Shawn and Marlon Wayans weighed in on Tony Hinchcliffe’s controversial George Floyd joke during the Kevin Hart roast. The comedy duo sat down with Hollywood Unlocked to share their thoughts on where the line should be drawn in stand up comedy.
Both brothers acknowledged that edgy material has always been part of the craft, but they emphasized that comedians need to deliver a strong punchline when tackling painful subjects. Their conversation about stand up comedy reflected the real stakes comedians face when pushing boundaries.
“You’re supposed to take it there,” Shawn said. Marlon agreed but explained that controversial jokes come with immediate consequences if audiences aren’t laughing.
“You gotta understand, if you take it there, and you go there, and you get that ‘Ooooooh,’ you better make sure the laugh is worth the offense,” Marlon noted. “That laugh doesn’t hit, and that meter falls fast in your face.”
Marlon and Shawn Wayans react to the Kevin Hart roast and Tony Hinchcliffe’s George Floyd joke, saying it wasn’t funny enough to justify making it, but that comedians still shouldn’t be canceled over comedy
“If you find the right joke and George Floyd family laugh, you did… pic.twitter.com/mQSwSLSncj— Killa (@KillaKreww) May 19, 2026
The White Chicks star was clear: Hinchcliffe didn’t land the joke the way he intended. This kind of missed moment can spark real conversations about freedom struggle and respect in comedy spaces.
“It just wasn’t funny enough, and in this case it’s too sensitive, and he didn’t find the right joke,” Marlon continued. “If you find the right joke and George Floyd’s family laughs, you did the right joke.”
Hinchcliffe drew immediate backlash after saying during the roast, “Right now, George Floyd is looking up at us all laughing so hard he can’t breathe.” The joke went viral for all the wrong reasons, and viewers—along with Floyd’s brother, Terrence Floyd—pushed back hard. Terrence later said Hart should have stopped the moment from happening.
Hart later defended Hinchcliffe’s appearance on Instagram, calling the comedian “funny” and praising him for understanding “the assignment.” But the Wayans brothers’ measured take suggests there’s nuance here—comedy can challenge us, but it has to actually land to justify the risk.
★m★
