Marlon Wayans and the entire Wayans clan have always made films that push the limits of what is considered “decent” to get a laugh. Well before their time on “In Living Color,” Keenan Ivory Wayans was shocking people with the cult classic comedy, “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka.” And of course, years later, Shawn and Marlon Wayans continued to push the boundaries with “White Chicks,” a film that many point to as an example of a hit feature that has not really held up over the years due to its misogynistic and racial humor. But nearly 20 years after its release, Marlon Wayans not only defends the humor in “White Chicks” but the current “generation” is really the problem.
Speaking to Buzzfeed, while promoting his new Netflix film, “The Curse of Bridge Hollow,” Marlon Wayans was asked about the legacy of “White Chicks” and how the film is deemed problematic in the eyes of today’s audiences.
“I think they’re needed,” Wayans said about comedies like “White Chicks.” “I don’t know what planet we’re on, where you think people don’t need laughter, and that people need to be censored and canceled. If a joke is gonna get me canceled, thank you for doing me that favor.”
He continued, “It’s sad that society is in this place where we can’t laugh anymore. I ain’t listening to this damn generation. I ain’t listening to these folks: These scared-ass people, these scared executives. Y’all do what you want to do? Great. I’m still gonna tell my jokes the way I tell them. And if you want to make some money, jump on board. And if not, then I’ll find a way to do it myself. I know my audience. My audience comes to my shows every weekend and they leave feeling great and laughing. One thing about the Wayans, we’ve always told the worst joke the best way.”
It’s not like “White Chicks” was a bomb when it was released in 2004. The comedy carried a reported budget of around $37 million and earned more than $113 million worldwide. Not just that, but this was during the pre-streaming era, when home video was a huge factor in how much money a film earned after its release. Back in 2004, when the film was released, there were very few people actively calling the film problematic and instead, it was embraced by the general public in a big way. That said, it definitely doesn’t hold up to today’s standards of “acceptable” humor.
And it sure does appear that Wayans is not interested in conforming to what he thinks studios and this “damn generation” want to see. “The Curse of Bridge Hollow” is available now on Netflix.