September 9, 2022 • 21 mins
Comedian Jordan Klepper, multi-hyphenate content creator Lynae
Vanee, and television journalist Ashleigh Banfield debate the week’s top headlines with Charlamagne Tha God. Plus, actor, author, and former White House staff member Kal Penn stops by.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Comedy Central. Donald Trump's old chief advisor,
Steve Bannon, got indicted for allegedly scamming people with a
crowdfunding campaign called We Build the Wall. Well, if Steve
Bannon ends up in prison, the only wall he'll be
trying to build will be around those chicks and just
(00:23):
like and just like Trump's wall, and won't keep the
Mexicans out. Uh. I go by the name of Charlomagne
and God. And it's been a hell of a week.
Queen Island. Let's get it. Hold just made another one.
(00:44):
Do you say hello for the most pleasant panel on
the planet. She's a highly respected journalist and the anchor
of Banfield on News Nation. Makes some noise for Ashley Banfield,
y'all a very familiar face. He's a comedian and a
correspondent from My favor Rick Caramel Colored Crime, Trevor Noah.
It's Jordan's clip of y'all. Yes, And she's a multi
(01:08):
talented and multi hyphened IT content creator best known for
her series Parking Lot. Pimpen, Lenevenias Hell and actor Arthur
informer Obama advisor cow Penn of stopping by later in
the show, but it's been a heell of the week.
Actor Chris Pine came out with an official statement that
Harry Styles did not spin on his dick at the
(01:29):
Venice Film Festival. That's true. But then Chris Pine's dick
came out with a statement saying, so why the fucking
my way? Right? And but here's what I really want
to talk about topic one. Now. I was watching the
Morris Chestnut Show a few weeks ago, and Mars asked
(01:50):
CNN hosts Don Lemon what would he do if CNN's
new leadership made it so he couldn't spit the truth? Oh,
the Lemon got heated. Yes, I will be able to
do what I do on CNN. What's just to tell
the truth, which is to form the American elector in
the American public and also the world because we're an
international news organization. So if if I'm not allowed to
do that, then I will go on and do it
(02:10):
somewhere else. Okay, Okay. Since then, several major CNN hosts
have left, including Brian stout there and longtime Washington correspondent
John Harwood. Al Right, people on the left accused CNN
of basically becoming the next Fox News. I haven't seen
liberals this mad since they raised the price on African babies. Okay, look,
(02:31):
if you're on CNN or MSNBC, you should be able
to criticize the Democratic president al right. That doesn't mean
they are the next Fox News. It just means you
are a tax paying American citizen who understands how democracy
works and understands the president works for US. Okay, now
sing as new boss Chris let my guy. He was
eping on this show last season. He just wants great news,
(02:52):
objective truth. I personally think that's what we all need.
And actually, you worked at CNN for years. Okay, do
you think the mass exit is uh CNN workers outrage
is valid from them? Well, I think that Chris Lacks
had a really big project over there. Let me listen
that the whole Trump era was just sort of a
free for all, right, and that led a lot of
(03:12):
viewers to say, there's no other opinion other than the
anti Trump opinion. Do you think there would be a
time we're able to watch like nonpartisan news? Is nonpartisan
news possible? I feel like nonpartisan news will be possible
when things like basic human rights become nonpartisan issues like that.
It it feels like there's other there's propaganda surrounding what
(03:34):
the truth really is, propaganda surrounding what the media is
putting out. But the media has a responsibility to produce
all sides of an argument. I think it's gotta be
you gotta be careful though with CNN is telling this
line of like both sidearism and I don't think there's
two sides to hiding nuclear secrets. Isn't that scary open?
If we treat like the news like a playlist on
(03:54):
like Spotify or title, it's like we literally could listen
to whatever we want to hear when we want to hear. It.
Is that good if we can know where to go
to hear what we want to hear. Oh, it's not good,
but it's American correct. People want to turn on the
TV and see a mirror that just makes them look good.
I think it's like news cheetos. You know, after a while,
you too many, you're not going to be healthy. I
(04:16):
think you gotta have some salad. You've got to try
your best to be well informed. And you're right, But
everybody thinks that is salad. I know. And here's the problem. Um,
I think across the board there are definitely stories where
there should not be a false equivalency, right in order
to be fair. Um, But the problem is, because it's
across the board, there's never the mention of these other stories.
(04:36):
You get a bad rap as that channel. So unless
you're gonna just at least try to stop rolling your
eyes while you're telling this story, because that is a
message in itself, right, the body language of so many
people on television these days is a message. Yet I
agree that's what should happen, but I think it's a business.
It is, and sadly it's being run like a business.
