You're listening to Comedy Central. Donald Trump's old chief advisor, Steve Bannon, got indicted for allegedly scamming people with a crowdfunding campaign called We Build the Wall. Well, if Steve Bannon ends up in prison, the only wall he'll be trying to build will be around those chicks and just like and just like Trump's wall, and won't keep the Mexicans out. Uh. I go by the name of Charlomagne and God. And it's been a hell of a week. Queen Island. Let's get it. Hold just made another one. Do you say hello for the most pleasant panel on the planet. She's a highly respected journalist and the anchor of Banfield on News Nation. Makes some noise for Ashley Banfield, y'all a very familiar face. He's a comedian and a correspondent from My favor Rick Caramel Colored Crime, Trevor Noah. It's Jordan's clip of y'all. Yes, And she's a multi talented and multi hyphened IT content creator best known for her series Parking Lot. Pimpen, Lenevenias Hell and actor Arthur informer Obama advisor cow Penn of stopping by later in the show, but it's been a heell of the week. Actor Chris Pine came out with an official statement that Harry Styles did not spin on his dick at the Venice Film Festival. That's true. But then Chris Pine's dick came out with a statement saying, so why the fucking my way? Right? And but here's what I really want to talk about topic one. Now. I was watching the Morris Chestnut Show a few weeks ago, and Mars asked CNN hosts Don Lemon what would he do if CNN's new leadership made it so he couldn't spit the truth? Oh, the Lemon got heated. Yes, I will be able to do what I do on CNN. What's just to tell the truth, which is to form the American elector in the American public and also the world because we're an international news organization. So if if I'm not allowed to do that, then I will go on and do it somewhere else. Okay, Okay. Since then, several major CNN hosts have left, including Brian stout there and longtime Washington correspondent John Harwood. Al Right, people on the left accused CNN of basically becoming the next Fox News. I haven't seen liberals this mad since they raised the price on African babies. Okay, look, if you're on CNN or MSNBC, you should be able to criticize the Democratic president al right. That doesn't mean they are the next Fox News. It just means you are a tax paying American citizen who understands how democracy works and understands the president works for US. Okay, now sing as new boss Chris let my guy. He was eping on this show last season. He just wants great news, objective truth. I personally think that's what we all need. And actually, you worked at CNN for years. Okay, do you think the mass exit is uh CNN workers outrage is valid from them? Well, I think that Chris Lacks had a really big project over there. Let me listen that the whole Trump era was just sort of a free for all, right, and that led a lot of viewers to say, there's no other opinion other than the anti Trump opinion. Do you think there would be a time we're able to watch like nonpartisan news? Is nonpartisan news possible? I feel like nonpartisan news will be possible when things like basic human rights become nonpartisan issues like that. It it feels like there's other there's propaganda surrounding what the truth really is, propaganda surrounding what the media is putting out. But the media has a responsibility to produce all sides of an argument. I think it's gotta be you gotta be careful though with CNN is telling this line of like both sidearism and I don't think there's two sides to hiding nuclear secrets. Isn't that scary open? If we treat like the news like a playlist on like Spotify or title, it's like we literally could listen to whatever we want to hear when we want to hear. It. Is that good if we can know where to go to hear what we want to hear. Oh, it's not good, but it's American correct. People want to turn on the TV and see a mirror that just makes them look good. I think it's like news cheetos. You know, after a while, you too many, you're not going to be healthy. I think you gotta have some salad. You've got to try your best to be well informed. And you're right, But everybody thinks that is salad. I know. And here's the problem. Um, I think across the board there are definitely stories where there should not be a false equivalency, right in order to be fair. Um, But the problem is, because it's across the board, there's never the mention of these other stories. You get a bad rap as that channel. So unless you're gonna just at least try to stop rolling your eyes while you're telling this story, because that is a message in itself, right, the body language of so many people on television these days is a message. Yet I agree that's what should happen, but I think it's a business. It is, and sadly it's being run like a business. And salad don't sell in America. Walk down the streets in Milly. Conflict conflicts cells, y'all got Twitter accounts? Topic two. Now, this was a big week for people who were homeschool. HBO Premier to Day Game with thrown spinoff House of the Dragon. Anybody said while Amazon debut their Lord of the Ring series The Rings of Power, and fans showed their tolerance by mostly not using