Perspective

Last Wednesday, the Black Student Union (BSU) hosted a comedy show as part of the event lineup for Black History Month. The Bucknall Theater had barely enough seats in the house for BSU’s comedy show. Music flooded the speakers as everyone entered; whoever was on aux kept the energy high.

The stage was set for a night of entertainment, however, as alumnus comedian Emmanuel Hudson proceeded through his comedic skits, there became more to question about what kind of “humor” was meant to bring the audience together.

The skit started out on a high note, with jokes about attending a PWI, jabs at the residential halls and audience participation to test the amount of game that New Haven has through pickup lines.

The content surrounding dating culture in the modern day only progressed, until Hudson started off a new section by saying, “dating these days is confusing; you don’t know what anyone is.”

He continued, saying that “you might as well make the bathroom signs…” and made a shrugging gesture, suggesting that such be the replacement for “male” and “female” symbols dividing these spaces.

Hudson also talked about how during his YouTube career, he would receive comments where people would ask him if he was gay. He said that he would be quick to defend that this was not his sexuality. He “used to find myself always arguing online trying to defend myself until I realized and I stopped and I paid attention to the advantages of being gay; looking at the privileges.”

He also said that if he gets hit on by an ugly girl, or if Biden implements another draft, he will claim to be gay.

The jokes continued for some time.

“That’s no disrespect to gay people,” Hudson said to end the bit.

The crowd’s laughter did not falter at all during this section.

BSU did not respond to requests to comment on the content of the show or questions as to whether the content was reviewed before the event took place.

In light of Black History Month, especially after an outcry from the student body earlier this month surrounding a reduction in events hosted by the university, it is interesting to consider that events hosted by Registered Student Organizations such as BSU would use their time onstage to make jokes about another marginalized community.

To take the time to target others instead of uplifting your own community when given a platform is an unfair approach to your entire community, and those you happen to be dragging with your commentary.