(04:58):
And salad don't sell in America. Walk down the streets
in Milly. Conflict conflicts cells, y'all got Twitter accounts? Topic two. Now,
this was a big week for people who were homeschool.
HBO Premier to Day Game with thrown spinoff House of
the Dragon. Anybody said while Amazon debut their Lord of
(05:22):
the Ring series The Rings of Power, and fans showed
their tolerance by mostly not using the N word to
tweet about these shows non white actors. Here's the thing.
Forcing diversity for the sake of diversity couldn't be ruining cinema, Alright,
the movie Friday wouldn't hit the same with Matt naming
the debo. Alright, Tom Holland can't be mooky and do
(05:43):
the right thing. I'd imagine watching Friends and then little Rail,
a little due ball pop up. Alright, some things need
to stay segregating, right, what do you think? Jordan Segre
is great? Right, Thank you for the question, Charlemagne, you
(06:05):
it's all yours. Agents told me. Don't come on the show.
Don't come there and watch your answer. First of all,
I understand the theoretical story. I think it needs to
be more diversity and storytelling. I look at this. We're
talking about Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones.
Those are child stories that have been told a thousand
(06:25):
times in the last decade. We need new stories. And
I think I look at it right now, and I
think it's sort of a litmus test on where America
is with these things. And you have people who are
grumbling right now, who it's fantasy. They can't even fantasize
equal representation. That's too much like Luther King talked about,
like dreaming of a time where there was racial equality
(06:48):
between children, and where are we in two We can't Yeah,
like a black orch So do you think color Catherine
is a good thing. I feel why I'm in the
middle about it because there are times when it can
disrupt the lore of something specific, like I'm into the
g Ot, I'm into the House of Dragons, So this
(07:08):
black guy, They're like, well, why is he there? Because
the Valerians and tar Garians have this this lore of
subjugating other groups of people, So it doesn't make sense.
I have no idea what you're talking about, and I'm new,
I'm whatever. But at the end of the day, is
it going to change what we see right now on screen?
Like does it matter? Absolutely not? And I think there's
two sides to the story. Yes, there are folks who
(07:30):
are commenting on I feel like it limits black actors
to not be able to bring their blackness. I mean,
can we give black actors the freedom to be something
outside of quintessential on screens? Could be something outside of Friday.
So I think I'm in green stool what you're saying,
we have to let them be fantastical, because the thing
about it is, I'm sorry to no, no, I agree
with you. I just think, like, listen, fantastical stories can
(07:50):
be fantastical with any color in them. For heaven's sake,
that's fantasy. Let's be fantastic. What if you want to
do something true to historical record? That could present more
of a problem, right, because it's not as believable. But
at the same time, Seana Rhymes was brilliant with BA
I think, yeah, I think that's what you need. I
don't think you need more actors of color. You need
more you know, writers of color and directors of color
(08:13):
and producers. There's a mix. And I say there's a
mix because not everybody sees the actors, writers and producers.
So you've got to have both types of representation on
both sides so kids can think they can do and
be whatever. And the point that I was gonna make
before you started, actually is that white stories don't have
to announce that the characters are white, like black people
have responsibility to be like, we're black and we're doing this.
(08:34):
And I think there's something courageous and revolutionary about just
being guy. When we come back, we will be talking
about airy spirits of tripany Hattis, and later I'll be
talking to crowd. We've got more hell of a weekends. Gustament,
(09:08):
Welcome back to hell of a week. We've got Astley Banfield,
Jordan Clepper, and Line but neon sets. We all know
that in this dam age, the court of public opinion
hands out way harsher synensis than the court of law.
So that's why we're about to play America's favorite kangaroo court.
Fuck them off, forgive him. You haven't even heard the
(09:30):
case yet. Last week, Comedians are Spears and Tiffany had
his began trendy. It's because a comedy sketch they made
for Funny and Die almost ten years ago has resurface
that shows aries pretending to being pedophile. Uh. They even
used an actual minor in the video, so what was
(09:50):
apparently meant to be a p s a on pedophilia
should have been dealing as soon as they read the
damn script. All right, Predictably, the internet was measured, and
it's criticism. What people call all the comedians pedophiles who
should be canceled, put in jail, put under the jail,
and worse, personally, I think it's ridiculous to paint them
is pedophiles. Okay, they just made a very unfunny video.
(10:12):
Is that an unforgivable sin panel? I'm gonna go down
the line, and I want you to tell me if
we should fuck them off, forgive them, and afterwards i'll
tell you if you're right, are not. Absolutely I'm starting
with you. I might have to cover this case, so
I have to kind of like waffle here in this
particular case, actually read really deep down in the details,
and the facts are very, very uncomfortable. It's it's scary stuff.