the N word to tweet about these shows non white actors. Here's the thing. Forcing diversity for the sake of diversity couldn't be ruining cinema, Alright, the movie Friday wouldn't hit the same with Matt naming the debo. Alright, Tom Holland can't be mooky and do the right thing. I'd imagine watching Friends and then little Rail, a little due ball pop up. Alright, some things need to stay segregating, right, what do you think? Jordan Segre is great? Right, Thank you for the question, Charlemagne, you it's all yours. Agents told me. Don't come on the show. Don't come there and watch your answer. First of all, I understand the theoretical story. I think it needs to be more diversity and storytelling. I look at this. We're talking about Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. Those are child stories that have been told a thousand times in the last decade. We need new stories. And I think I look at it right now, and I think it's sort of a litmus test on where America is with these things. And you have people who are grumbling right now, who it's fantasy. They can't even fantasize equal representation. That's too much like Luther King talked about, like dreaming of a time where there was racial equality between children, and where are we in two We can't Yeah, like a black orch So do you think color Catherine is a good thing. I feel why I'm in the middle about it because there are times when it can disrupt the lore of something specific, like I'm into the g Ot, I'm into the House of Dragons, So this black guy, They're like, well, why is he there? Because the Valerians and tar Garians have this this lore of subjugating other groups of people, So it doesn't make sense. I have no idea what you're talking about, and I'm new, I'm whatever. But at the end of the day, is it going to change what we see right now on screen? Like does it matter? Absolutely not? And I think there's two sides to the story. Yes, there are folks who are commenting on I feel like it limits black actors to not be able to bring their blackness. I mean, can we give black actors the freedom to be something outside of quintessential on screens? Could be something outside of Friday. So I think I'm in green stool what you're saying, we have to let them be fantastical, because the thing about it is, I'm sorry to no, no, I agree with you. I just think, like, listen, fantastical stories can be fantastical with any color in them. For heaven's sake, that's fantasy. Let's be fantastic. What if you want to do something true to historical record? That could present more of a problem, right, because it's not as believable. But at the same time, Seana Rhymes was brilliant with BA I think, yeah, I think that's what you need. I don't think you need more actors of color. You need more you know, writers of color and directors of color and producers. There's a mix. And I say there's a mix because not everybody sees the actors, writers and producers. So you've got to have both types of representation on both sides so kids can think they can do and be whatever. And the point that I was gonna make before you started, actually is that white stories don't have to announce that the characters are white, like black people have responsibility to be like, we're black and we're doing this. And I think there's something courageous and revolutionary about just being guy. When we come back, we will be talking about airy spirits of tripany Hattis, and later I'll be talking to crowd. We've got more hell of a weekends. Gustament, Welcome back to hell of a week. We've got Astley Banfield, Jordan Clepper, and Line but neon sets. We all know that in this dam age, the court of public opinion hands out way harsher synensis than the court of law. So that's why we're about to play America's favorite kangaroo court. Fuck them off, forgive him. You haven't even heard the case yet. Last week, Comedians are Spears and Tiffany had his began trendy. It's because a comedy sketch they made for Funny and Die almost ten years ago has resurface that shows aries pretending to being pedophile. Uh. They even used an actual minor in the video, so what was apparently meant to be a p s a on pedophilia should have been dealing as soon as they read the damn script. All right, Predictably, the internet was measured, and it's criticism. What people call all the comedians pedophiles who should be canceled, put in jail, put under the jail, and worse, personally, I think it's ridiculous to paint them is pedophiles. Okay, they just made a very unfunny video. Is that an unforgivable sin panel? I'm gonna go down the line, and I want you to tell me if we should fuck them off, forgive them, and afterwards i'll tell you if you're right, are not. Absolutely I'm starting with you. I might have to cover this case, so I have to kind of like waffle here in this particular case, actually read really deep down in the details, and the facts are very, very uncomfortable. It's it's scary stuff. You know, you can't you can't mess around when you're talking about little kids. Jordan's it's on you forgive. You know, agent said don't do the show and that I was like, oh, you said, fucking fuck them, fuck them to play a game. It's about