By Gary Johnson – Publisher – Black Men In America.com

I want to comment on something that’s been bothering me for about two weeks now.

I watched NETFLIX’s The Roast of Kevin Hart and honestly, I thought it was one of the worst celebrity roasts I’ve ever seen. And I go back to watching the 1970s Friars Club Roasts and the classic Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts, where comedians understood the difference between being edgy and being reckless

The Roast Master for the Kevin Hart Roast was comedian Shane Gillis. Other comedians who took the stage to roast Hart included Jeff Ross, Katt Williams (who showed up to squash their long-term beef), Pete Davidson, Chelsea Handler, Tiffany Haddish, Tony Hinchcliffe, Sheryl Underwood, Big Jay Oakerson and non-comedians including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Tom Brady, Lizzo, Draymond Green, Teyana Taylor, Regina King, Venus Williams, and Serena Williams.

I understand that roasts are supposed to be offensive. That’s part of the format. But somewhere along the line, this roast never even made it to “clever” comedy. This roast got stuck into culturally offensive and reckless shock humor — and for me, it simply was not funny. I never came close to laughing. The show was so hard to watch, it took me 4 installments. Shock value comedy is a low bar.

It doesn’t take great skill to offend people. Real comedic talent comes from timing, intelligence, and creativity. Too many comedians on that stage seemed more interested in trying to out-shock each other than delivering smart and relevant material.

The jokes about Sheryl Underwood’s late husband committing suicide, the George Floyd jokes, the lynching jokes–none of it landed with me.

And what disturbed me most was watching Kevin Hart and the other comedians laugh out loud. I know that smart and talented comedians have always been able to use comedy to talk about issues in a way that others simply can’t do.

I think I know comedy. And I think I know the difference between provocative humor and lazy writing disguised as something bold and fresh.

What disappointed me most was Kevin Hart himself. Kevin Hart has been one of the hardest-working entertainers in Hollywood for years. His success story is undeniable. That’s why I found it difficult watching him laugh through jokes that many viewers found racially insensitive, culturally tone deaf, or unnecessarily cruel.

Maybe he genuinely found every joke funny. Maybe that’s part of roast culture today. Or maybe controversy itself has become “the entertainment.”

Comedian Chelsea Handler publicly criticized comedians Tony Hinchcliffe and Shane Gillis, calling some of their material racist, sexist, and offensive. Specifically, she questioned jokes involving lynching and Black trauma.

At the same time, Sheryl Underwood later stated that while many people felt uncomfortable with the jokes about her husband’s suicide, she personally believed the intent and construction of the jokes mattered. What does that mean Sheryl?

That raises two important questions:

1. When does comedy stop being comedy?
2. And who gets to decide where that line is?

For me, this isn’t about censorship. Comedians have always gotten a pass to use their comedy to push free speech and boundaries. Just because you CAN say something offensive doesn’t mean you SHOULD! Being the most shocking doesn’t make you brilliant or funny.

Maybe I’m the old guy in the room, but there was a time when the best comedians developed material that made people laugh and think.

Is it me? What did you think? Did these comedians cross the line?

Photo credits: Netflix Screenshot