Comedy walks a fine line. On the one hand, everything is fair game — if we can’t laugh at ourselves, what’s the point?
But while it’s tough sit in judgement over what can or can’t be talked about, it’s a lot easier to interpret intention.
What was the intention, for instance, behind Jamie Foxx’s recent jokes at Bruce Jenner’s expense at the iHeartRadio awards?
The answer seems limited to obtaining a cheap laugh, putting someone down and playing off tired stereotypes of transgender people.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
And that’s not comedy, that’s just mean.
Plus the jokes aren’t even close to funny (even out of context), as you can see for yourself in the following cringeworthy clip:
Thom Solo
What I think is most disgusting Is that Bruce (not that they should have to) hasn’t even come out. Tabloid mags photoshop and they have long hair just like there sons…. People need to back off and let Bruce handle this. We’re essentially shaming right out the gate…. It’s 2015.
Luis Collazo
Well he’s an ass and a terrible actor hate that fucking loser!
Thomas Hammond
Maybe need put Jimmie fox on boycott list
Desert Boy
How ironic when you stop to think Jamie Foxx made his career playing the cross-eyed, ghetto chickenhead, Wanda.
Allen Landscape
Discrimination rears it’s ugly face again……this time it’s Jamie Foxx’s face.
jayj150
Why was that transphobic?. Jenner has not officially come out as transgender. For all we know, he’s just trying a new look; after all, long hair and no Adam’s apple don’t make someone a woman. Call it ‘in bad taste’ if you want(which it was not), but he needs to have the balls to come out before transhacktivist start yelling ‘that’s transphobic!!’.
Michael Lawrence
He has always been annoying
Tym Hanson
If it were a black “joke” I’m sure he wouldn’t like it…
Giancarlo85
Highly transphobic. But then again you can’t fix someone as stupid as Jamie Foxx either way.
Jay, shut up please. You don’t know anything about trans people asides from being a typical douchebag.
Xzamilio
If anything, low hanging fruit jokes are really the laziest form of comedy, so if anything, it shows Jamie Foxx has no real knack for going for smart humor. With that said, comedians often have to go for the joke and know where the line is drawn, so while the joke was not in good taste, most jokes seldom are. It did seem to be a bit tacky to poke fun at someone’s transition especially when you know what a process it is for trans men and women.
Blackceo
I think his jokes did go too far. Was a bit tacky. Shame cuz I like Jamie and his acting was brilliant in Ray in which he totally deserved that Oscar but these are gutter jokes. Bruce has to go through whatever he’s going through publicly and that’s why I always say give me the money but not the fame. This is the down side of being famous and the fact that he’s linked with those Kartrashians makes him an even easier target.
mmichael_24
It’s funny how people in the comments all of a sudden have a problem with Jamie Fox because he told a JOKE that you didn’t like.
Xzamilio
However, I will say that Bill Maher brings up interesting points about the far left that I have long agreed with…
http://shallowvoices.blogspot.com/2015/03/long-rant-bill-maher-has-point-liberals.html
CCTR
That joke was in very bad taste, very insensitive and unacceptable. Jamie should know better. I hope he sincerely apologizes.
Jill Soloway gets a pass I guess? Despite the show she created (Transparent), it makes one wonder. I’m just saying
http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/transparent-creator-jill-soloway-apologizes-anti-trans-bruce-jenner-joke020215
http://www.queerty.com/transparent-wins-big-at-the-golden-globes-snl-alums-prove-theyve-still-got-it-20150112
dhmonarch89
I can see where it’s offensive…but it’s also really not funny!!!
Kangol
I think his joke was in horrible taste and not funny. You can do better, Jamie. He’s not a bad actor, though. He was great in Ray!
BTW, Queerty, there are so many anti-gay headlines out there, perhaps you’ll cover some of these too?
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/03/ohio-attorney-general-gays-already-have-too-much-power-thats-why-they-cant-get-married/
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/03/watch-indiana-gop-leader-admits-no-gays-allowed-sign-would-be-legal-in-most-of-the-state/
rickhfx
He should have talked about himself, about how he’s a NI66er, and his own ashy skin, nappy hair and musty stink. Like anyone would find that funny. What a bigoted looser, boycott his stupid ass !
aliengod
Good grief people. It was a joke. And a funny one at that.
@jayj150: Have to agree with you. Good point.
J.r. LeJeune
What a jerk….
Michael Haley
Yawn! It was not transphobic at all…get a life!
Merv
I’m getting tired of overanalyzing every joke looking for offense. He’s a professional comedian. If you don’t like his brand of humor, then don’t listen. Not everybody has the same sense of humor. They go over the line when they’re mean-spirited. I don’t think these jokes were, just sophomoric.
Lee Stockman
Lol
polarisfashion
Maybe we need to start telling straight jokes? We don’t need to tell conservative jokes because these idiots like Ted Cruz and Pat Robertson are walking jokes themselves.