pedophiles? Great? How fun? How fun? This story is horrifying, and it's confusing with it being a comedy sketch that I'd like to approach it with grace and understand that they came from good intentions. But the accusations are scary. It looks, it looks damning. Uh, it's too damning for me away and and I think that's what the coordinates. You know, video is evidence, and if there's even something that's being acted out without guardians and with little children, that is inappropriate. That is abuse. Actually just say fum, I mean, God my name, it's your turn forgiving, give your reasons. Well, I run my own show, So what's fuck them? No? But it's fun them at first. It's suck them at first, because they hurt someone, regardless of their intentions. Someone was someone got hurt and they were children, and so we have to allow those people to be held accountable, allow those people to express accountability, and then there can be room for forgiveness. I don't agree with not allowing anyone to redeem themselves. What we can't do is lead with forgiveness because then we overshadow someone. I feel like the opposite side of the opposite side of cancel culture come this era of victim blaming, and then we don't hold anyone. We we hearify people like they can't do any wrong, and we allow them to continue in the faces of people that were abused, people that were traumatized, and then we allow those type of behaviors to continue without redress. So it's to them at first, and then we can't forgive them after that. Can I have that answer that being this, this is the only democracy. In late night, I'm gonna ask the audience. If you vothe make some noise, see right, if you vote forgive them, make some noise the crowd and the panel is spoken. And I think you're both wrong. Okay, all right, I say forgive them. Understand that this sketch is in such a bad taste you you would think it was seasoned by white people. Okay, But we have to stop acquainting bad art and bad commentary to actual criminal behavior. And at some point we're gonna have to have a discussion about old content because I keep telling you all over and over, the whole industry is complicit. Okay, This whole entertainment industry really just started to change over the past four or five years. Anybody who says otherwise is a damn liar and a hypocrite. And don't wait until it's your phase or somebody you like to say something about it, because I promise you this whole business is a circular firing squad. Okay. I'd like to thank linnae Ashley and Jordan for their wisdom today, and we'll be right back with how our favorite side kick tow pins well hell of a Week and just ament Welcome back, Welcome back to Hell of the week. Uh, my next guest is an actor, producer, former White House staff member, and an author. His memoir You Can't Be Serious is out right now on paperback. Please welcome cap in. Uh, that's the kind of love you wanted now. Were talking about a diversity earlier, and some nerds are upset with people of color portraying hobbits. And in your book, you know, you talk about your own experiences with diversity casting. How difficult is it for a young actor to take a stand when they're asking you to portray what amounts to be a stereotype? Yeah, the in the book, I talked about stories that are you know, twenty years old, and one of them in particulars, you know, walking into auditions and knowing it's between you and another guy, and you know the part is, you know he might have an accent, that guy might have a particular job. None of those things alone make a stereotype, right, Plenty of people have accents, plenty of people are you know, I remember hearing, oh, you had to play a cab driver, you have to play play story clerk. Those roles tend to be one note. They tend to be the butt of a joke. Ethnicity or race are tied to profession, and that's the only reason your character exists. So if you take that character out, the plot isn't advancing from point A to point Z. It's not going through an arc. And I think sometimes today we get confused between tokenization and representation, And that's an important one to have because can you define that a little bit? Like, Yeah, Look, I think tokenization is you've got a script in front of you, a producer network exact says, uh, we need to just like make one of them a different ethnicity, or you know, we need to at least make the best friend in the interview, you know, at least do that. And I think representation is understanding that we all have stories to tell, we all have certain agency in those stories. And that's changing a lot, you know, that's the last. Like you said earlier, the last five years, especially thanks to streaming platforms, in a large part, has changed the dynamic of what audiences is the truth. You were going on auditions and running into white actors in brown face. Yes, how to make you feel? How did I make How do you think it made me feel wonderful? Now? Huh? When you when you tell that story, now I didn't need those credits on a resume. There was there was a movie, a movie in particular I did called Van Wilder, one of my earliest movies, with Terror Read and Ryan Reynolds. They were both wonderful. Ryan in fact, and was so