All Jokes Aside was a comedy club in Chicago’s South Loop that primarily featured the work of black stand-up comedians. For most of the 1990s, All Jokes Aside was one of the preeminent comedy clubs in the country, giving early exposure and paychecks to important young comedians like Steve Harvey, Chris Rock, Jamie Foxx, Cedric the Entertainer, D. L. Hughley, Carlos Mencia, and Bernie Mac. Veteran television producer John Davies and Raymond C. Lambert share stories from the glory days of Lambert's former club. They draw from their film Phunny Business: The Rise and Fall of All Jokes Aside (produced by Chicagoan Reid Brody) to show archival footage and interviews with the club's old headliners, chronicling its major contribution to Chicago’s comedic legacy. Veteran screenwriter and comedy maven Tim Kazurinsky moderates the discussion.
Above: Former All Jokes Aside performer Cedric the Entertainer. Photograph by Kimberly Butler.