April 11th 2024.
Comedian Jerrod Carmichael is facing criticism for a joke he made in his new HBO series, Reality Show, about his interracial relationship with his white boyfriend. As an openly gay stand-up comic, Carmichael boldly shared his kink of comparing his relationship to a romantic tale between a slave and a master's son during the pre-Civil War era. He joked about his boyfriend teaching him how to read by candlelight, which received groans from the audience. Despite his boyfriend also disliking the joke, Carmichael stood by it, saying it was his burden to bear.
However, the backlash began when a clip of the joke was shared on social media. Many expressed their disgust and disappointment with the comedian's comments. One person even suggested that Carmichael seek therapy to unpack the underlying issues in his joke. Another critic labeled him as a danger to the Black queer community and reposted a video of Carmichael discussing his sexual desires with men.
Some saw Carmichael's joke as an attack on the Black community, with one person writing that it would not be taken lightly. Others pointed out the issue of colorism within the gay Black community, where lighter-skinned individuals are often preferred over darker-skinned individuals. They found it particularly disturbing that Carmichael would joke about being a slave in the bedroom for his white partner in a documentary with a primarily white audience.
There were even accusations that Carmichael's HBO series was only greenlit because of his race play material. This was supported by a tweet from a lead actress on Issa Rae's HBO series, Rap Sh!t, joking about her show getting canceled earlier this year. The actress retweeted a post accusing HBO of canceling most of its Black-led shows while seemingly supporting Carmichael's controversial commentary.
Carmichael's series was released on Sunday, April 7, but he has yet to address the backlash he has been receiving.
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