people who were successful (or are in the process of seeking success) in comedy. Readers will learn about the comedy industry, biographical information about Will Rogers and Charlie Hill especially, the 1491s, casinos, the fight (all the way back to the early 1900s) to stop stereotypical portrayals of Natives in the media that continues to this day, and even more about past atrocities by the government committed against indigenous peoples than I already knew.

I really enjoyed this; I felt like it was an important read on a subject I wouldn't have sought out on my own, because really, I don't care about comedy, yet this was fascinating anyway. I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't even know who Will Rogers OR Charlie Hill were, and now I'm regaling my husband with their stories.

My most important takeaways:
-not all indigenous people feel the same way about anything, they're as diverse as every other population. Some call themselves Indians, American Indians, Natives, Native Americans, etc. so I'm not going to freak out about my terminology. I will mirror how someone refers to themselves, or ask. Also, what's offensive to some is good comedy to others, but I know where the line is, and should be, drawn.
-The Declaration of Independence uses the term "Indian Savages" 3 times and its declaration does not apply to natives. DISGUSTING.
-Canadians were just as awful to their indigenous people as the colonists and American Government were. They excluded indigenous people from the definition of human until 1961.
-Hollywood's deplorable practices of portraying native people in stereotypical ways were inexcusable. That whole chapter was mind-blowing (teepees as accommodations?!)
-I didn't realize that even though the efforts of the Standing Rock pipeline were successful in getting Obama to order a halt in construction, Trump's administration made similar future tactics illegal and will be considered an act of "ecoterrorism." Therefore, the abysmal treatment of natives by the US government continue to this day.
-The importance of representation, the impact people make on each other just by being seen doing the things they love (i.e. Charlie Hill and other comedians' influence on the industry and so many young people).
-The whitewashing of history, even the way Will Rogers is remembered.
-The importance of humor
-How talent, interests, perceptions, ideas and futures are not inherently known and inevitable; it's grown, nurtured, cultivated by our communities and what we see in the media.

Also, there were some pretty good jokes in this book that made me chuckle. It's not a dark, deep, upsetting book; it's just right.

[Darren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just like the other book of Nesteroff’s I’ve read I came away with just a huge trove of people to research for myself and since he makes a wide variety of comedians from various times of history all sound intriguing and important it can be difficult to find the time for all of it. A very important topic for me personally and not to simply parrot what had been said by so many in the book but it was cool to see a history book that included us for once. One that talks about how othered native people have been not just from comedy but from media in general even in comparison to other “minorities” in North America. I’m not a native that came from rez so I don’t have the feelings that a lot especially in America do about the isolation from everyone they felt but I felt the isolations from culture that was discussed and how that impacted said comedy and how our comedy differs because of it. I think it’s changing but there’s still a certain expectation of how indigenous are especially in media. Where it’s all tragedy it’s all about being a noble savage thing. There’s no normalcy

[Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kliph Nesteroff does a great job of exploring and educating a wider audience on the Native American comedy scene: the performers, the trailblazers, and their path to embracing their culture and their comedy.

We Had a Little Real Estate Problem: The Unheralded Story of Native Americans and Comedy might not be comprehensive, but Nesteroff delves deep into these performers' motivations, goals, failures, controversies, and successes.

Definitely recommended. This wasn't just about an individual's comedy stylings as much as it was Native Americans and First Nation performers entertaining, educating, and taking back their culture's stories and how they want (and can) revise perceptions.

[Cassi J · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good start on learning about Native Americans in comedy dating back to the 1840s. I particularly liked that the book gave space for current working and up-and-coming Native American comedians to voice their experiences pursing comedy.

[Samantha Glasser · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't say I would have been terribly interested in reading this book had it not been for the fact that Nesteroff's other book on comedians was excellent and his interviews on the Gilbert Gottfried podcast are informative and fun.

The author jumps around chronologically, sometimes providing a biography of a specific performer, sometimes relaying direct quotes from comics describing their struggles to perform.

There is quite a bit of history included here, and if you don’t come away from this feeling at least a little bit angry about the way Native Americans have been and continue to be treated, you didn’t read it right.

The film Redskin (1929) depicts an Indian Residential School discussed in this text. The government would tear children away from their Native American parents, put them into schools which physically and mentally abused them, force them to stop speaking their native language and to assimilate to white culture. I didn't know until reading this book how brutal and awful they were.