(10:33):
You know, you can't you can't mess around when you're
talking about little kids. Jordan's it's on you forgive. You know,
agent said don't do the show and that I was like, oh,
you said, fucking fuck them, fuck them to play a game.
It's about pedophiles? Great? How fun? How fun? This story
is horrifying, and it's confusing with it being a comedy
(10:53):
sketch that I'd like to approach it with grace and
understand that they came from good intentions. But the accusations
are scary. It looks, it looks damning. Uh, it's too
damning for me away and and I think that's what
the coordinates. You know, video is evidence, and if there's
even something that's being acted out without guardians and with
little children, that is inappropriate. That is abuse. Actually just
(11:14):
say fum, I mean, God my name, it's your turn forgiving,
give your reasons. Well, I run my own show, So
what's fuck them? No? But it's fun them at first.
It's suck them at first, because they hurt someone, regardless
(11:37):
of their intentions. Someone was someone got hurt and they
were children, and so we have to allow those people
to be held accountable, allow those people to express accountability,
and then there can be room for forgiveness. I don't
agree with not allowing anyone to redeem themselves. What we
can't do is lead with forgiveness because then we overshadow someone.
I feel like the opposite side of the opposite side
of cancel culture come this era of victim blaming, and
(12:01):
then we don't hold anyone. We we hearify people like
they can't do any wrong, and we allow them to
continue in the faces of people that were abused, people
that were traumatized, and then we allow those type of
behaviors to continue without redress. So it's to them at first,
and then we can't forgive them after that. Can I
(12:21):
have that answer that being this, this is the only democracy.
In late night, I'm gonna ask the audience. If you
vothe make some noise, see right, if you vote forgive them,
make some noise the crowd and the panel is spoken.
(12:43):
And I think you're both wrong. Okay, all right, I
say forgive them. Understand that this sketch is in such
a bad taste you you would think it was seasoned
by white people. Okay, But we have to stop acquainting
bad art and bad commentary to actual criminal behavior. And
at some point we're gonna have to have a discussion
about old content because I keep telling you all over
and over, the whole industry is complicit. Okay, This whole
(13:05):
entertainment industry really just started to change over the past
four or five years. Anybody who says otherwise is a
damn liar and a hypocrite. And don't wait until it's
your phase or somebody you like to say something about it,
because I promise you this whole business is a circular
firing squad. Okay. I'd like to thank linnae Ashley and
(13:30):
Jordan for their wisdom today, and we'll be right back
with how our favorite side kick tow pins well hell
of a Week and just ament Welcome back, Welcome back
(13:54):
to Hell of the week. Uh, my next guest is
an actor, producer, former White House staff member, and an author.
His memoir You Can't Be Serious is out right now
on paperback. Please welcome cap in. Uh, that's the kind
(14:15):
of love you wanted now. Were talking about a diversity earlier,
and some nerds are upset with people of color portraying hobbits.
And in your book, you know, you talk about your
own experiences with diversity casting. How difficult is it for
a young actor to take a stand when they're asking
you to portray what amounts to be a stereotype? Yeah,
the in the book, I talked about stories that are
you know, twenty years old, and one of them in particulars,
(14:38):
you know, walking into auditions and knowing it's between you
and another guy, and you know the part is, you
know he might have an accent, that guy might have
a particular job. None of those things alone make a stereotype, right,
Plenty of people have accents, plenty of people are you know,
I remember hearing, oh, you had to play a cab driver,
you have to play play story clerk. Those roles tend
to be one note. They tend to be the butt
of a joke. Ethnicity or race are tied to profession,
(14:59):
and that's the only reason your character exists. So if
you take that character out, the plot isn't advancing from
point A to point Z. It's not going through an arc.
And I think sometimes today we get confused between tokenization
and representation, And that's an important one to have because
can you define that a little bit? Like, Yeah, Look,
I think tokenization is you've got a script in front
(15:21):
of you, a producer network exact says, uh, we need
to just like make one of them a different ethnicity,
or you know, we need to at least make the
best friend in the interview, you know, at least do that.
And I think representation is understanding that we all have
stories to tell, we all have certain agency in those stories.
And that's changing a lot, you know, that's the last.
Like you said earlier, the last five years, especially thanks
(15:43):
to streaming platforms, in a large part, has changed the
dynamic of what audiences is the truth. You were going
on auditions and running into white actors in brown face. Yes,
how to make you feel? How did I make How
do you think it made me feel wonderful? Now? Huh?
When you when you tell that story, now I didn't
need those credits on a resume. There was there was
a movie, a movie in particular I did called Van Wilder,
(16:06):
one of my earliest movies, with Terror Read and Ryan Reynolds.
