Kevin Hart can't seem to get over the fact that not everyone is willing to shrug off his ill-timed George Floyd joke.
In an interview with "The Breakfast Club," Hart addressed the backlash some cast members of the Netflix show "Roast of Kevin Hart" have faced for their jokes, particularly Tony Hinchcliffe, who joked that Floyd, killed by former police officer Derek Chauvin in 2020, was "looking up at us all and laughing so hard he can't breathe.".
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Hart admitted that while Hinchcliffe's joke about Floyd was "inappropriate," he "wasn't shocked" and said he "may have had the best or one of the best sets" at the roast.
«"Tony told a joke," Hart explained. "We didn't like it. Okay... Let's move on. I don't understand why we're sticking to our guns and it's becoming such a big deal... It could be different. The reality is, you're either a fan of this level of content or you're not. And if you're not a fan, you don't watch.".
Comedians have the right to say what they want, but when a comedian makes a joke about how the government killed a black man, the audience has every right to report that comedian and everyone involved in his ********.
No, Hart shouldn't have been surprised by Hinchcliffe's joke about Floyd, because he had made similarly tactless jokes before.
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Watch Hinchcliffe's controversial speech at Donald Trump's Madison Square Garden rally, where he called Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage.".
Hinchcliffe, like many white comedians before him, often expressed his racial sensitivities through comedy sketches.
Tony Hinchcliffe attended the Netflix Is A Joke Festival Presents: The Roast of Kevin Hart in May. Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer, Getty Images.
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Hart doesn't seem to see anything wrong with this, but when asked how he, as a host and a Black man, could have allowed this to happen, he feigned helplessness, claiming there was "nothing" he could have done at the time.
«"It's a live broadcast," Hart said. "I'm not going to sacrifice the quality of a live broadcast for the sake of, 'What? What do you want me to do? Am I going to pull him off? Do you want me to fight afterward? That's not what I agreed to.'".
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Terrence Floyd, George Floyd's brother, previously told "The Breakfast Club" host Lauren LoRosa that Hart should have brought "Will Smith energy" to the stand-up comedy routine, dismissing Hinchcliffe's joke "right then and there.".
Even if Hart had decided not to go to such extremes, he had no choice.
When "The Tom Brady Show" aired earlier this year, comedian Jeff Ross mocked New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft for his 2019 visit to a Florida massage parlor.
«"And on the first day of training camp, this skinny rookie famously walked into owner Robert Kraft's office and said, 'I'm the best decision your organization has ever made,'" Ross said during the joke segment. "'Want a massage?'"„
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Brady smiled. A few seconds later, he stood up from his seat, walked to the podium, and whispered to Ross, "Don't say that again.".
Ross continued to smile, spread his hands and said, "Okay, okay, okay.".
It's a shame at least one of The Breakfast Club's hosts didn't point this out when Hart asked him what was expected of him in the first place, given Hinchcliffe had gone too far on set.
It's sad to think that one of the most outspoken participants in the debate over Hinchcliffe's comments is a white woman.
During an appearance on the "Funny Knowing You" podcast, comedian Chelsea Handler criticized the "disgusting" and "vile" jokes made at the event by Hinchcliffe and fellow comedian Shane Gillis, who has also been criticized for some of his jokes, including one about lynching and the death of comedian Sheryl Underwood's husband.
Chelsea Handler performs on stage during the Netflix Is A Joke Festival Presents: The Roast of Kevin Hart in May. Photo: Kevin Mazur, Getty Images.
«"People say, 'It's just ridicule. Go ahead,'" she said. "And I say, 'You can make fun of it without any problem.'".
It's worth noting that the Wayans brothers essentially said that a comedian can say anything, but at least he has to make it funny, something Hinchcliffe failed to do.
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In other words, Hinchcliffe's response to the criticism is entirely predictable: "I've been called a Nazi, a gay, a racist, time and time again. I'm none of those three things... but that's what I said. I've been called fat, ugly, black, Jewish.".
It's no wonder he thinks so, since Hart not only failed to hold him accountable, but continues to complain and defend his joke.
After the interview, Hart posted an excerpt from it and wrote the caption:
«We live in crazy times… The truth doesn’t matter anymore, and it’s fucking ridiculous. No one does any research… Everyone just makes assumptions and follows sensational headlines. Even when the evidence is right in front of them… Most will forever choose the lazy path of assumptions… Even when I clearly say that comedians are comedians, and comedians act for themselves… No one controls a comedian… Comedians do what they want, how they want. It’s that simple… the rules of conduct for a comedian are understood by all comedians. Have a great day… #LiveLoveLaugh PS NEW MOVIE COMING OUT THIS SUMMER!!!!!!!!!»
Even though not all comedians actually agree with Hart's arguments, he smugly persists and goes into promotion mode—as if there are no real consequences, like the bullying of Floyd's daughter, Gianna, by her classmates. Some of these people will likely use material from "The Kevin Hart Roast Show" to further torment her, but Hart doesn't seem to care.
I've seen criticism leveled at Hart for his hasty apology for homophobic jokes he made in previous years. I remember it very differently, but he did ultimately try to address the controversy when it affected his professional life.
Maybe he needs to wake up again, because Hart doesn't seem to care that black people are outraged by his racist jokes.
Maybe it's because he values the money other people bring him? That sounds much more plausible than his professed love of comedy. It's a shame he didn't bother to understand the community that made him a star long before Netflix called.
Connected…
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