Pierre Delacroix is a hip, young, Harvard-educated writer who is the sole person of color working for an upstart network with floundering ratings. Despite several attempts, Delacroix has yet to see any of his concepts go into production. Now his boss, the ratings-hungry, culture-vulture Dunwitty, issues him a searing ultimatum: come up with a hot, trend-setting, headline-making, urban hit or get fired. Feeling doomed, Delacroix decides to present the most outrageous, unbelievable farce of stereotypical comedy he can imagine - hearkening back to the old days of "black-face" minstrels with a variety show featuring Manray, a homeless tap dancer, and his sidekick Womack. Incredibly, Delacroix's spoof turns into a ratings bonanza, a cultural phenomenon that has the media pundits raving and audiences of all types howling.