They were both wonderful. Ryan in fact, and was so
encouraging in terms of improv on that film. But I
remember going into that audition knowing it was between me
and another guy. Uh it was a part of an
Indian exchange student. I didn't know who the other guy was.
And I walked into the audition and I tell the
story in the audio book. In the book in more detail,
but basically, it's a it's a white dude in brown face.
(16:26):
He had already signed in, and I was like, huh see,
you're all like whoa. But this was calm. It was
fairly common, or at least it wasn't uncommon for that
to happen. So I remember thinking to myself two things. One,
my beef is rarely with another actor, Like I understand
the desperation of wanting a job, but I also was like,
you're not allowed to have this job, Like you can
play Brandon from Idaho. You're allowed to like you're allowed
(16:46):
audition for friends and Seinfeld, you know, like I'm getting
this part. But then I also was like, I wonder
who told you to do this right? Like was it
your agent? Did you do it at home and then
drive to the audition if oh, did that increase your
chances of getting pulled over? Like or did you come
here and do it in the bathroom? So it was
but but the dynamic was an interesting one, which was
(17:08):
just sort of like I'm getting this part, and then
I'm gonna work with the producers on um how to
make the role a little more dynamic. There was the
one South Asian woman at the time it was working
in Network TV gave me advice when I was debating
whether or I don't want to take the part. She said,
how many things in the script are sort of problematic?
And I said, well, like maybe thirty? Because are there
are there any jokes that are actually funny? I said, yeah,
(17:28):
of course, it's actually a really funny script. She goes,
look at pick ten, pick ten things that you think
are cringeworthy, and why do you think they're cringeworthy? I
was like, honestly, they're kind of boring jokes. They jokes
that have been made before on the Simpsons or Seinfeld
or something like that. I would just like to she
goes great, go to them with ten things. Those ten
things say that those are ten issues you have with
the script, but you have to come up with ten
(17:49):
things that are funnier than what the writers came up with.
And I think as performers of color, we forget the
agency that we have sometimes to make those changes or suggestions.
And it's like, that's why they hired you. They know
you're funny. Stop feeling like you don't belong here. And
so that was streat advice. That's a great story. And
I am so glad it wasn't Ryan Reynolds and Brown. No, No,
(18:10):
he's wonderful because I need deadpool. Did you imagine at
the White House? Who worked in outreach? Right? So who
took your old job when Trump too? But I don't know,
I don't know if she don't know how often she
was in the building. I worked in outreach off is
also called the public li is On office. I worked
mostly on outreach to young people, Asian Americans and Pacific
Islanders and the arts community. Those are my three jobs.
(18:31):
I don't know who had, if anybody had that job
in the former administration, but I know in the current
one they're they're fully staffed. And there let's play a
quick game of word association. A right, give me the
first thing that popped into your mind when I say
these things? People who only know you from Harold and Kumar. Uh,
they show so much love. Let me tell you of
(18:52):
all the jobs that I've had, especially like during the
stories that we just told about. You know, whether I
was waiting tables, I was a messenger or whatever. If
my only job hazard now is that fans who have
only seen Harold and Karth the only thing they've seen
me in they yelled Kumar when I walked into a place.
Or are they like they will just offer you free
weed on the street, Like, what are you complaining about?
(19:13):
That's your job hazard? Uh, Steve Bannon, That's how most
people react to white castles. And that's it. That's all
I had was just did Obama, I will call you Kumar?
You have a walk in my mom and be like Kuma.
He did. He never called me that to my face,
but I like to think that I left the room
(19:35):
and then I was called that. Okay, enjoyed you man?
Giving up the Toppit's sure and tech as you can't
be serious. Now on the back when we come back
more Hell of a Week. Welcome back the hell of
(20:00):
a Week. Recently, in one of his regularly scheduled online meltdowns,
Kanye West posted the screen grabbing him calling his ex
wife Kim Kardashian half white because she doesn't want to
send their kids to his don to school. Hey, Kim
is half white, and we need to remember the other
half is white too, Okay. Kim Kardashian is Irish and Armenian.
(20:21):
That's two types of white, all right. I mean she
has all the qualifications for whiteness. No rhythm, Starbucks, diet
and ruins the lives of multiple black men. Now I
get your confusion. Yeah, because when Kim was with you,
she looked half black Ish. Okay, but this is Kim now,
all right, looking like my good brother Pete d gave
(20:43):
for the first case of sexually transmitted whiteness. All right.
I go by the name of Charlemagne the Guy. It's
been a hell of a week seeing that thurn day.
