1980s: "A Delirious Regression" - Eddie Murphy
Filmed during the height of the AIDS epidemic, Eddie Murphy's Delirious has since become more controversial since its first airing on HBO in 1983. While it was initially lauded as the young comedian's seminal special, over the years Delirious has grown an infamous reputation for its outdated depiction of the LGBTQ+ community. Eddie Murphy has since denounced these jokes, and says his feelings has changed about the queer community, citing he was in his early 20s, and still figuring out how the world works. Murphy now says, "some of it I cringe when I watch it. I'm like, oh my God, I can't believe I said that."
Nonetheless, Delirious archives the societal sensibilities of comedy during the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, has a historical significance to queer studies, and also archives an artist's changing sensibilities about the impact of their career, and how it can affect other people's lives.
