The Black Comedians Who Pioneered Social Media
The controversy involving comedian Spoken Reasons opened my eyes up to a happier time.
For those who may not tune in much to social media or pay attention to television, last Tuesday on Nick Cannon’s popular comedy show Wild N Out, two of the premier comics from the early 2010s sparred live. The two comics, Emmanuel Hudson and John Baker also known as Spoken Reasons got into a verbal freestyle battle on the show as Emmanuel aired out Baker for withholding money from him for a viral video they make in 2012.
What seemed like a war of words between two colleagues instead opened up a larger online conversation about the business practices of Spoken Reasons, who was accused of withholding funds from Emmanuel Hudson for a skit they completed in 2012. As of now, the video in question has over 66 million views.
The song, Asking All Them Questions, opened the door for the parody style of comedy we see today from entertainers and influencers on social media. Emmanuel’s creativity and impersonations along with Baker’s video skills helped launch the careers of both individuals.
Regardless of who is right or wrong, there is a larger issue that both of their careers have now brought to the table. They and a host of other black entertainers were…