So be sure to listen to Hell of a Week
(21:04):
with Charlemagne and God wherever you get your podcast. This
has been a Comedy Central podcast
You're listening to Comedy Central. Donald Trump's old chief advisor,
Steve Bannon, got indicted for allegedly scamming people with a
crowdfunding campaign called We Build the Wall. Well, if Steve
Bannon ends up in prison, the only wall he'll be
trying to build will be around those chicks and just
(00:23):
like and just like Trump's wall, and won't keep the
Mexicans out. Uh. I go by the name of Charlomagne
and God. And it's been a hell of a week.
Queen Island. Let's get it. Hold just made another one.
(00:44):
Do you say hello for the most pleasant panel on
the planet. She's a highly respected journalist and the anchor
of Banfield on News Nation. Makes some noise for Ashley Banfield,
y'all a very familiar face. He's a comedian and a
correspondent from My favor Rick Caramel Colored Crime, Trevor Noah.
It's Jordan's clip of y'all. Yes, And she's a multi
(01:08):
talented and multi hyphened IT content creator best known for
her series Parking Lot. Pimpen, Lenevenias Hell and actor Arthur
informer Obama advisor cow Penn of stopping by later in
the show, but it's been a heell of the week.
Actor Chris Pine came out with an official statement that
Harry Styles did not spin on his dick at the
(01:29):
Venice Film Festival. That's true. But then Chris Pine's dick
came out with a statement saying, so why the fucking
my way? Right? And but here's what I really want
to talk about topic one. Now. I was watching the
Morris Chestnut Show a few weeks ago, and Mars asked
(01:50):
CNN hosts Don Lemon what would he do if CNN's
new leadership made it so he couldn't spit the truth? Oh,
the Lemon got heated. Yes, I will be able to
do what I do on CNN. What's just to tell
the truth, which is to form the American elector in
the American public and also the world because we're an
international news organization. So if if I'm not allowed to
do that, then I will go on and do it
(02:10):
somewhere else. Okay, Okay. Since then, several major CNN hosts
have left, including Brian stout there and longtime Washington correspondent
John Harwood. Al Right, people on the left accused CNN
of basically becoming the next Fox News. I haven't seen
liberals this mad since they raised the price on African babies. Okay, look,
(02:31):
if you're on CNN or MSNBC, you should be able
to criticize the Democratic president al right. That doesn't mean
they are the next Fox News. It just means you
are a tax paying American citizen who understands how democracy
works and understands the president works for US. Okay, now
sing as new boss Chris let my guy. He was
eping on this show last season. He just wants great news,
(02:52):
objective truth. I personally think that's what we all need.
And actually, you worked at CNN for years. Okay, do
you think the mass exit is uh CNN workers outrage
is valid from them? Well, I think that Chris Lacks
had a really big project over there. Let me listen
that the whole Trump era was just sort of a
free for all, right, and that led a lot of
(03:12):
viewers to say, there's no other opinion other than the
anti Trump opinion. Do you think there would be a
time we're able to watch like nonpartisan news? Is nonpartisan
news possible? I feel like nonpartisan news will be possible
when things like basic human rights become nonpartisan issues like that.
It it feels like there's other there's propaganda surrounding what
(03:34):
the truth really is, propaganda surrounding what the media is
putting out. But the media has a responsibility to produce
all sides of an argument. I think it's gotta be
you gotta be careful though with CNN is telling this
line of like both sidearism and I don't think there's
two sides to hiding nuclear secrets. Isn't that scary open?
If we treat like the news like a playlist on
(03:54):
like Spotify or title, it's like we literally could listen
to whatever we want to hear when we want to hear. It.
Is that good if we can know where to go
to hear what we want to hear. Oh, it's not good,
but it's American correct. People want to turn on the
TV and see a mirror that just makes them look good.
I think it's like news cheetos. You know, after a while,
you too many, you're not going to be healthy. I
(04:16):
think you gotta have some salad. You've got to try
your best to be well informed. And you're right, But
everybody thinks that is salad. I know. And here's the problem. Um,
I think across the board there are definitely stories where
there should not be a false equivalency, right in order
to be fair. Um, But the problem is, because it's
across the board, there's never the mention of these other stories.
(04:36):
You get a bad rap as that channel. So unless
you're gonna just at least try to stop rolling your
eyes while you're telling this story, because that is a
message in itself, right, the body language of so many
people on television these days is a message. Yet I
agree that's what should happen, but I think it's a business.
It is, and sadly it's being run like a business.
(04:58):
And salad don't sell in America. Walk down the streets
in Milly. Conflict conflicts cells, y'all got Twitter accounts? Topic two. Now,
this was a big week for people who were homeschool.
