Black Transgender Comedian Flame Monroe On White Comedians Using The N-Word: 'It Depends On The Context'
Flame Monroe is a popular standup comedian who was featured on Tiffany Haddish’s Netflix special They Ready. Flame, who identifies as a Black transgender woman, recently spoke out about people being too sensitive in comedy and even appeared to condone white comedians using the N-word, depending on the “context.”
While appearing on The Clay Cane Show on SiriusXM Urban View, Flame, who has been accused of making offensive comments about the LGBTQ community, was asked about the perception that people are easily offended by comedy.
“I believe that comedy is definitely over censured and, I’m telling you, I don't understand how one group can be offended about something that they say about that group, but laugh at something else that they say about another group.”
Monroe added, “Yes, people are crybabies… and every group got an issue. So let's start with it, was it even funny?”
When it comes to white comedians using the N-word, Monroe appeared to give a pass, “It depends on the context that you use the word. I can't be a hypocrite about it, I say the word every day. But within a Black community, the word has 10,000 meanings, from zero to 60 and it can mean so many different things in so many different ways. But if you only say it for malice and hate and anger, then that's what it means.”
Flame continued, “I'm not going to beat them up about that. I think you need to read your room. You need to know your audience.”
However, Aida Rodriguez, who also appeared in They Ready, was not here for white comedians using the racial slur in any context.
“You can't say the N-word around me if you're white. I don't care what the context is. I checked a New York comedian with a bunch of Black American comedians around me. He was like, ‘It's funny, it's in a joke.’ He was Jewish, I said, ‘So if we use the K-word, would you think it was funny?’ He said, ‘There's nothing funny about the K word.’ I was like, ‘Well, there was nothing funny about the N-word to us.’”
Rodriguez continued, “You can't use that around me and that is because I work in the spaces where white comedians do think that in the name of a joke, that they can get off with racism, sexism.”
However, Rodriguez also said there is a difference in how people approach Flame and how people approach her.
Rodriguez joked, “Flame will let you know that Flame will shoot you. So a lot of people are not going to try Flame like they try me. They try me.”
Flame also addressed backlash received in the LGBT community for being accused of upholding “homophobia and transphobia,” according to Cane.
Watch the interview below:
