Saturday’s NAACP Image Awards were all about celebrating the best in black culture over the past year, and making good on what the BAFTAs got wrong with the N-word controversy.
Deon Cole returned as host and also addressed the sensitive situation as you’d expect a comedian to: head-on.
It came early on, during the monologue while he was giving a prayer.
“Lord, before we go, if there are any white men out here in the audience with Tourette’s, I advise you to tell them they better read the room tonight, Lord. It might not go the way they thinketh. Whatever medicine they’re on, they better double up on it, Lord.”
It’s in reference to last week’s BAFTAs, when John Davidson, an activist with Tourette’s syndrome, yelled the N-word, when Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on hand to present the nominees for the Best Special Visual Effects. In the pre-taped broadcast, the Sinners actors powered through the mishap, and host Alan Cumming addressed the crowd several times later to apologize for the outbursts.
Cole may have handled the flub with a curt joke, but others at the ceremony gave them their flowers like Regina Hall while handing out the first award of the night.
“Take a moment for the two kings in the audience,” she said, as the crowd gave them a standing ovation.
Cole joked about other touchy subjects like Nicki Minaj cozying up to Trump, and he feigned sympathy for her.
“She’s been going through a lot lately,” he said. “She hasn’t been herself. Lord, I believe whatever’s in her ass is affecting her brain.”
Trump’s administration was on the butt of other jokes too, including Epstein, and the way he’s handling immigration policy led to Cole saying “f-ck ICE,” which was bleeped out.
“I don’t want to see no ICE ever again,” Cole joked. “When I looked at the guest list, I took off Ice Cube, Ice-T, Ice Spice. I don’t want no ice cream. I don’t want no ice in my drink.”
But his jokes weren’t without criticism, as some thought the Tourette’s quip was a low blow because those with the diagnosis have uncontrollable tics.
See the reactions below.