HBO Premier to Day Game with thrown spinoff House of
the Dragon. Anybody said while Amazon debut their Lord of
(05:22):
the Ring series The Rings of Power, and fans showed
their tolerance by mostly not using the N word to
tweet about these shows non white actors. Here's the thing.
Forcing diversity for the sake of diversity couldn't be ruining cinema, Alright,
the movie Friday wouldn't hit the same with Matt naming
the debo. Alright, Tom Holland can't be mooky and do
(05:43):
the right thing. I'd imagine watching Friends and then little Rail,
a little due ball pop up. Alright, some things need
to stay segregating, right, what do you think? Jordan Segre
is great? Right, Thank you for the question, Charlemagne, you
(06:05):
it's all yours. Agents told me. Don't come on the show.
Don't come there and watch your answer. First of all,
I understand the theoretical story. I think it needs to
be more diversity and storytelling. I look at this. We're
talking about Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones.
Those are child stories that have been told a thousand
(06:25):
times in the last decade. We need new stories. And
I think I look at it right now, and I
think it's sort of a litmus test on where America
is with these things. And you have people who are
grumbling right now, who it's fantasy. They can't even fantasize
equal representation. That's too much like Luther King talked about,
like dreaming of a time where there was racial equality
(06:48):
between children, and where are we in two We can't Yeah,
like a black orch So do you think color Catherine
is a good thing. I feel why I'm in the
middle about it because there are times when it can
disrupt the lore of something specific, like I'm into the
g Ot, I'm into the House of Dragons, So this
(07:08):
black guy, They're like, well, why is he there? Because
the Valerians and tar Garians have this this lore of
subjugating other groups of people, So it doesn't make sense.
I have no idea what you're talking about, and I'm new,
I'm whatever. But at the end of the day, is
it going to change what we see right now on screen?
Like does it matter? Absolutely not? And I think there's
two sides to the story. Yes, there are folks who
(07:30):
are commenting on I feel like it limits black actors
to not be able to bring their blackness. I mean,
can we give black actors the freedom to be something
outside of quintessential on screens? Could be something outside of Friday.
So I think I'm in green stool what you're saying,
we have to let them be fantastical, because the thing
about it is, I'm sorry to no, no, I agree
with you. I just think, like, listen, fantastical stories can
(07:50):
be fantastical with any color in them. For heaven's sake,
that's fantasy. Let's be fantastic. What if you want to
do something true to historical record? That could present more
of a problem, right, because it's not as believable. But
at the same time, Seana Rhymes was brilliant with BA
I think, yeah, I think that's what you need. I
don't think you need more actors of color. You need
more you know, writers of color and directors of color
(08:13):
and producers. There's a mix. And I say there's a
mix because not everybody sees the actors, writers and producers.
So you've got to have both types of representation on
both sides so kids can think they can do and
be whatever. And the point that I was gonna make
before you started, actually is that white stories don't have
to announce that the characters are white, like black people
have responsibility to be like, we're black and we're doing this.
(08:34):
And I think there's something courageous and revolutionary about just
being guy. When we come back, we will be talking
about airy spirits of tripany Hattis, and later I'll be
talking to crowd. We've got more hell of a weekends. Gustament,
(09:08):
Welcome back to hell of a week. We've got Astley Banfield,
Jordan Clepper, and Line but neon sets. We all know
that in this dam age, the court of public opinion
hands out way harsher synensis than the court of law.
So that's why we're about to play America's favorite kangaroo court.
Fuck them off, forgive him. You haven't even heard the
(09:30):
case yet. Last week, Comedians are Spears and Tiffany had
his began trendy. It's because a comedy sketch they made
for Funny and Die almost ten years ago has resurface
that shows aries pretending to being pedophile. Uh. They even
used an actual minor in the video, so what was
(09:50):
apparently meant to be a p s a on pedophilia
should have been dealing as soon as they read the
damn script. All right, Predictably, the internet was measured, and
it's criticism. What people call all the comedians pedophiles who
should be canceled, put in jail, put under the jail,
and worse, personally, I think it's ridiculous to paint them
is pedophiles. Okay, they just made a very unfunny video.
(10:12):
Is that an unforgivable sin panel? I'm gonna go down
the line, and I want you to tell me if
we should fuck them off, forgive them, and afterwards i'll
tell you if you're right, are not. Absolutely I'm starting
with you. I might have to cover this case, so
I have to kind of like waffle here in this
particular case, actually read really deep down in the details,
and the facts are very, very uncomfortable. It's it's scary stuff.
