The Shxtsngigs podcast hosts were forced to publicly apologize after a recent episode's online controversy.
Having been around for nearly a decade, the uber-popular comedy podcast garnered quite a following.
The online talk show (which can be watched on YouTube and listened to on podcast services) consistently appears in Spotify and Apple Podcasts' top podcast charts, peaking at the second biggest comedy podcast across the two major platforms (via Chartable).
The Shxtsngigs Podcast Controversy Explained
Fans are shocked as the Shxtsngigs podcast is in the middle of a significant controversy.
The drama stems from hosts James Duncan and Fuhad Dawodu's appearance on fellow podcast Andrew Schulz's Flagrant with Akaash Singh, where the pair may make what some have deemed racist jokes.
The podcasting duo was heavily criticized for laughing along as Flagrant host Andrew Schulz made derogatory jokes about Black women that were steeped in heavily racist stereotypes.
The segment of the show in question saw the three podcast hosts discussing what Schulz had deemed the "Black Girlfriend effect."
According to Schulz, this sees white men who are dating Black women take on different physical traits like shaving their head or growing a beard because they are "so stressed to be around this black girl complaining" or "they need a cushion when they get slapped."
Duncan and Dawodu did nothing to stop the Flagrant host's assertion, leading some to believe they may share the same (or similar) feelings.
Some have even dug into the Shxtngigs creators' pasts, finding instances where they have made derogatory comments similar to those heard on their Flagrant appearance.
Eagle-eyed X (formerly Twitter) users dug up a couple of clips from the podcasting duo in which the pair previously talked about having a "stigma against black girls." This particular sentiment came from an episode in which Duncan described previous experiences of being bullied for his mixed-race heritage.
In the wake of this drama, Duncan and Dawodu issued a public apology to start one of their most recent episodes (via YouTube).
The pair said that the jokes that were made were "incredibly inappropriate," and there is "literally no excuse:"
"There were a few jokes made that were incredibly inappropriate, on specifically pertaining to Black women. In the clip, Andrew [Schulz] was making a frankly racist joke, I am not even going to get into specifics, and we were laughing at it. Before we get into specifics or anything like that, obviously, there is literally no excuse."
They compared their reaction to a "fight or flight" response, not knowing what to do in that situation and pointing to a state of "shock" they were in with what was being said:
"Fight or flight is a real thing, and when you are those situations of like, 'Bro, if it was me, I promise you, I would stand up and kick those cameras down. I'll smack homeboy in the face. I will say this. I will do that.' But when you are in there you are in shock."
They posited that they, at the time, just tried to "move on" and were not prepared for what they thought they were getting into with the podcast appearance:
"Literally so many different topics, we were like, 'Move on. Move on. Move on.' It is not about pity laughs or anything, but we just wanted to get out of that situation and keep the ball rolling. We thought it was going to be more like a bros chat, and it ended up being something that it was not meant to be."
The pair outright apologized to their audience, saying, "We are sorry" and that they know that those sorts of comments "hurt people:"
Duncan: "I know that really really hurt people that look to us for support and look to us to feel protected. And protected is the main thing that I wanted to discuss. It is our duty to protect you guys, and it is definitely not cool to be in that situation and not be the ones to stand up and kick the cameras down. We fucked it on that occasion. It is not going to happen again. It is about being human. It is about realizing that you do not know what you prepared for."
Dawodu: "You learn from your mistakes, and that is literally it."
Duncan: "We are sorry."
This public attempt to make amends with fans has been divisive.
Some believe the Mobo Award-winning duo did not take enough responsibility for their actions, while others see the pair as having no responsibility for someone else's comments.
Shxtsngigs is available on all major podcast platforms.