encouraging in terms of improv on that film. But I remember going into that audition knowing it was between me and another guy. Uh it was a part of an Indian exchange student. I didn't know who the other guy was. And I walked into the audition and I tell the story in the audio book. In the book in more detail, but basically, it's a it's a white dude in brown face. He had already signed in, and I was like, huh see, you're all like whoa. But this was calm. It was fairly common, or at least it wasn't uncommon for that to happen. So I remember thinking to myself two things. One, my beef is rarely with another actor, Like I understand the desperation of wanting a job, but I also was like, you're not allowed to have this job, Like you can play Brandon from Idaho. You're allowed to like you're allowed audition for friends and Seinfeld, you know, like I'm getting this part. But then I also was like, I wonder who told you to do this right? Like was it your agent? Did you do it at home and then drive to the audition if oh, did that increase your chances of getting pulled over? Like or did you come here and do it in the bathroom? So it was but but the dynamic was an interesting one, which was just sort of like I'm getting this part, and then I'm gonna work with the producers on um how to make the role a little more dynamic. There was the one South Asian woman at the time it was working in Network TV gave me advice when I was debating whether or I don't want to take the part. She said, how many things in the script are sort of problematic? And I said, well, like maybe thirty? Because are there are there any jokes that are actually funny? I said, yeah, of course, it's actually a really funny script. She goes, look at pick ten, pick ten things that you think are cringeworthy, and why do you think they're cringeworthy? I was like, honestly, they're kind of boring jokes. They jokes that have been made before on the Simpsons or Seinfeld or something like that. I would just like to she goes great, go to them with ten things. Those ten things say that those are ten issues you have with the script, but you have to come up with ten things that are funnier than what the writers came up with. And I think as performers of color, we forget the agency that we have sometimes to make those changes or suggestions. And it's like, that's why they hired you. They know you're funny. Stop feeling like you don't belong here. And so that was streat advice. That's a great story. And I am so glad it wasn't Ryan Reynolds and Brown. No, No, he's wonderful because I need deadpool. Did you imagine at the White House? Who worked in outreach? Right? So who took your old job when Trump too? But I don't know, I don't know if she don't know how often she was in the building. I worked in outreach off is also called the public li is On office. I worked mostly on outreach to young people, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and the arts community. Those are my three jobs. I don't know who had, if anybody had that job in the former administration, but I know in the current one they're they're fully staffed. And there let's play a quick game of word association. A right, give me the first thing that popped into your mind when I say these things? People who only know you from Harold and Kumar. Uh, they show so much love. Let me tell you of all the jobs that I've had, especially like during the stories that we just told about. You know, whether I was waiting tables, I was a messenger or whatever. If my only job hazard now is that fans who have only seen Harold and Karth the only thing they've seen me in they yelled Kumar when I walked into a place. Or are they like they will just offer you free weed on the street, Like, what are you complaining about? That's your job hazard? Uh, Steve Bannon, That's how most people react to white castles. And that's it. That's all I had was just did Obama, I will call you Kumar? You have a walk in my mom and be like Kuma. He did. He never called me that to my face, but I like to think that I left the room and then I was called that. Okay, enjoyed you man? Giving up the Toppit's sure and tech as you can't be serious. Now on the back when we come back more Hell of a Week. Welcome back the hell of a Week. Recently, in one of his regularly scheduled online meltdowns, Kanye West posted the screen grabbing him calling his ex wife Kim Kardashian half white because she doesn't want to send their kids to his don to school. Hey, Kim is half white, and we need to remember the other half is white too, Okay. Kim Kardashian is Irish and Armenian. That's two types of white, all right. I mean she has all the qualifications for whiteness. No rhythm, Starbucks, diet and ruins the lives of multiple black men. Now I get your confusion. Yeah, because when Kim was with you, she looked half black Ish. Okay, but this is Kim now, all right, looking like my good brother Pete d gave for the first case of sexually transmitted whiteness. All right. I go by the name of Charlemagne the Guy. It's been a hell of a week seeing that thurn day. So be sure to listen to Hell of a Week with Charlemagne and God wherever you get your podcast. This has been a Comedy Central podcast

