Episode Transcript
[00:00:04] Speaker A: Yo, it's effective immediately. I'm DJ Head.
[00:00:06] Speaker B: What up, Hip Hop Nation? It's your favorite homegirl, Gina Views.
[00:00:08] Speaker A: We have a special guest in the studio with us. Been looking forward to this. Writer, actor, producer. All the hashtags, all the hyphenage. Dwayne Perkins is here.
[00:00:16] Speaker C: Hey, what's up? What's up, man?
[00:00:19] Speaker A: Comedian, like all the things.
[00:00:22] Speaker C: Hilarious.
[00:00:23] Speaker B: I'd have seen him on one of them days. Or the black thing.
[00:00:27] Speaker C: Oh, thank you so much.
[00:00:28] Speaker A: Yeah, thanks for being here, man. Absolutely.
You seem like. Well, first of all, I want to skip past what you said. You was like, yeah, I don't do traffic.
But you moved here from New York. New York and la, known worst places in the country for traffic. Right. But you say you don't do traffic.
[00:00:46] Speaker C: I don't.
[00:00:48] Speaker A: So how do you get around prayer?
[00:00:51] Speaker C: Prayer.
I really do schedule my life around when's the most convenient times. I just don't like being inconvenienced in any way.
[00:00:58] Speaker A: I feel you.
[00:00:59] Speaker C: So if I'm gonna take the road of less resistance and that road is probably has less traffic.
[00:01:04] Speaker A: No traffic.
[00:01:05] Speaker B: Did anything happen to you in traffic.
[00:01:07] Speaker A: For you to come to this trauma there?
[00:01:09] Speaker C: No, I just think my life is just worth more and I just don't want to waste it sitting in a car.
[00:01:17] Speaker A: Sitting there.
[00:01:17] Speaker C: I'd rather like be somewhere doing something. Yeah, that just feels wasteful.
[00:01:22] Speaker B: So no road trips for you?
[00:01:24] Speaker C: I hate long road trips. I like the idea of them, but those are different. Cause you're with people. I feel like LA is just driving from place to place. You're just like. It's a transition period. And if I'm with somebody, that's different because you have an opportunity to talk and make a relationship, do something. Just me in my car in traffic. No, literally, for what? I could be doing something else. My fantasy is to have a driver. I just want to be in the back because at least I could daydream. I could read. I could be doing something and get work done. Like driving also, it's scary.
[00:02:00] Speaker A: See, that's what it is. That's what we need to get to.
[00:02:03] Speaker C: You have your license and that's the origin. It is. I got the drone.
[00:02:08] Speaker B: When did you learn how to drive?
[00:02:09] Speaker C: When I was 16.
[00:02:10] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:02:11] Speaker C: I've had my license for a long time and I grew up in Chicago, moved to New York, then moved to la.
And I just think, honestly, people drive bad.
[00:02:20] Speaker B: So you will not be the designated driver after the day party?
[00:02:23] Speaker C: No.
[00:02:24] Speaker A: Hell no.
[00:02:25] Speaker C: I make money for convenience. If we don't call it Uber. Why am I driving?
[00:02:28] Speaker A: Right?
[00:02:28] Speaker C: Why am I voluntarily doing labor? I don't live for that. Nah, I'm anti capitalist.
[00:02:34] Speaker A: Anti capitalist is crazy.
[00:02:36] Speaker B: It's funny sitting here hearing you say this. Cause you. Cause you kind of remind me of your characters.
[00:02:42] Speaker C: Yeah, I feel like every character is a little bit of me. That's the kind of fun. And be like, oh, if I was in this situation, who would I be? How would that change me?
So, yeah, that's kind of fun.
[00:02:54] Speaker B: The black n. Blackest shit that I've seen in a long time.
[00:02:58] Speaker C: Thank you. I feel like that was on purpose where I was like, oh, this is me. Cause I wanted to be in it, but I knew I wasn't famous, so I was like, I have to make this character as close to me as possible so they know can't nobody else play this.
[00:03:08] Speaker B: You did such a great job. And you had a crazy one liner. You said, gayness is just whiteness with a bunch of dicks.
[00:03:19] Speaker A: Was that in the script?
[00:03:20] Speaker C: Uh huh.
[00:03:20] Speaker A: Oh, okay. I was like, that's all freestyle.
[00:03:25] Speaker C: Yeah, it was, it was. It came from the sketch. So the movie was a sketch that I did with my friends in Chicago. It was a stage sketch. Then it was filmed for Comedy Central. What? Then it went viral, and then that's how Tracy Oliver saw it. And it was like, oh, this should be a movie. It's on YouTube right now. And that particular joke was in the sketch.
[00:03:43] Speaker B: What? Don't speed past that. Give us the whole backstory.
[00:03:47] Speaker C: Oh, yeah. So I was working at a comedy club in Chicago and they finally, like, they used to, like, tokenize all the black people to be like, oh, we'll let one black person, like the white ensemble. And the black people were begging them, like, oh, can we do like one show with all black people? And they like, to night, literally. And then they were like, sure. So we made a show called Afrofuturism with all the black people. And they were like, oh, we need an opening sketch. And I was like, oh, how can I write a. And so they asked me to do it, and I wanted to write a sketch that, like, talked about, like, the race issues, but, like, not on the nose. And I was like, oh, a great parallel is, like, black people in horror movies, they're all tokenized. And if you put them all in one horror movie, what would happen? So that was kind of the premise and how it came to be. So then we did it on stage, and then it got into a bigger show in D.C. that we did, like, A theatrical show. And. And then I have a group called 3P. It's an improv show. I mean, group. And we had a show in Chicago for, like, a couple years, and we had a Comedy Central web series deal. So we filmed five sketches for Comedy Central, and the blackening was the first one. So we filmed it, we put it up, and then went viral. And then Tracey Oliver called the theater that we had our show at and was like, who wrote this sketch? And she literally just called me one day randomly and was like, this should be a movie. And I said, okay.
