Rest in Peace, Richard Pryor

Sadly, if not surprisingly, Richard Pryor is dead.

It was almost exactly 30 years ago (December 13, 1975) that Richard Pryor hosted the seventh episode of Saturday Night Live. (The episode for which the NBC censors insisted on a seven-second delay of the broadcast.) I found the complete transcript here. I remember watching this broadcast when I was just 12. For better or worse, it was a formative viewing experience that I won't ever forget.

Highlights:

The Monologue, in which Pryor relates the time a "white dude" gave him acid at a party: "Everything is cool. White dude gave me some stuff I'm gonna be trippin'! You know, I ain't goin' no place without my luggage."

Police Line Up, Pryor with a three white men: a doctor, a businessman, and a boy scout. "Well, I, I couldn’t see him too clearly, but, uh, I’m sure it’s the one in the handcuffs. "

Racist Word-Association Interview, with Chevy Chase, which we can all pretty much quote from heart.