Blackceo
@rickhfx:
Ummm does this board not have fucking moderators??!!! What is this their day off???
Giancarlo85
@aliengod: Funny? What was so funny about it? Can you even try to troll properly? The joke was rubbish…
aliengod
@Giancarlo85: Your overuse of the word “troll” is juvenile. You define a troll as anyone who disagrees with your twisted logic. Shhh!… the grown ups are trying to talk.
Christopher Trombley
WELL IF YOU STICK YOUR DICK INTO A KARDASHIAN THEN ALL BETS ARE OFF AND YOUR FREE GAME BITCH!
aliengod
@Christopher Trombley: LOL
Bob LaBlah
I stopped watching after he mocked country song skit. I wonder what the reaction would have been had Tracy Byrd and Toby Keith got together on the Country Music Award and did a rap in regards to pants hanging low, 40oz beer and poppin’ a Nword or James Earl Ray, shooting, and the NRA?
aliengod
@Bob LaBlah: The response would have been the same… a good laugh. All of the examples you gave show the laughable parts of our culture. Beyond that, I’m not sure what your point is?
Captain Obvious
Oh God… it was a joke and a funny one at that. So tired of people acting so sensitive just to have a chance to whine and complain about something.
It’s like people have a collective stick up their asses over every little thing now.
If anyone is making a mockery of the trans experience it’s Bruce freaking Jenner who tried to cash in on it with a reality show deal and the fact that it’s clear he was only doing it to bring attention to Keeping up with the Kardashians.
If Jamie was transphobic he would’ve just ignored trans people altogether like many have done for years. Instead he got a dialogue going after the joke was over and brought awareness to trans people… even if it came through someone who I don’t believe is really trans at all(if he is then he’s going about it the wrong way putting it on display via reality tv rather than taking it seriously).
If he wasn’t a comic using a public figure who’s on the biggest REALITY SHOW out there then people would have a point. It’s no different than any joke Joan Rivers or Kathy Griffin told about public figures and they would’ve ripped into them worse.
Bruce doesn’t display anything that an actual trans person does. He hasn’t tried to make any changes whatsoever in his life to show himself as a female. Not even simple small changes. He has a ton of botched surgeries and some stupid nail polish which comes off. He’s filthy rich so he could easily make changes to his wardrobe if he wanted to and then some. Real trans people with that kinda money would have had their dream come true asap. Bruce is a phony and it’s ridiculous that people are making so much out of a basic joke.
@rickhfx: Well that didn’t take long, you have real mental issues.
jason smeds
Hang on – weren’t the iHeartRadio awards held yesterday? Weren’t Madonna, Taylor Swift, Rihanna etc in attendance? Why is it OK to criticize Jamie Foxx but not these women? If these women did attend, why are they attending a show which trades on such low-brow humor?
Giancarlo85
@aliengod: You’re not a grown up. You’re a little kid (when were you born? 1993, 1994?). You’re the one with extremely demented logic.
Cam
@jason smeds:
Jason, you and your little cohorts have GOT to realize by now that just lobbing non-specific crap up there and hoping it will stick doesn’t work too well on this board anymore.
If you have video or proof that one of them said something offensive please feel free to provide it. But since you can’t. Please go back to trying to figure out how you can lie and pretend that the law passed in Indiana ISNT’T anti-gay.
Brady Kay
Giuliana Rancic says a comment about weed and patchouli and dread locks and people lose their S#!$…Jamie Foxx insults someone at their core for who they are and people barely budge..wtf!???
Giancarlo85
@Brady Kay: Some people on here don’t consider trans people actual people. You can’t fix bigotry.
Brandon Stuckey
He is a comedian he has joked about gay, black and white he has even joked about how africans stink.. This was not a big deal at all…If. Joan Rivers made this joke..rest her soul all the girls would laugh and move forward ..
Giancarlo85
Isn’t a comedian supposed to be funny?
And no, I don’t think Joan Rivers would have made this joke.
cheetah69
@rickhfx: Couple things: you’re a bigot. another thingL when trying to insult someone’s intelligence, please do it while spelling simple words correctly.
Don Bradshaw
It’s a fucking joke. Learn to laugh yourselves, you’ll find it to be a lot healthier
Patrick Cremeans
Oh please.
jwtraveler
On the offensiveness scale, I give it about a 2, maybe 3. I respect Foxx’s talent and he’s always seemed like a decent guy. I’m not going to tar and feather him for one slightly tasteless 29-second comedy clip.
hex0
Comedians make fun of everybody, not sure why transsexuals think they’re immune.
AtticusBennett
it’s not funny, and trust the broken wimps that comment on this site to pull the old “get a thicker skin” line of excuse giving. most of you you sack-sack wimps aren’t even Out in your own lives, and it’s because of cultural bigotry and mockery, and yet your cowardly_@sses sit here defending a “joke” that is not funny, and comes at the expense of the experiences of our trans brothers and sisters.