Marlon Wayans is speaking out about discord in his industry.
The actor-comedian, 51, revealed in an interview with People that he is not a fan of the viral drama among Black comedians in recent months. Conflict in the comedy industry has been brewing since Katt Williams’ January appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast, on which he called out fellow entertainers like Kevin Hart, Rickey Smiley, Cedric the Entertainer, Steve Harvey and more.
“I think this is a gentleman’s game,” Wayans shared. “It’s comedy. I don’t like all of the disharmony. I think for comedy and Black comedy, it’s important for people to see love, respect and laughter. Not everybody has that experience, but that’s the experience that I come from.”
Williams’ appearance on “Club Shay Shay” — where he called Hart an industry “plant,” accused Cedric of stealing his joke, and maintained Harvey couldn’t be a movie star because he looks “like Mr. Potato Head” — quickly went viral. The full episode currently has over 70 million views and has spawned a host of memes, gifs, conversations and trending topics online.
Wayans said he enjoys comedy but thinks disagreements between talent should be sorted out behind the scenes, according to People.
“I’m not going to sit there and talk bad, even if I have a problem with somebody, I’ll probably call them up and have a sit down,” Wayans explained. “And if there is a beef with Dave or Katt or somebody, I’ll be the first to get on the phone with Dave and call Katt’s people,” he said, to say “Yo, let’s set a meeting.”
“To see our heroes fight, I don’t think that’s why we’re here,” he continued. “We are here to be examples, not just in the industry, but with our behavior. We’re here to be examples for those coming up behind us.”
In an attempt to bring harmony to the comedy space, Wayans and his brother, Sean, along with their adult sons, are developing a podcast.
“I think it is needed,” Wayans concluded, referencing the project, which does not yet have a release date.