Chuck Knipp Explained

F. Charles "Chuck" Knipp
Birth Place:Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Chuck Knipp (born 1961) is a Canadian comedian and nurse best known for his vocal characters. His best known character is Shirley Q. Liquor. Knipp also performed as spirituality seeker Betty Butterfield. Knipp's performance of the Liquor character were controversial, and garnered protests.

Knipp was known for his radio advertisements in Southeast Texas. He retired from live performances in 2010 and now is a volunteer registered nurse with the American Red Cross.

Reactions to Knipp's characters

Criticism

There have been a number of articles in the media that have taken issue with Knipp's performance of Shirley Q. Liquor - a white comedian voicing a Black female character.

Knipp was profiled in an article https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/shirley-q-liquor-the-most-dangerous-comedian-in-america-188700/ by Rolling Stone magazine and dubbed "The Most Dangerous Comedian in America."

Support

Knipp concedes that his performances should make people uncomfortable because "we all are used to treating African Americans as if their skin colour is a disease" and that black people are "more than intelligent enough to discern the nuance" of his performances. He has also said that "many people thought that Harriet Beecher-Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin was and still is perceived as racist, despite being the probable artistic genesis of emotional support against slavery in the 19th century."

Notes and References

  1. http://southerndecadence.net/shirley-q-liquor.htm "Shirley Q. Liquor Does Southern Decadence"
  2. Cannick, Jasmyne. "Shirley Q. Liquor Update: A Response to the Blade Editorial "GLAAD's New Act" (blog entry), 23 February 2007
  3. http://www.southerndecadence.net/shirley-q-liquor.htm southerndecadence.net
  4. RuPaul. "These Folks Is Just Plain Ignunt!" (blog entry) 3 November 2002
  5. Kennedy, Dan. "The sixth annual Muzzle Awards", The Boston Phoenix, 10 July 2003
  6. http://nyblade.com/2007/2-23/viewpoint/editorials/gladd.cfm GLAAD’s New Act
  7. https://whas.iheart.com/featured/terry-meiners The Terry Meiners Show Website