Ryan Clark has consistently voiced his beliefs throughout his career in sports media. This dedication recently led to a heated exchange with popular comedian Andrew Schulz, escalating into a significant discussion on Friday. In August, Schulz made comments on the Flagrant podcast, where he joked about the “inverse of the Black girlfriend effect,” suggesting that men with Black girlfriends change their hairstyles and grooming due to stress.
Schulz’s remarks drew considerable backlash, including criticism from Clark, who addressed the comments publicly on The Pivot Podcast multiple times. In a recent appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast, Schulz responded to Clark’s critiques, implying that Clark’s comments were motivated by a desire for “clout.” He noted, “For me, this is a comedy podcast, so I was making a joke. I hate explaining jokes, but the opposite take often proves to be the funny one in comedy.” Schulz elaborated that he intended to show the opposite effect of the Black girlfriend stereotype, suggesting instead that men appear better in such relationships.
He continued, “Then Ryan Clark took a break from posting pictures of his outfits on Instagram to deliver a soliloquy. It felt like it was all clout. By the end, he’s like, ‘This is one of those guys who wants to say the N-word but doesn’t.’ What are we even talking about?” In response to these comments, Clark addressed them during Friday’s The Pivot Podcast, asserting that he seeks “no clout” from someone like Schulz. He questioned the implications of Schulz’s comments, stating, “When something spins back around like this and becomes a thing again, what does it say about this platform?”
Clark clarified, “What Andrew said to Shannon and Charlamagne was fair game. When I speak on something he did, I put myself in a position to be discussed. However, the notion that I spoke out for clout is incorrect. No one defends Black women for clout; typically, it’s Black women doing the defending.” He acknowledged that while Schulz claimed his comments were made in jest, he finds it contradictory that making jokes at the expense of others is acceptable, while expressing positive sentiments about Black women is not.
Clark passionately argued, “To me, make that make sense. Why is it considered corny for me to respond in defense of Black women when I’m receiving clips and questions from people about this? I carry the love and support of Black women in my life; my mother embodies that unwavering support. That’s not corny or clout chasing; I’m not seeking validation or friendship.”
The crux of the issue may lie in defining the boundaries between comedy and disrespect, a challenge for any comedian to navigate.
