All About Laughs
Kevin Hart has been on the promo trail recently in support of a few projects including his new audiobook titled “The Decision: Overcoming Today’s BS for Tomorrow’s Success” and his Netflix film “Fatherhood”. Hart has always been famous for his insanely quotable stand ups, but it seems all people can quote from him these days are the sound bites from recent interviews where he discusses white privilege and cancel culture. Many people are not feeling his criticism of cancel culture in particular, and are now calling the famous comic “not funny” in response.
Hart recently sat down with the New York Times to discuss racism in America. The A-list comedian was the focus of an article titled “Kevin Hart on how white America needs to help end police brutality”. In the piece, he discussed a number of things relating to the topic, at one point saying “white power and white privilege is at an all time high”. Fellow comedian and late show host Bill Haher took issue with this comment, taking to his show to point out what he thinks is a “gross exaggeration” of the truth by someone “scarred by racism”.
“This is one of the big problems with “wokeness”. What you say doesn’t have to make sense” he told the audience of his late show Real Time with Bill Maher. He went on to dismiss Hart’s claims as ridiculous and make comparisons between todays racism and the racism faced during the day of Motown, The Tulsa Massacre and even slavery. He stopped to make a joke about slavery saying “I mean actual slavery not Prince doesn’t like his record contract slavery.”
Only a few days later, a Sunday Times piece on Hart also rubbed people the wrong way. In it, Hart discussed how cancel culture makes it hard for him to do his job out of fear that people will try to ruin his career over a joke. Hart has famously been canceled for LGBTQ jokes he made towards his son in a stand up that resulted in him having to step down from hosting the Oscars. He also got canceled for cheating on his wife.
In the interview he asked, “When did we get to a point where life was supposed to be perfect? Where people were supposed to operate perfectly all the time? I don’t understand. I don’t expect perfection from my kids. I don’t expect it from my wife, friends, employees. Because, last I checked, the only way you grow up is from f-cking up. I don’t know a kid who hasn’t f-cked up or done some dumb sh-t.”
Kevin Hart cannot accept that he’s rich but not critically well regarded. Meanwhile The Rock absolutely doesn’t give a shit about his critical success if he’s still getting paid.
— Cam (@Cam_Is_Like) June 15, 2021
One twitter user commented “Kevin Hart not funny enough for the aggravation he be causing. Pls get your Hollywood bag and leave us alone.”
Kevin Hart not funny enough for the aggravation he be causing. Pls get your Hollywood bag and leave us alone.
— Dirty, low down monkey with a wig on. (@likenicefrance) June 15, 2021
Hart did not take likely to these taunts, and in a series of tweets bragged about his success listing off his accomplishments in comedy and film. “The “He’s not funny” slander is the best….this is for you. I have 3 stand up comedy specials that fall in the top 10 highest grossing comedy specials of all time….2 of my specials are in the top 3 of all time.” See more of his rant below.