You're listening to Comedy Central. Donald Trump's old chief advisor, Steve Bannon, got indicted for allegedly scamming people with a crowdfunding campaign called We Build the Wall. Well, if Steve Bannon ends up in prison, the only wall he'll be trying to build will be around those chicks and just like and just like Trump's wall, and won't keep the Mexicans out. Uh. I go by the name of Charlomagne and God. And it's been a hell of a week. Queen Island. Let's get it. Hold just made another one. Do you say hello for the most pleasant panel on the planet. She's a highly respected journalist and the anchor of Banfield on News Nation. Makes some noise for Ashley Banfield, y'all a very familiar face. He's a comedian and a correspondent from My favor Rick Caramel Colored Crime, Trevor Noah. It's Jordan's clip of y'all. Yes, And she's a multi talented and multi hyphened IT content creator best known for her series Parking Lot. Pimpen, Lenevenias Hell and actor Arthur informer Obama advisor cow Penn of stopping by later in the show, but it's been a heell of the week. Actor Chris Pine came out with an official statement that Harry Styles did not spin on his dick at the Venice Film Festival. That's true. But then Chris Pine's dick came out with a statement saying, so why the fucking my way? Right? And but here's what I really want to talk about topic one. Now. I was watching the Morris Chestnut Show a few weeks ago, and Mars asked CNN hosts Don Lemon what would he do if CNN's new leadership made it so he couldn't spit the truth? Oh, the Lemon got heated. Yes, I will be able to do what I do on CNN. What's just to tell the truth, which is to form the American elector in the American public and also the world because we're an international news organization. So if if I'm not allowed to do that, then I will go on and do it somewhere else. Okay, Okay. Since then, several major CNN hosts have left, including Brian stout there and longtime Washington correspondent John Harwood. Al Right, people on the left accused CNN of basically becoming the next Fox News. I haven't seen liberals this mad since they raised the price on African babies. Okay, look, if you're on CNN or MSNBC, you should be able to criticize the Democratic president al right. That doesn't mean they are the next Fox News. It just means you are a tax paying American citizen who understands how democracy works and understands the president works for US. Okay, now sing as new boss Chris let my guy. He was eping on this show last season. He just wants great news, objective truth. I personally think that's what we all need. And actually, you worked at CNN for years. Okay, do you think the mass exit is uh CNN workers outrage is valid from them? Well, I think that Chris Lacks had a really big project over there. Let me listen that the whole Trump era was just sort of a free for all, right, and that led a lot of viewers to say, there's no other opinion other than the anti Trump opinion. Do you think there would be a time we're able to watch like nonpartisan news? Is nonpartisan news possible? I feel like nonpartisan news will be possible when things like basic human rights become nonpartisan issues like that. It it feels like there's other there's propaganda surrounding what the truth really is, propaganda surrounding what the media is putting out. But the media has a responsibility to produce all sides of an argument. I think it's gotta be you gotta be careful though with CNN is telling this line of like both sidearism and I don't think there's two sides to hiding nuclear secrets. Isn't that scary open? If we treat like the news like a playlist on like Spotify or title, it's like we literally could listen to whatever we want to hear when we want to hear. It. Is that good if we can know where to go to hear what we want to hear. Oh, it's not good, but it's American correct. People want to turn on the TV and see a mirror that just makes them look good. I think it's like news cheetos. You know, after a while, you too many, you're not going to be healthy. I think you gotta have some salad. You've got to try your best to be well informed. And you're right, But everybody thinks that is salad. I know. And here's the problem. Um, I think across the board there are definitely stories where there should not be a false equivalency, right in order to be fair. Um, But the problem is, because it's across the board, there's never the mention of these other stories. You get a bad rap as that channel. So unless you're gonna just at least try to stop rolling your eyes while you're telling this story, because that is a message in itself, right, the body language of so many people on television these days is a message. Yet I agree that's what should happen, but I think it's a business. It is, and sadly it's being run like a business. And salad don't sell in America. Walk down the streets in Milly. Conflict conflicts cells, y'all got Twitter accounts? Topic two. Now, this was a big week for people who were homeschool. HBO Premier to Day Game with thrown spinoff House of the Dragon. Anybody said while Amazon debut their Lord of the Ring series The Rings of Power, and fans showed their tolerance by mostly not using