Abbott Elementary star Janelle James comes under fire for jokes about son’s genitals
Comedy is subjective. I mean, just look at Matt Rife. The 28-year-old may have once appealed to a female audience, but it seems like his sole focus moving forward is becoming a comedian strictly ‘for the boys’. Nevertheless, it looks like his Netflix special Natural Selection won’t go down as the most controversial stand-up routine of 2023, as Abbott Elementary star Janelle James has recently come under fire for jokes about her son’s genitals during an old stand-up performance.
The controversial jokes occurred in season three of the Netflix comedy special The Standups, which hit the platform on 29 December 2021. The clip recently went viral on X, formerly Twitter, after the account @jadedspicee shared it with the caption: “I’ve never been so uncomfortable watching standup before like she’s a weirdo.”
i’ve never been so uncomfortable watching standup before like she’s a weirdo https://t.co/Kzr8Sl5QFY pic.twitter.com/yYAdZxBPtN
— COWBOY SPICEE 𐚁⊹₊ ⋆ (@jadedspicee) December 13, 2023
During the actor’s routine, James joked: “My youngest son got a d*ck now. I didn’t know that, I didn’t know. I didn’t know he had a d*ck. They say you blink and you miss it. It’s true. I didn’t know he had a d*ck.”
“I was sitting on the edge of my bed, and he ran by from the bathroom. I guess he forgot a towel or whatever. And I was like, ‘What the f*ck is that?’ Like, it blew my mind. ‘That’s a d*ck. What? What?’ That’s a d*ck that needs a job. Okay? Can’t be walking around with all that d*ck and no income. That’s disrespectful,” James continued.
In the background of the clip, one can hear uncomfortable laughter from the audience who also seem to be unsure about where the routine is going.
“He used to have a pee-pee,” James said laughing. “The last time I saw it, it was a pee-pee. You change the diaper, and you play rhythm guitar on the pee-pee. Ding-ding-a-ding-ding-a-ding-ding-a-ding. No other parents in here? That’s the best part of having a baby boy.”
X user @jadedspicee took particular offence to James’ description of playing with her son’s genitals, which she described as abusive. Following the reappearance of the clip, it didn’t take long for other netizens to share her concern and decimate the footage all over the internet while calling for the show Abbott Elementary to be cancelled.
abbott elementary needs to be cancelled or completely revamped cause that whole cast is daisy jones and the six next level evil no way they need to be around children let alone getting paid and praised for it
— kristen (not crystal) yellowjackets shish-kabob 🍡 (@lordesbbqribs) December 13, 2023
woke up to janelle james making jokes about her son's genitals pic.twitter.com/SQjb1bnXVv
— sarahˣ at 1:59 (@CashewAunt2) December 13, 2023
That Janelle James stand up snippet is...unsettling. Who greenlit that? Someone had to know that was not appropriate.
— Tatyana™ (@xxImmaculatexx) December 14, 2023
Janelle James who plays Ava on Abbott Elementary really thought it was cool to get up on that stage and joke and talk about her son’s genitalia. She is trifling and weird as hell.
— prince ✨😍🥂 (@IcePrinceBrando) December 13, 2023
Me seeing the new Abbott Elementary trailer after watching that Janelle James clip. pic.twitter.com/Zhh1wirmxZ
— I Ain’t Fresh? (@itslexdawriter) December 13, 2023
While most of the reactions stuck to calling the joke weird, inappropriate and disturbing, others did show some allegiance to James. Defenders stated that raising a boy can be quite unexpected and surprising, especially when they start to develop physically.
While I think janelle James took that joke a lil too far, as a boy mom, the first part of it was definitely true. One day your running behind your baby trying to put a diaper on and the next your literally saying “where tf did that come from”. Nobody talks about that part.
— P (@ps_rambo) December 14, 2023
Janelle James after seeing her son come out of the shower https://t.co/DQt9wd6kwd
— Ban (@BanFromTheDisco) December 13, 2023
While the vast majority of her fans still insisted that her stand-up routine was inappropriate, others questioned the need to boycott the show or call for its (or her) cancellation.
Y’all can feel how y’all feel about Janelle James joke but is that one singular thing so messed up to y’all that you’d stop supporting Abbott Elementary?? Lmao
— Daymo St. Brickolas (@__LightsPlease) December 13, 2023
After all, this was one isolated instance of alleged misbehaviour. Further, it should be noted that the aggressive responses people are currently directing at her are disproportionate to the backlash many male comedians in similar situations have received. Again, let’s take a look at Matt Rife…
So, maybe we should engage in constructive discourse here rather than trying to burn someone to the ground? Just a thought.
