David Alan Grier's sketch-comedy news show, Chocolate News, is joining Comedy Central's lineup starting October 15th. As the title indicates, Grier will be bringing the pop culture humor from an African American perspective and, "in addition to serving as the acerbic, all-knowing, in-studio host, will also portray multiple characters within the series' investigative reports, which will be presented by a cast of three correspondents." Check out a clip after the jump.

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The brand new Huffington Post current events site, The Daily Beast, has put together a video compilation of black comedians riffing on of their favorite subjects — black presidents. Dave Chappelle's "Black Bush" will always have a special place in my heart. [TDB]

Hello, dolls! In my absence,** Cord Jefferson sparked a healthy debate about black sitcoms, so it seemed fitting to highlight some here. This is by no means an exhaustive list — let me know your favorites below.

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It's generally the worst idea ever for accused criminals to represent themselves in court, but it certainly does make for some interesting courtroom footage. Keison Wilkins, 33, was sentenced 42 years in prison for felonious assault, being a felon in possession of a weapon, and firing a gun into a habitation. I'm sure he was shocked when the verdict came down — faking a heart attack in court probably seemed like a foolproof way to get himself acquitted. [C&D]

• Anna Wintour couldn't let that all-black Vogue Italia issue come out without a response, however weak, from American Vogue. [FB]

• Amy Winehouse is as healthy as a 92-year-old woman. [MG]

• Kanye West defends Soulja Boy in his beef with Ice-T, then loses a bit of ground when he applauds the young rappers skills a lyricist and compares him to Nas. [Bossip]

• Is Angela Simmons channeling Nicole Richie/Mary-Kate Olsen? [NB]

• Funny lunch. [CL]

In this clip from The Daily Show, Jon Stewart examines the news media's case of Baracknophobia, described as the "irrational fear of hope." He seems like he wants journalists to focus on the news instead of adding fuel to baseless internet smears. Requesting that these guys and gals actually do their jobs might, unfortunately, be too much to ask.

As a special bonus, check out Fox contributer Cal Thomas weighing in on "angry black women" after the jump.

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• It's bad luck to crash into any Maybach while driving drunk, but when you crash into Diddy's you'll read about yourself on the gossip blogs. [RWS]

• Who would have thought that a house in the middle of a custody dispute mysteriously burning to the ground would complicate a situation so much?!? [SP]

• At least the hopelessly out-of-touch people on cable news can make fun of themselves. [TS]

• Kimora Lee denies being an "extreme diva." No one believes her. [CL]

• When keeping it real goes wrong: the news edition. [C&D]

Is Tyra Banks the answer to the DNC's prayers?

• Now that Kobe Bryant has been minted the new NBA MVP, endorsements that he lost three years ago during his rape scandal are coming back to him. [BV]

• Karma's a bitch, R. Kelly. [Bossip]

• Isaiah Washington is pissed at Grey's Anatomy producers for using his likeness in an episode after kicking him to the curb last year. [Reuters]

• Chris Rock, in all of his infinite wisdom. [C&D]

• That guy who knocked Suge Knight out over the weekend was a 5'10 barber. Pardon, a 5'10 barber who now fears for his life. [MG]

Damon Wayans is responsible for the latest in a disturbing trend of abortion-trivializing stunts. This skit from his comedy channel, wayout.tv, features a super hero named Abortion Man stalking a pregnant teenager and literally beating the fetus out of her at the request of her teenage boyfriend. Hilarious. Why doesn't this guy get more work these days? [WAOD]

Maybe it's because we get off on making fun of wacky old people, but we don't think there's much merit to Tom D'Antoni's recent Huffington Post piece, "Stop 'Old' Jokes Now!" which argues that jokes about the elderly are as offensive as cracks about blacks or Jews.

The time has come to stop making "Old Jokes." I shouldn't have to say that. In most societies old age is respected for accrued wisdom. Not in ours. In ours you get ridiculed, marginalized and completely discounted as though wrinkles and other natural aging processes disqualified a person from being a member of the human race. Worse, that normal aging qualifies the rest of the world to make fun of you.
…
Try this: substitute the word, "Nigger" or "Jew" or "Bitch" or "Sand Nigger" or "Dago" for "old," either literally or conceptually. Now how does it sound? Still think it's funny?

Um, wrong. It's fine to make old jokes, and here's why: Because time is not a lady; she's a whore that comes knocking on everyone's door, year after year, until we're all dust. Unlike ethnicity or color or poverty, old age is an affliction confronted by literally everyone in the world, thus, it's also something about which everyone can joke. The only people who can't make fun of the aged are vampires. Now, sit your old ass down, Tommy.

Because it's what they do, the New York Post has compiled a list of the 50 best (their word) jokes of the last 12 months, a feat that accomplishes little more than to confirm everyone's assumptions: the Post can never be intentionally funny.

Of the greatest 50 quips in the world today, at least 40 are completely void of humor and hackneyed, two or three are not jokes at all and seven mock either African Americans or women (four for the ladies and three for the blacks). All in all, we think the whole exercise was just the Post endorsing Obama in the only way it knows how.

"Jokes" are after the jump.

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