the N word to tweet about these shows non white actors. Here's the thing. Forcing diversity for the sake of diversity couldn't be ruining cinema, Alright, the movie Friday wouldn't hit the same with Matt naming the debo. Alright, Tom Holland can't be mooky and do the right thing. I'd imagine watching Friends and then little Rail, a little due ball pop up. Alright, some things need to stay segregating, right, what do you think? Jordan Segre is great? Right, Thank you for the question, Charlemagne, you it's all yours. Agents told me. Don't come on the show. Don't come there and watch your answer. First of all, I understand the theoretical story. I think it needs to be more diversity and storytelling. I look at this. We're talking about Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. Those are child stories that have been told a thousand times in the last decade. We need new stories. And I think I look at it right now, and I think it's sort of a litmus test on where America is with these things. And you have people who are grumbling right now, who it's fantasy. They can't even fantasize equal representation. That's too much like Luther King talked about, like dreaming of a time where there was racial equality between children, and where are we in two We can't Yeah, like a black orch So do you think color Catherine is a good thing. I feel why I'm in the middle about it because there are times when it can disrupt the lore of something specific, like I'm into the g Ot, I'm into the House of Dragons, So this black guy, They're like, well, why is he there? Because the Valerians and tar Garians have this this lore of subjugating other groups of people, So it doesn't make sense. I have no idea what you're talking about, and I'm new, I'm whatever. But at the end of the day, is it going to change what we see right now on screen? Like does it matter? Absolutely not? And I think there's two sides to the story. Yes, there are folks who are commenting on I feel like it limits black actors to not be able to bring their blackness. I mean, can we give black actors the freedom to be something outside of quintessential on screens? Could be something outside of Friday. So I think I'm in green stool what you're saying, we have to let them be fantastical, because the thing about it is, I'm sorry to no, no, I agree with you. I just think, like, listen, fantastical stories can be fantastical with any color in them. For heaven's sake, that's fantasy. Let's be fantastic. What if you want to do something true to historical record? That could present more of a problem, right, because it's not as believable. But at the same time, Seana Rhymes was brilliant with BA I think, yeah, I think that's what you need. I don't think you need more actors of color. You need more you know, writers of color and directors of color and producers. There's a mix. And I say there's a mix because not everybody sees the actors, writers and producers. So you've got to have both types of representation on both sides so kids can think they can do and be whatever. And the point that I was gonna make before you started, actually is that white stories don't have to announce that the characters are white, like black people have responsibility to be like, we're black and we're doing this. And I think there's something courageous and revolutionary about just being guy. When we come back, we will be talking about airy spirits of tripany Hattis, and later I'll be talking to crowd. We've got more hell of a weekends. Gustament, Welcome back to hell of a week. We've got Astley Banfield, Jordan Clepper, and Line but neon sets. We all know that in this dam age, the court of public opinion hands out way harsher synensis than the court of law. So that's why we're about to play America's favorite kangaroo court. Fuck them off, forgive him. You haven't even heard the case yet. Last week, Comedians are Spears and Tiffany had his began trendy. It's because a comedy sketch they made for Funny and Die almost ten years ago has resurface that shows aries pretending to being pedophile. Uh. They even used an actual minor in the video, so what was apparently meant to be a p s a on pedophilia should have been dealing as soon as they read the damn script. All right, Predictably, the internet was measured, and it's criticism. What people call all the comedians pedophiles who should be canceled, put in jail, put under the jail, and worse, personally, I think it's ridiculous to paint them is pedophiles. Okay, they just made a very unfunny video. Is that an unforgivable sin panel? I'm gonna go down the line, and I want you to tell me if we should fuck them off, forgive them, and afterwards i'll tell you if you're right, are not. Absolutely I'm starting with you. I might have to cover this case, so I have to kind of like waffle here in this particular case, actually read really deep down in the details, and the facts are very, very uncomfortable. It's it's scary stuff. You know, you can't you can't mess around when you're talking about little kids. Jordan's it's on you forgive. You know, agent said don't do the show and that I was like, oh, you said, fucking fuck them, fuck them to play a game. It's about