‘It Makes Me Feel Uncomfortable’: Gary Owen Hits Back at Critic for Claiming He Tries Too Hard to ‘Fit’ In with Black People
Gary Owen has been a hot topic lately, ever since appearing on “Club Shay Shay” and baring his soul about his family life, his new set of twins, and his career.
While this interview was an opportunity for many to reacquaint themselves with the comedian, for some it served as the first time they were being introduced to him.
Grammy-nominated songwriter and co-host of the “Joe Budden Podcast” Emanny stirred up controversy with his recent comments about the authenticity of Gary Owen, claiming that the white comic, who got his big break as a stand-up comedian on BET’s “Comic View,” comes off as though he wants to be Black.
On May 20, a listener of the “Joe Budden Podcast” took to X to say, “I don’t agree with Emanny take on Gary Owens….I never felt he tries to be black, he be sounding & acting white af lol.”
“Who is this Emanny??? And where can I find him talking s—t about me?? Lol,” Owen replied.
The X user then shared a few clips from the podcast in which Emanny and the rest of the show’s panelists are discussing Owen’s “Club Shay Shay” appearance.
“That whole interview made me uncomfortable,” Emanny begins. “Something about Gary Owen makes me uncomfortable. I don’t know what it is. It’s something about how he interacts with us that …”
Emanny’s co-host, Ish, then interjects, “I think he be awkward.”
“I don’t think he be awkward,” says Emanny. “It’s just …”
“I think he be fighting for validation and acceptance sometimes, and he be a little awkward in that,” Ish continues. “And I think that there’s a sincerity there. But, one, a lot of times we ain’t with that sh—. And then two, I think he, like, when you see him, I mean, we’ve watched him for years, he’s like, ‘Yo, I’m real.’”
Emanny continued his point, adding, “I might be ignorant. I was looking at him and I was like, ‘Damn, if this was a white woman sitting up there talking like this, this might make me feel a little different. Almost like she fetishizes our culture a little bit.’”
In the clip, Emanny made sure to clarify that he did not believe that Owen was racist by any means, he just didn’t feel that his personality was authentic. He then used their other co-host Parks, who is white, as an example of someone who is able to be in Black spaces without the added Black flair.
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“There’s certain white men that I see do that sh—, where they feel like that have to become us in how they talk, they lingo, and all that, just to fit into a space and it makes me feel uncomfortable a little bit,” Emanny states.
“Do you think he personifies that?” Ish asks, to which Emanny answers, “Yeah.”
Ice, another co-host, disagrees, saying that he thinks Gary Owen is “white as f—.”
Owen has heard this critique for a great deal of his 30-plus year career, vehemently denying that he is trying to be Black. However, he still remained open to having the discussion with Emanny on X.
“Shared my opinion and said I’m open to being wrong & a bit ignorant. Watch and get back at me if you feel a way after viewing,” Emanny said in response to Owen’s inquiry into who he was.
After watching the clips from the podcast, Owen shared his thoughts.
“That wasn’t that bad. Just making talking points. Ppl are entitled to their opinion. @emannymusic included,” he said.
He tweeted, “Appreciate you understanding that,” proving that there is always a plateau of understanding when two people at least want to make it work.