(10:33):
You know, you can't you can't mess around when you're
talking about little kids. Jordan's it's on you forgive. You know,
agent said don't do the show and that I was like, oh,
you said, fucking fuck them, fuck them to play a game.
It's about pedophiles? Great? How fun? How fun? This story
is horrifying, and it's confusing with it being a comedy
(10:53):
sketch that I'd like to approach it with grace and
understand that they came from good intentions. But the accusations
are scary. It looks, it looks damning. Uh, it's too
damning for me away and and I think that's what
the coordinates. You know, video is evidence, and if there's
even something that's being acted out without guardians and with
little children, that is inappropriate. That is abuse. Actually just
(11:14):
say fum, I mean, God my name, it's your turn forgiving,
give your reasons. Well, I run my own show, So
what's fuck them? No? But it's fun them at first.
It's suck them at first, because they hurt someone, regardless
(11:37):
of their intentions. Someone was someone got hurt and they
were children, and so we have to allow those people
to be held accountable, allow those people to express accountability,
and then there can be room for forgiveness. I don't
agree with not allowing anyone to redeem themselves. What we
can't do is lead with forgiveness because then we overshadow someone.
I feel like the opposite side of the opposite side
of cancel culture come this era of victim blaming, and
(12:01):
then we don't hold anyone. We we hearify people like
they can't do any wrong, and we allow them to
continue in the faces of people that were abused, people
that were traumatized, and then we allow those type of
behaviors to continue without redress. So it's to them at first,
and then we can't forgive them after that. Can I
(12:21):
have that answer that being this, this is the only democracy.
In late night, I'm gonna ask the audience. If you
vothe make some noise, see right, if you vote forgive them,
make some noise the crowd and the panel is spoken.
(12:43):
And I think you're both wrong. Okay, all right, I
say forgive them. Understand that this sketch is in such
a bad taste you you would think it was seasoned
by white people. Okay, But we have to stop acquainting
bad art and bad commentary to actual criminal behavior. And
at some point we're gonna have to have a discussion
about old content because I keep telling you all over
and over, the whole industry is complicit. Okay, This whole
(13:05):
entertainment industry really just started to change over the past
four or five years. Anybody who says otherwise is a
damn liar and a hypocrite. And don't wait until it's
your phase or somebody you like to say something about it,
because I promise you this whole business is a circular
firing squad. Okay. I'd like to thank linnae Ashley and
(13:30):
Jordan for their wisdom today, and we'll be right back
with how our favorite side kick tow pins well hell
of a Week and just ament Welcome back, Welcome back
(13:54):
to Hell of the week. Uh, my next guest is
an actor, producer, former White House staff member, and an author.
His memoir You Can't Be Serious is out right now
on paperback. Please welcome cap in. Uh, that's the kind
(14:15):
of love you wanted now. Were talking about a diversity earlier,
and some nerds are upset with people of color portraying hobbits.
And in your book, you know, you talk about your
own experiences with diversity casting. How difficult is it for
a young actor to take a stand when they're asking
you to portray what amounts to be a stereotype? Yeah,
the in the book, I talked about stories that are
you know, twenty years old, and one of them in particulars,
(14:38):
you know, walking into auditions and knowing it's between you
and another guy, and you know the part is, you
know he might have an accent, that guy might have
a particular job. None of those things alone make a stereotype, right,
Plenty of people have accents, plenty of people are you know,
I remember hearing, oh, you had to play a cab driver,
you have to play play story clerk. Those roles tend
to be one note. They tend to be the butt
of a joke. Ethnicity or race are tied to profession,
(14:59):
and that's the only reason your character exists. So if
you take that character out, the plot isn't advancing from
point A to point Z. It's not going through an arc.
And I think sometimes today we get confused between tokenization
and representation, And that's an important one to have because
can you define that a little bit? Like, Yeah, Look,
I think tokenization is you've got a script in front
(15:21):
of you, a producer network exact says, uh, we need
to just like make one of them a different ethnicity,
or you know, we need to at least make the
best friend in the interview, you know, at least do that.
And I think representation is understanding that we all have
stories to tell, we all have certain agency in those stories.
And that's changing a lot, you know, that's the last.
Like you said earlier, the last five years, especially thanks
(15:43):
to streaming platforms, in a large part, has changed the
dynamic of what audiences is the truth. You were going
on auditions and running into white actors in brown face. Yes,
how to make you feel? How did I make How
do you think it made me feel wonderful? Now? Huh?
When you when you tell that story, now I didn't
need those credits on a resume. There was there was
a movie, a movie in particular I did called Van Wilder,
(16:06):
one of my earliest movies, with Terror Read and Ryan Reynolds.
