We live in a world that is desperate to feel human again. We look to entertainment, and specifically to comedy, to give us a brief reprieve from the heavy burdens of daily life—to give us a moment of shared joy.
But recently, I was awoken to a devastating reality. I must admit, I was completely ignorant of just how dark, reckless, and vicious some comedians could truly become.
I felt this shift to my very core while watching the recent roast featuring Kevin Hart. What was meant to be entertainment instead descended into a messy, dark masquerade of cruelty.
When words came out of Kevin Hart’s mouth stating, “I just don’t care,” it exposed a chilling irresponsibility.
It is one thing to joke about the people standing on the stage with you. It is a completely different, unhuman act to weaponize the real-world trauma of people who are not on that platform to defend themselves.
To use the tragedy of George Floyd, and to disregard the ongoing pain of his legacy, strikes a blow directly at the heart and soul of a family.
Think of his 12-year-old daughter.
She is a child who must go to school and navigate the unimaginable humiliation and emotional wreckage left behind when a tragedy is turned into a punchline. This isn't humor. This is darkness masquerading as a joke, and it crushes the human spirit.
As the brilliant Sheryl Underwood recently explained so clearly, there is a boundary that has been completely obliterated by modern, dark comedy.
It brings to mind a powerful, unforgettable scene from the movie Malcolm X. Elijah Muhammad hands Malcolm a glass of crystal-clear water. Then, he takes just a tiny drop of poison and adds it to the glass.
That is exactly how I see comedy today. The entertainment is the clear water, but the casual malice is the poison. And no comedian, no matter how famous or powerful, has the right to hand a human being a glass of poison and command them to drink it just because they label it "a joke." Thank God, we do not have to drink it.
Our souls deserve better. Our souls will make us laugh again, because true greatness still exists.
Turning on Netflix and watching the tribute to the legendary Eddie Murphy was the exact medicine my soul needed. It was a beautiful, timely reminder of what genuine humor can do.
Eddie Murphy’s timeless greatness comes to the rescue because his comedy doesn't require the destruction of a child's peace or a family's dignity to get a laugh. He reminds us that true comedy connects us, uplifts us, and restores our humanity rather than tearing it down.
We must stop calling poison "entertainment." It is time to protect our hearts, demand responsibility from those with the microphone, and choose the light. By SrTerence™
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