pedophiles? Great? How fun? How fun? This story is horrifying, and it's confusing with it being a comedy sketch that I'd like to approach it with grace and understand that they came from good intentions. But the accusations are scary. It looks, it looks damning. Uh, it's too damning for me away and and I think that's what the coordinates. You know, video is evidence, and if there's even something that's being acted out without guardians and with little children, that is inappropriate. That is abuse. Actually just say fum, I mean, God my name, it's your turn forgiving, give your reasons. Well, I run my own show, So what's fuck them? No? But it's fun them at first. It's suck them at first, because they hurt someone, regardless of their intentions. Someone was someone got hurt and they were children, and so we have to allow those people to be held accountable, allow those people to express accountability, and then there can be room for forgiveness. I don't agree with not allowing anyone to redeem themselves. What we can't do is lead with forgiveness because then we overshadow someone. I feel like the opposite side of the opposite side of cancel culture come this era of victim blaming, and then we don't hold anyone. We we hearify people like they can't do any wrong, and we allow them to continue in the faces of people that were abused, people that were traumatized, and then we allow those type of behaviors to continue without redress. So it's to them at first, and then we can't forgive them after that. Can I have that answer that being this, this is the only democracy. In late night, I'm gonna ask the audience. If you vothe make some noise, see right, if you vote forgive them, make some noise the crowd and the panel is spoken. And I think you're both wrong. Okay, all right, I say forgive them. Understand that this sketch is in such a bad taste you you would think it was seasoned by white people. Okay, But we have to stop acquainting bad art and bad commentary to actual criminal behavior. And at some point we're gonna have to have a discussion about old content because I keep telling you all over and over, the whole industry is complicit. Okay, This whole entertainment industry really just started to change over the past four or five years. Anybody who says otherwise is a damn liar and a hypocrite. And don't wait until it's your phase or somebody you like to say something about it, because I promise you this whole business is a circular firing squad. Okay. I'd like to thank linnae Ashley and Jordan for their wisdom today, and we'll be right back with how our favorite side kick tow pins well hell of a Week and just ament Welcome back, Welcome back to Hell of the week. Uh, my next guest is an actor, producer, former White House staff member, and an author. His memoir You Can't Be Serious is out right now on paperback. Please welcome cap in. Uh, that's the kind of love you wanted now. Were talking about a diversity earlier, and some nerds are upset with people of color portraying hobbits. And in your book, you know, you talk about your own experiences with diversity casting. How difficult is it for a young actor to take a stand when they're asking you to portray what amounts to be a stereotype? Yeah, the in the book, I talked about stories that are you know, twenty years old, and one of them in particulars, you know, walking into auditions and knowing it's between you and another guy, and you know the part is, you know he might have an accent, that guy might have a particular job. None of those things alone make a stereotype, right, Plenty of people have accents, plenty of people are you know, I remember hearing, oh, you had to play a cab driver, you have to play play story clerk. Those roles tend to be one note. They tend to be the butt of a joke. Ethnicity or race are tied to profession, and that's the only reason your character exists. So if you take that character out, the plot isn't advancing from point A to point Z. It's not going through an arc. And I think sometimes today we get confused between tokenization and representation, And that's an important one to have because can you define that a little bit? Like, Yeah, Look, I think tokenization is you've got a script in front of you, a producer network exact says, uh, we need to just like make one of them a different ethnicity, or you know, we need to at least make the best friend in the interview, you know, at least do that. And I think representation is understanding that we all have stories to tell, we all have certain agency in those stories. And that's changing a lot, you know, that's the last. Like you said earlier, the last five years, especially thanks to streaming platforms, in a large part, has changed the dynamic of what audiences is the truth. You were going on auditions and running into white actors in brown face. Yes, how to make you feel? How did I make How do you think it made me feel wonderful? Now? Huh? When you when you tell that story, now I didn't need those credits on a resume. There was there was a movie, a movie in particular I did called Van Wilder, one of my earliest movies, with Terror Read and Ryan Reynolds. They were both wonderful. Ryan in fact, and was so