George Floyd continues to be a name that carries weight in our culture—and for good reason. Recently, comedian Lil Rel Howery called out a joke that brought Floyd’s memory into the roast of Kevin Hart, and honestly, his frustration is valid.
Howery shared his thoughts on Instagram after catching up on the Netflix Is a Joke special. He praised several performers, including Regina Hall, Katt Williams, and Kevin Hart, for doing solid work. But then he got real about Tony Hinchcliffe’s bit involving George Floyd. He wasn’t having it.
“What I am annoyed by, and I’m just keeping it one hundred y’all… I don’t understand, it’s one thing to roast the people that’s there,” Howery said in the clip. “Tony Hinchcliffe’s joke about George Floyd didn’t make f—ing sense to me. It was no reason to bring George Floyd into this. It was just disgusting.”
The moment sparked what felt like a cultural meditation on comedy ethics and boundaries. Howery also questioned why the audience boo’d references to Draymond Green more aggressively than they responded to Hinchcliffe’s remarks. That disconnect told its own story.
“The audience was OK boo’ing Draymond Green every time his name was mentioned,” he said. “But you don’t boo Tony Hinchcliffe right after that?”
Loni Love and others jumped in to co-sign Howery’s take, keeping the conversation going online. Floyd’s family released their own statement, asking for “a little bit more positive” discourse—a reminder that some names deserve more reverence than punchlines.
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