Black Twitter Doesn’t Care What White People Think of Wilmore Saying ‘My N*gga’ to Obama
White House Correspondents’ Dinner emcee and The Nightly Show host Larry Wilmore delivered the usual poorly-received followup to the President’s remarks, one which got him flipped off by Don Lemon and earned him a death stare from Wolf Blitzer that Wilmore probably hasn’t seen since the last time he hopped in the back of a New York City cab, but he really left a mark with his parting remark to President Obama: “Yo, Barry, you did it, my nigga.”
On CNN’s live postgame show, contributor and Donald Trump supporter Kayleigh McEnany weighed in on Wilmore’s set, and the remark, with some apparently unintentional irony:
Yes, isn’t it awful to call journalists out by name? Not classy!
Marc Lamont Hill had a slightly different take, saying he had no problem with the use of the word, but saying that he just didn’t find it funny. He also revealed that Wilmore’s remark had “500 white people texting me asking me ‘Why would he use that word?'”
Hill also said there would be division within the black community about whether Wilmore’s use of the word was “disrespectful,” but if Black Twitter is any indication, there is one thing that’s near-unanimous: nobody wants to hear what white people think about it. Here are some of the top tweets about that moment:
Prepare for tsunami of “think pieces” on Larry Wilmore, #whcd, code switching, blackness, and the use of the word “nigga”.
— chauncey devega (@chaunceydevega) May 1, 2016
*jonathan Chait writing his hot take of Wilmore’s use of “nigga”* #WHCD pic.twitter.com/JQTJTTDMk2
— Broderick Greer (@BroderickGreer) May 1, 2016
Hey…. so can we all collectively agree to ignore the white thinkpieces on Larry Wilmore’s jokes and usage of nigga? #WHCD
— ToraShae (@BlackMajiik) May 1, 2016
White people upset at Larry Wilmore dropping “nigga” is definitely Peak White Tears. #WHCD
— VSB (@VerySmartBros) May 1, 2016
The same press that giggled when Trump demanded Obama show his papers not clutching their pearls at Wilmore calling my “my nigga” #FOH #WHCD
— Booty O’s (@TheToast2016) May 1, 2016
Everybody in America, black and white, when @larrywilmore said, “Yo Barry, you did it my nigga.” #WHCD pic.twitter.com/GW3ss0Bel3
— Still I Dab. (@RevrendDoctor) May 1, 2016
Wonder how long we’re going to have to hear from white supremacists and negro apologists about “obama you did it my nigga” #WHCD
— IG: ijustdontget_it (@cypherdivine) May 1, 2016
Laws, WYPIPO GONNA GO CRAZY OVER THE MY NIGGA JOKE! ???? #WHCD
— Booty O’s (@TheToast2016) May 1, 2016
Nigga, that nigga said “nigga.” #WHCD
— Our Lady of Acadiana (@DuchessCadbury) May 1, 2016
Larry Wilmore I can not ???? did you hear women scream when he called Obama “my nigga” ?? #WHCD
— Laura Martin (@LauraKMM) May 1, 2016
Me watching people argue about the word nigga on the TL right now#WHCD
— Philip Lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) May 1, 2016
Man, I haven’t seen this many white people this uncomfortable since Burlap Underwear Night at NASCAR #WHCD
— Tommy Christopher (@tommyxtopher) May 1, 2016
They never letting a nigga do this again! #WHCD
— Father Of Draggins (@rodimusprime) May 1, 2016
As a former comic, I would only make two observations. First, for those convinced Wilmore bombed, keep in mind that this is The. Worst. Room. In comedy. You’d get more laughs booking a child funeral with an open casket. Second, for those evaluating Wilmore’s closer, keep in mind that it wasn’t a punchline, it was a setup. All of this is the punchline.
This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.
