Eboni K. Williams is bringing attention to HBO Max’s removal of Black-led shows that were seemingly replaced by Jerrod Carmichael’s new “anti-Black” series.
The stand-up comedian has been catching heat for his Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show that follows his life as a Black gay man in Hollywood. He’s addressed criticism for the race-baiting jokes he made on his show about his relationship with a white man. But it didn’t address the “mockery” people like Eboni K. Williams feel he’s making of the Black gay experience.
Williams recently took to her Holding Court podcast to call out HBO Max for canceling “at least three major Black shows” that appealed to Black audiences including Black Lady Sketch Show and two Issa Rae creations, Rap Sh!t and Sweet Life: Los Angeles. The root of Williams and her co-host Dustin’s concern lies in the current Black representation on the network being Carmichael’s controversial docuseries.
After citing Rap Sh!t star Aida Osman’s tweet last month that mocked Carmichael’s alleged race-baiting in his show, Williams accused the comedian of serving out “anti-Black” content.
“Not that Jerrod Carmichael shouldn’t have a show, but the content and the nature of the show is anti-Black,” she said in a clip reposted by Onsite. “I just think there’s a mockery of homosexual lifestyle that’s been happening right before our very eyes.”
Her co-host agreed with the “mockery” and “stereotypes” Williams believes Carmichael is playing into with his new show while citing “the agenda” critics say is pushed by mainstream media. As a Black gay man, Dustin explained why Carmichael’s depiction of their community does more harm than good.
“What he’s doing is attributing certain choices and diving headfirst into a world of sexual encounters and internet dating-based sexual trysts on film as a way to define himself and his station in life,” Dustin said.
“He’s meeting dates on Grindr, which is a gay dating app, and he’s getting dates on there and bringing them on camera as this young Black talent is getting ready for the fu*king Emmys and asking these randos do they want to attend the Emmy Awards with him.”
For Williams, she sees Carmichael’s approach to representing his Black gay identity as a way to appeal to “white comfort” and it only “dehumanizes” the very community he’s trying to appear for. Williams takes issue with HBO Max providing Carmichael with a huge platform to share his experience after a clean sweep of other Black-led shows.
“Because representation matters and we talk about that ad nauseam,” Williams said. “What you’re doing in this particular editorial choice by platforming and greenlighting this type of sh*t instead of all the other Black stories that could be told and need to be told and have yet to be told, you are advancing a scenario where this is the only education. This is the only correlation.”
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