They were both wonderful. Ryan in fact, and was so
encouraging in terms of improv on that film. But I
remember going into that audition knowing it was between me
and another guy. Uh it was a part of an
Indian exchange student. I didn't know who the other guy was.
And I walked into the audition and I tell the
story in the audio book. In the book in more detail,
but basically, it's a it's a white dude in brown face.
(16:26):
He had already signed in, and I was like, huh see,
you're all like whoa. But this was calm. It was
fairly common, or at least it wasn't uncommon for that
to happen. So I remember thinking to myself two things. One,
my beef is rarely with another actor, Like I understand
the desperation of wanting a job, but I also was like,
you're not allowed to have this job, Like you can
play Brandon from Idaho. You're allowed to like you're allowed
(16:46):
audition for friends and Seinfeld, you know, like I'm getting
this part. But then I also was like, I wonder
who told you to do this right? Like was it
your agent? Did you do it at home and then
drive to the audition if oh, did that increase your
chances of getting pulled over? Like or did you come
here and do it in the bathroom? So it was
but but the dynamic was an interesting one, which was
(17:08):
just sort of like I'm getting this part, and then
I'm gonna work with the producers on um how to
make the role a little more dynamic. There was the
one South Asian woman at the time it was working
in Network TV gave me advice when I was debating
whether or I don't want to take the part. She said,
how many things in the script are sort of problematic?
And I said, well, like maybe thirty? Because are there
are there any jokes that are actually funny? I said, yeah,
(17:28):
of course, it's actually a really funny script. She goes,
look at pick ten, pick ten things that you think
are cringeworthy, and why do you think they're cringeworthy? I
was like, honestly, they're kind of boring jokes. They jokes
that have been made before on the Simpsons or Seinfeld
or something like that. I would just like to she
goes great, go to them with ten things. Those ten
things say that those are ten issues you have with
the script, but you have to come up with ten
(17:49):
things that are funnier than what the writers came up with.
And I think as performers of color, we forget the
agency that we have sometimes to make those changes or suggestions.
And it's like, that's why they hired you. They know
you're funny. Stop feeling like you don't belong here. And
so that was streat advice. That's a great story. And
I am so glad it wasn't Ryan Reynolds and Brown. No, No,
(18:10):
he's wonderful because I need deadpool. Did you imagine at
the White House? Who worked in outreach? Right? So who
took your old job when Trump too? But I don't know,
I don't know if she don't know how often she
was in the building. I worked in outreach off is
also called the public li is On office. I worked
mostly on outreach to young people, Asian Americans and Pacific
Islanders and the arts community. Those are my three jobs.
(18:31):
I don't know who had, if anybody had that job
in the former administration, but I know in the current
one they're they're fully staffed. And there let's play a
quick game of word association. A right, give me the
first thing that popped into your mind when I say
these things? People who only know you from Harold and Kumar. Uh,
they show so much love. Let me tell you of
(18:52):
all the jobs that I've had, especially like during the
stories that we just told about. You know, whether I
was waiting tables, I was a messenger or whatever. If
my only job hazard now is that fans who have
only seen Harold and Karth the only thing they've seen
me in they yelled Kumar when I walked into a place.
Or are they like they will just offer you free
weed on the street, Like, what are you complaining about?
(19:13):
That's your job hazard? Uh, Steve Bannon, That's how most
people react to white castles. And that's it. That's all
I had was just did Obama, I will call you Kumar?
You have a walk in my mom and be like Kuma.
He did. He never called me that to my face,
but I like to think that I left the room
(19:35):
and then I was called that. Okay, enjoyed you man?
Giving up the Toppit's sure and tech as you can't
be serious. Now on the back when we come back
more Hell of a Week. Welcome back the hell of
(20:00):
a Week. Recently, in one of his regularly scheduled online meltdowns,
Kanye West posted the screen grabbing him calling his ex
wife Kim Kardashian half white because she doesn't want to
send their kids to his don to school. Hey, Kim
is half white, and we need to remember the other
half is white too, Okay. Kim Kardashian is Irish and Armenian.
(20:21):
That's two types of white, all right. I mean she
has all the qualifications for whiteness. No rhythm, Starbucks, diet
and ruins the lives of multiple black men. Now I
get your confusion. Yeah, because when Kim was with you,
she looked half black Ish. Okay, but this is Kim now,
all right, looking like my good brother Pete d gave
(20:43):
for the first case of sexually transmitted whiteness. All right.
I go by the name of Charlemagne the Guy. It's
been a hell of a week seeing that thurn day.
So be sure to listen to Hell of a Week
(21:04):
with Charlemagne and God wherever you get your podcast. This
has been a Comedy Central podcast
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