encouraging in terms of improv on that film. But I remember going into that audition knowing it was between me and another guy. Uh it was a part of an Indian exchange student. I didn't know who the other guy was. And I walked into the audition and I tell the story in the audio book. In the book in more detail, but basically, it's a it's a white dude in brown face. He had already signed in, and I was like, huh see, you're all like whoa. But this was calm. It was fairly common, or at least it wasn't uncommon for that to happen. So I remember thinking to myself two things. One, my beef is rarely with another actor, Like I understand the desperation of wanting a job, but I also was like, you're not allowed to have this job, Like you can play Brandon from Idaho. You're allowed to like you're allowed audition for friends and Seinfeld, you know, like I'm getting this part. But then I also was like, I wonder who told you to do this right? Like was it your agent? Did you do it at home and then drive to the audition if oh, did that increase your chances of getting pulled over? Like or did you come here and do it in the bathroom? So it was but but the dynamic was an interesting one, which was just sort of like I'm getting this part, and then I'm gonna work with the producers on um how to make the role a little more dynamic. There was the one South Asian woman at the time it was working in Network TV gave me advice when I was debating whether or I don't want to take the part. She said, how many things in the script are sort of problematic? And I said, well, like maybe thirty? Because are there are there any jokes that are actually funny? I said, yeah, of course, it's actually a really funny script. She goes, look at pick ten, pick ten things that you think are cringeworthy, and why do you think they're cringeworthy? I was like, honestly, they're kind of boring jokes. They jokes that have been made before on the Simpsons or Seinfeld or something like that. I would just like to she goes great, go to them with ten things. Those ten things say that those are ten issues you have with the script, but you have to come up with ten things that are funnier than what the writers came up with. And I think as performers of color, we forget the agency that we have sometimes to make those changes or suggestions. And it's like, that's why they hired you. They know you're funny. Stop feeling like you don't belong here. And so that was streat advice. That's a great story. And I am so glad it wasn't Ryan Reynolds and Brown. No, No, he's wonderful because I need deadpool. Did you imagine at the White House? Who worked in outreach? Right? So who took your old job when Trump too? But I don't know, I don't know if she don't know how often she was in the building. I worked in outreach off is also called the public li is On office. I worked mostly on outreach to young people, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and the arts community. Those are my three jobs. I don't know who had, if anybody had that job in the former administration, but I know in the current one they're they're fully staffed. And there let's play a quick game of word association. A right, give me the first thing that popped into your mind when I say these things? People who only know you from Harold and Kumar. Uh, they show so much love. Let me tell you of all the jobs that I've had, especially like during the stories that we just told about. You know, whether I was waiting tables, I was a messenger or whatever. If my only job hazard now is that fans who have only seen Harold and Karth the only thing they've seen me in they yelled Kumar when I walked into a place. Or are they like they will just offer you free weed on the street, Like, what are you complaining about? That's your job hazard? Uh, Steve Bannon, That's how most people react to white castles. And that's it. That's all I had was just did Obama, I will call you Kumar? You have a walk in my mom and be like Kuma. He did. He never called me that to my face, but I like to think that I left the room and then I was called that. Okay, enjoyed you man? Giving up the Toppit's sure and tech as you can't be serious. Now on the back when we come back more Hell of a Week. Welcome back the hell of a Week. Recently, in one of his regularly scheduled online meltdowns, Kanye West posted the screen grabbing him calling his ex wife Kim Kardashian half white because she doesn't want to send their kids to his don to school. Hey, Kim is half white, and we need to remember the other half is white too, Okay. Kim Kardashian is Irish and Armenian. That's two types of white, all right. I mean she has all the qualifications for whiteness. No rhythm, Starbucks, diet and ruins the lives of multiple black men. Now I get your confusion. Yeah, because when Kim was with you, she looked half black Ish. Okay, but this is Kim now, all right, looking like my good brother Pete d gave for the first case of sexually transmitted whiteness. All right. I go by the name of Charlemagne the Guy. It's been a hell of a week seeing that thurn day. So be sure to listen to Hell of a Week with Charlemagne and God wherever you get your podcast. This has been a Comedy Central podcast