‘Kevin, Stop Doing Dumb Stuff’: Marlon and Shawn Wayans Sound Off About Kevin Hart’s Roast After Being Forced to Cut Wild Jokes from New Movie
Comedy roasts have always walked a dangerous line between edgy and offensive, but when the jokes touch on real trauma, the backlash can come fast.
That’s exactly what happened after Netflix’s “The Roast of Kevin Hart” turned into an online firestorm.
Critics accused some comedians of going too far — and now Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans are weighing in on the controversy that they both want to avoid.
During a recent conversation about comedy and cancel culture, the brothers reflected on the backlash surrounding Kevin Hart’s roast and the balancing act comedians face when trying to be funny without completely alienating audiences.
“Trying to find the right joke — there’s going to be war, there’s going to be casualties, and unfortunately, some of the jokes didn’t land the way that they possibly could have,” Marlon said in a video on The Neighborhood Talk.
He added that there are “the consequences and the quietness of the laugh.”
Shawn jumped in with an even stronger warning about the state of comedy. “We can’t have controversy every time somebody tells a joke. Every time someone tells a joke, we killing our own culture. It’s not good.”
View on Threads
Marlon explained that comedians — especially Black comedians — often wrestle with two competing realities when they step onstage.
“We are … there’s a two-part, you know — one part comedian, one part Black man,” he said. “So, you know, the other part of it is, if you’re gonna go there, make sure that joke is really worth it.”
The “White Chicks” star also admitted that he and Shawn have removed material from their own upcoming “Scary Movie” film because some jokes crossed a line that hurt the mood more than they helped the comedy.
“There’s things in the movie that we decided not to put in because it was like, you know, we felt like it hurt the temperature of the movie,” Marlon explained. “We’re trying to do a movie to make everybody feel good.”
He added, “If it’s going to make people go, ‘Ha,’ then ‘Ohhh,’ it stays with you. I don’t want that. I want it infectious, and then next joke.”
Marlon even took a playful jab at Kevin Hart himself over the roast controversy.
“And Kevin, stop doing dumb s—t because I gotta walk this line,” he joked. “Instead of talking about ‘Scary Movie,’ I got to talk about your dumba– little roast.”
The comments come as Hart continues dealing with fallout from Netflix’s roast special filmed at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. What was supposed to be a celebration of Hart’s career quickly spiraled into controversy after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made a joke referencing George Floyd.
“The Black community is so proud of you,” Hinchcliffe said during the roast. “Right now George Floyd is looking up at us all laughing so hard he can’t breathe.”
The line immediately sparked outrage online, especially because this month marks six years since Floyd’s murder at the hands of Minneapolis police officers in 2020 — a moment that ignited global protests and renewed conversations about race and policing in America.
Cameras caught Hart initially laughing before his facial expression noticeably changed as the crowd delivered mixed reactions.
The backlash only intensified after a spokesperson for The Gianna and George Floyd Foundation issued a statement condemning the joke.
“We are trying to rebuild things for our community and make things better in our community,” the organization told TMZ. “Let’s try to be a little bit more positive — and not sit up there doing colon inspections by white comedians.”
The foundation, established by Roxane Washington on behalf of Floyd’s daughter Roxie Floyd, reportedly called the moment “sad for the culture.”
Social media users on Threads were equally vocal on Marlon and Shawn stance on the roast.
“Bruhhh Marlon is hilarious, but I agree. Some of the jokes could have been funny, but the comedians just sucked. Lol,” one person wrote. Another commented, “Shawn sound just like Damon,” referencing their older brother.
Others got distracted by Shawn’s appearance instead of the conversation itself, writing, “Shawn look like a blind man.” Someone took it even further. “I thought Shawn was little Stevie Wonder for a second,” another joked, bringing Stevie Wonder into the trending discussion.
Not everyone defended the Wayans brothers either.
“They jokes be bad too sometimes,” one critic posted.
Another user drew a hard line about what should never become comedy material: “Lynching jokes will never be funny.”
Now, what was meant to be a triumphant cultural moment for Hart has become a much bigger debate about comedy, race, and whether shock value is worth the fallout. And according to Marlon and Shawn, comedians may keep testing boundaries — but even they know every joke isn’t worth the damage it leaves behind.