Although I've seen many Will Rogers films, I learned quite a bit about him from this text, including the fact that he was involved in a scandal for uttering the "n" word several times on radio broadcast.

I was a bit miffed to hear Nesteroff pronounce esteemed film historian Kevin Brownlow's name like it rhymed with "allow", but the fact that he referenced him at all made me smile.

This book made me want to learn more about Native Americans, especially those who live on reservations, and to go to more comedy shows.

[Mindy Burroughs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed a reading this book and I learned so much. I encourage anyone who reads this book to seek out reviews by BIPOC readers, though. There, you will find more thoughtful, nuanced criticism and critique, because while the author (who is not native) uplifts many Native voices, there are some missed opportunities for understanding and sensitivities.

But I highly recommend it and look forward to supporting and appreciating more Native American and First Nations performers thanks to this book.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The level to which Native people have not been represented is mind boggling. When the book talks about how Native people have consistently reduced to stereotypes and not shown as actual, complex people- I’m a little speechless about how true that is. It’s sick how much I learned from this book. I’m so thankful I was finally introduced to Charlie Hill, the 1491s, and every other Native comedian mentioned in the book. It’s a very worthwhile and entertaining read. Bonus points to YouTube for letting me actually see some of the hilarity that was described.

[Gil Sanchez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wanted to love it but it read very dry. An emotional issue, but not brought to its best...missed the mark.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good Indigenous read.

Mostly American book, but it had some really good bits in it.

I liked learning about the comedian side of things.

3.8/5

[Cara (Wilde Book Garden) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant balance of history and comedy and current Native issues (which are of course intrinsically linked to history). I'm so impressed at how cohesive and yet varied this book felt, and at how the tone was balanced so thoughtfully between comedy and seriousness. Also worth noting that this book covers both Native American and First Nations performers and history rather than sticking to just one or the other.

And I agree with other reviewers that you don't need to be knowledgeable or interested in stand-up comedy at all (I'm generally not) to get so much out of this and to enjoy the funny parts!

One specific thing I so appreciate about this book is that we can see that there have been people fighting discrimination for as long as there has been discrimination. Like, one of the arguments some people today try to use is "People are too sensitive now! This never used to happen in the Good Old Days so we shouldn't do anything about it now either." Which, first of all, makes no sense as an argument: we know better but we can't change anything because...we didn't used to know better??? But also, as this book demonstrates, that is absolutely not true. (Which I think a lot of us know but it's really important to see that reflected in history books.) For example, since the days of silent film there have been movements by Native American groups to fight for better on-screen representation: both in terms of actually casting Indigenous performers and when it comes to the kind of roles/portrayal. So this is not a thing that suddenly happened in the 21st century because of "woke culture" or whatever.

Lots of heavy content here in among the humor, but highly recommend if you're able.

CW: Racism, grief, genocide, murder, racist slurs, n-word, residential schools; References to/descriptions of: suicide, drinking, drug use, gambling, rape, sexual abuse

[emma ↟]

while focusing on the (indeed unheralded) history of Native comedy, this sprawling book touches on everything from colonial land policies and environmental struggles to the history of old westerns and the advent of social media. following the imperfect lives and careers of many Native comedians—with a special homage to Charlie Hill, after whose act the book is titled—we get a picture of a surely not-vanishing Indian Country which is vibrant, resilient, and (of course) very, very funny.

this is part of a slow but ongoing effort on my part to read more Native histories, and this book takes such a meaningful and unique angle. while this wasn’t penned by a Native author, the voices of the comedians really shine and guide the narrative. I found the historical elements to be handled with great care. I was even a little winded by the mention of the Yontocket massacre of my people; I’m not sure I’ve ever seen it mentioned in such a mainstream text.

[Steve Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was trying to figure out why this was written by a non-Native author, but as I got further into the book it became more obvious. Not only do Natives have reduced access to movies, TV and comedy venues, they also don’t have access to publishers.

Nesteroff does a reasonable job of cataloging the history of Native comedy in the late 20th century. None of it was a surprise, but the details of a budding comedian needing to drive 5 hours each way for a few unpaid minutes onstage at a comedy club reminded me that pursuit of ANY art is difficult for marginalized people. White artists can hang a paint-splattered drop cloth in a gallery to great praise while a Native artist can work half a year to create a beautiful weaving and not get any recognition.

As others have mentioned, it could have used some editing, but the basic message still came through. Unfortunately, there was much more tragedy than comedy in the book.