Adam Carolla doesn’t want to hear that you’re offended by Katy Perry’s “blackface” shoes, and he also doesn’t want to hear the pop star apologize to those who took offense.
As a matter of fact, the reigning king of podcasting would like all of those people calling the black version of her Rue and Ora shoes with a cartoonish face adorned to them “problematic” to “kill” themselves.
The shoes in question, released last summer in nine different colors, were pulled from Perry’s online collection and multiple retail stores after creating a bit of a stir on social media. Below is a tweet we selected for this story as it depicts both the black and beige versions of one style.
Katy Perry 'Blackface' Shoe to Be Pulled from Shelves
Ok, can we just make this a rule that ANY product, service or person that is NOT Black will NOT create, promote or apply any combination of BLACK + FACE
“To all the people that find this problematic: Will you please kill yourself?” Carolla said during a Wednesday recording of Thursday’s “Adam Carolla Show” episode.
“You’re making my entire life problematic with your ‘I find this problematic,'” he continued. “Nobody finds this problematic.”
“Would you kill yourselves you a–holes? Please!” Carolla said. “Please kill yourself, you’re infecting my life.”
Perry says the shoes were meant to be a “nod to modern art and surrealism,” and that she was “saddened” when the backlash-inducing interpretation was brought to her attention.
Carolla doesn’t think the pop star should apologize for the product.
“Don’t apologize. When you apologize, you make it worse,” he advised Perry (and the world, she was not a guest) via his main podcast. “Tell everyone to get over themselves.”
Here is Perry’s statement from earlier this week:
“The Rue and The Ora were part of a collection that was released last summer in 9 different colorways (black, blue, gold, graphite, lead, nude, pink, red, silver) and envisioned as a nod to modern art and surrealism. I was saddened when it was brought to my attention that it was being compared to painful images reminiscent of blackface. Our intention was never to inflict any pain. We have immediately removed them from http://katyperrycollections.com.”
“This isn’t hurtful to anybody. Her shoes aren’t hurtful to anyone,” Carolla continued. “Blackface may be hurtful to people — her shoes aren’t.”
“Man up,” he told Perry, and “tell everyone to shut up.”
He then invited anyone offended by the footwear to kill themselves a few more times, adding, “I’m not kidding.”
And then Carolla, who believes that peppering minorities with reminders of racism and sexism, etc. is what can truly keep their communities down, got really heated.
“I swear to God, I’m the only one who fully understands how dangerous this is, how insidious this is,” he said, raising his voice into a common Carolla rant. “To raise a whole ‘nother group — a whole generation of young, black kids — to think they have a target on their back? Living in the freest country in the world? You’re ruining them! You have no idea how irresponsible this is!”
“I hate you,” Carolla said of those he says are “virtue-signaling” over this and similar issues. “The only message should be: We’re in the greatest country in the world, we’re in the freest country in the world, go out and make some hay while the sun shines.”
Watch the video above.
Readers can catch the full podcast episode today at AdamCarolla.com.
12 Podcasts That Should Be Turned Into TV Shows (Photos)
With a slew of recent podcast-to-TV adaptations -- from "My Brother, My Brother, and Me" to "Startup" to "2 Dope Queens" -- the industry is primed for even more. With so many podcasts to choose from, which ones should get the small screen treatment? We looked at ones that make for the best long-form series that tackle a unique subject and that have the elements to translate into a visual medium. Here are our picks.
"You Must Remember This"
Karina Longworth has a unique perspective on classic Hollywood that is readily apparent the moment you put on an episode. Just listen to her "Dead Blondes" series, which is running at the time of this writing, and it's clear we need more women educating people about "Hollywood's first century."
Wikimedia
"99% Invisible"
It's like "This American Life" but for the smallest, least interesting sounding stories. Somehow, the producers make something like cargo containers seem interesting. I'd be very curious to see how that would work on TV.
99% Invisible
"The Black Tapes" A fiction podcast about a batch of supernatural tapes and people with a lot of secrets seems like it should've been a TV series to begin with.
"The Black Tapes"
"Hardcore History With Dan Carlin" The internet is filled with history podcasts, but few are as intricate and detailed as "Hardcore History." I think it's time to bring back classic History Channel with some long, educational, but entertaining documentaries on history.
"Hardcore History"
"Hello From the Magic Tavern" It's an improvised story podcast about a guy who fell into a dimensional portal behind a Burger King and ended up in a magic land. It has a homespun, low-key feel that could work as a show if you kept it looking as amateurish as possible.
"Hello from the Magic Tavern"
"How Did This Get Made"
There are plenty of bad movie podcasts on the internet, but few go beyond the typical format, where a bunch of friends talk about, well, a bad movie. "How Did This Get Made" has a number of different segments, a slew of celebrity guests and a visual element that would translate well to TV.
"How Did This Get Made"
"Judge John Hodgman" Comedian John Hodgman is a judge in this podcast, where he takes the most mundane and absurd cases from everyday people. Now you just need to put that in a "Judge Judy"-style setting.
"Judge John Hodgman"
"Pod Save America"
Any of the Crooked Media podcasts would work on television. The podcasters are incredibly smart and educated in politics (two of the hosts were speechwriters for President Obama) and have a lot of inside scoop. We have enough politics on TV, but Jon, Jon and Tommy can be the "no-bulls--" commentators we need, combined with a bit of White House gossip.
"Pod Save America"
"With Special Guest Lauren Lapkus" "With Special Guest Lauren Lapkus" is a spiritual successor to "Comedy Bang Bang." Each episode has a different celebrity guest, who engages in improv with Lapkus in a false talk show scenario. It works over audio, but costumes and a set will only heighten the entertainment factor.
"Special Guest With Lauren Lapkus"
"This American Life" "This American Life" already ran as a Showtime series for two seasons that ended in 2009. Please bring it back? We want to see and not just hear where and how the show's subjects live.
"This American Life"
"Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me" NPR's weekly trivia show is already good as it is, but imagine if you could see the special guest comedians or the contestants instead of having them call in on the phone?
"Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me"
"Alice Isn't Dead"
The sister podcast to "Welcome to Night Vale" isn't as popular, but it might work better as a visual adaptation. The narrator is so good at explaining the grotesque horrors around her that we almost want to see some of them in action.
"Alice Isn't Dead"
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Which ones can translate the best into a visual medium? We broke down some of our favorites
With a slew of recent podcast-to-TV adaptations -- from "My Brother, My Brother, and Me" to "Startup" to "2 Dope Queens" -- the industry is primed for even more. With so many podcasts to choose from, which ones should get the small screen treatment? We looked at ones that make for the best long-form series that tackle a unique subject and that have the elements to translate into a visual medium. Here are our picks.