Liberal political comedian Bill Maher got an earful on Friday from rapper and actor Ice Cube over his use of the N-word on his HBO show “Real Time” last week.
“You got a lot of black jokes,” Ice Cube said on the latest episode of Maher’s program.
“What?” Maher replied, somewhat taken aback. He then said these jokes were directed “against racists.”
Ice Cube was unconvinced. “Uhh. Sometimes you sound like a redneck trucker,” Ice Cube said. Maher responded that he had to “push back” on that comment.
Oh yeah, Ice Cube gave @billmaher the talk he needed to hear pic.twitter.com/i7jYbCtm5P— Tommy Christopher (@tommyxtopher) June 10, 2017
The exchange Friday was in response to Maher’s sit-down interview last week with Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., when he said the word. Speaking about a potential visit to Nebraska and working in the fields, Maher quipped, “Work in the fields? Senator, I’m a house nigger.”
The comment elicited fierce backlash online and condemnation from HBO. Some people even called for Maher’s ouster, including Deray McKesson, a civil rights activist and member of Black Lives Matter.
Later that weekend Maher apologized, admitting that “the word was offensive and I regret saying it and am very sorry.”
Maher on Friday offered further explained his comment last week during a conversation about race with sociology professor and author Michael Eric Dyson. “I just don’t want to pretend this is more of a race thing than a comedian thing,” Maher said. “Comedians are a special kind of monkey. We are a trained thing that just tried to get a laugh.”
Ice Cube told Maher that he accepts Maher’s apology, but warned against any white people using the N-word. He said white people have used the word like a “knife” to hurt black people. “That’s our word now. And you can’t have it back,” he said.
