2009 Black History Month: Favorite Black TV Characters (#10)

By: Luke Florence

My Favorite Black TV Characters

#10 - February 19th - Leslie David Baker as "Stanley Hudson" - "The Office"

Has there ever been a character who has done more with less than Stanley Hudson? He doesn't hold a leading role on The Office, and one could even argue he doesn't even have a supporting role. He is almost a supporting character for the supporting characters. None the less, Stanley has been working hard to earn a spot here in the top ten, and it's a spot he's not loosening his grip on anytime soon.

Stanley is the product of having worked so long under Michael Scott. Stanley is apathetic, stern, typically above all the humor or craziness that is surrounding him (clearly focused on his cross-words), and loves pretzels. Which is why I love Stanley. Just when you think you have his character cornered, he surprises us. He appears to have an uncaring attitude, but had plenty in the tank to yell at Ryan for getting too close to his daughter. Those random Stanley moments often act as the lifeblood for The Office.

But, perhaps the biggest reason I love Stanley, is because he is the antithesis of every black stereotype. Enter Michael Scott, his boss, who constantly plays on those stereotypes. It's why he called Stanley his "secret weapon" during the pick up basketball game back in season one. Michael's reaction is priceless, "You have got to be kidding me." Or, during Diversity Day (still my favorite episode), when every employee had a different "race/culture" taped to their head (they didn't know which one they drew). And of course, they gave Stanley "black," which Michael (who gave himself the Martin Luther King Jr. card) replied with, "well ... that wasn't planned, luck of the draw." Classic Office laughs.

Stanley is the master of the look. He can say so much without saying a single word. It's a face that can only be developed through years and years of working at Dunder Mifflin. And us, as the audience, completely understand Stanley's looks, which is why they are so effective. A picture can often tell a thousand words, and the numerous looks on Stanley's face have given us a novel's worth of laughs.

One of the on-going jokes on The Office is the notorious, "that's what she said." Everyone (some much more than others) seems to partake, except Stanley. We've never seen one. However, I was proven wrong thanks to a deleted scene involving Stanley and Michael. Always has me cracking up. Every time.

Okay, enough from me. Thanks for playing along. Not gonna lie, I am very excited to have finally reached the top ten. When I made this list, a definite distinction appeared between the rest of the list and the ten at the top. So, giddy up for the rest of February. Odds are you will be surprised by one, maybe even two of the selections from here on out.

Make sure to check Barnes' blog (located over on my sidebar) to gauge his reaction to my picks. It is a terrific quick read, and always includes a black-history quote. Do it to it.

Hint for #9: Proving that the six degrees of separation might be five degrees too many, this character was played by another character (FROM THIS LIST) on a television show several years ago. Bonus points for the person who cracks the code. Seriously, I'll give them out.

Until tomorrow, "read it, roll it, hole it."