[00:04:59] Speaker B: See, I didn't know that it was that much into that movie. And that's so great, because in any time, any black family, any group of friends that are watching a horror film, we'll be like, if that was me, I would've. Da, da, da, da, da. Or you need more black people in it. If it was more black people in it, then that wouldn't happen. This person, she wouldn't have ran up the stairs, you know? Right. So I love that y'all did that, and that's what that movie was for us.
[00:05:23] Speaker C: Yeah, that was funny as hell. The whole point. Like, one of my favorite scenes of the movie is so small, but I'm like. I think doing, like, laundry or something. Like, a door creeps open, and I just close it. Cause I was like, why would I.
I'm minding my business.
Why would I do that?
[00:05:39] Speaker B: What's going on on the other side of the house?
[00:05:41] Speaker A: That's some real shit, though.
[00:05:42] Speaker C: And it's so simple. But it just really just been like.
[00:05:45] Speaker A: Mm, mm, not today.
[00:05:47] Speaker B: No, it was a part. It was a part when y'all said y'all was trying to figure out who was the blackest for the game. And then y'all said, well, you wasn't invited, and you just showed up, so you black as a motherfucker.
[00:05:59] Speaker A: Some real super.
The what's dope to me is, like, I always watch different projects and things that people participate in. I love comics, so to speak. People have good comedic timing and stuff like that. Do you think that comedians make better movies than. Not necessarily comedians, but people who have comedic prowess make better actors than classically trained actors? I guess a controversial question, but it's a conversation I had with comics before.
[00:06:28] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, it's hard to say, like, better or worse. I do think there's a lot of pros, and I think one of them days is a great example where I think what they did very smart is they got comedians who were good at acting. And I think in order to be funny, there's, like a groundedness that you have to have. And I think that realness and relatability is what allows comedic actors to be.
Cause I think we can all kind of be dramatic. That feels like a natural part of life of, like, experiencing sadness, trauma. Everybody ain't funny.
[00:07:04] Speaker A: Facts.
[00:07:05] Speaker C: That's a skill set.
And I think that that just gives you a lot to work with.
[00:07:13] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:07:14] Speaker C: So I'm gonna just say, yes, I've talked to.
[00:07:16] Speaker A: Because not to be. I don't wanna be dismissive of the craft. I respect acting Just like DJing or any other, you know, trade or anything like that. But I remember we had Ice Cube on the show, and we were just talking about all of the comics that we got introduced through the Friday series and stuff like that. And then I was talking to. I ain't gonna say who it was. I was talking to a comedian, and he was like, you know, comics make better actors because we are used to just doing our shit live. There's no second take. Like, I'm on stage. It's me and the audience even. Same thing with stage actors. Have you ever, like, do you understand where I'm coming from?
[00:07:49] Speaker C: Yes. I think that there's an immediacy that feels very, like, human when it comes to acting. Cause even when I'm acting, I feel like improv, stand up. Like, that informs a lot of what I do. Cause it is like, yeah, I can do and say anything. Like, give me the circumstances and I'll, like, exist in a real way. Cause that's kind of what comedy is like. You don't know what the audience is gonna say. You don't know how your jokes are gonna land. So you have to just kind of be on your toes the whole time. So I think it just creates a muscle where you're like, oh, I can do anything. And I think that's just like a different way of moving, a different level of confidence that allows you to really lean into acting in a way that I think is very specific.
[00:08:36] Speaker A: Is it a different muscle than that? Is that a different muscle than when you're writing? Like, when you're writing television shows or for other projects?
[00:08:43] Speaker C: Yes. I think when I'm writing, the audience is me. When I'm performing, the audience is me. People that are going to pay to see it. So I feel like, because with writing, there's no one that's watching it yet. It's just on paper.
[00:08:55] Speaker A: It's an idea.
[00:08:56] Speaker C: Yeah. And so it doesn't become real until there's, like, an audience that you have to, like, really consider.
And writing for me, like, that's a job. Like, yeah, it doesn't even get to people yet because there's a bunch of people who go give you notes who have their thoughts. So that just feels like a different process. Versus, like, stand up, where I'm like, oh, these. These niggas right here. If I'm bad, they gonna tell me this is not good.
[00:09:18] Speaker A: Yeah, right. In real.
[00:09:19] Speaker C: And I have to adjust in real time or be embarrassed. And I don't like being embarrassed and be on TikTok. Exactly.
[00:09:28] Speaker B: Is writing like a. Is that like a collaborative thing?
Whether it's, like, on the screen or like you said, stand up.
[00:09:36] Speaker C: Yeah. I love writing with people. So, like the black and a. I co wrote with Tracee Oliver. I currently have projects where I'm co writing things. I have projects that I'm writing solo. The thing that I like about the collaboration is like, I love when somebody can, like, take what I'm doing and add something to it. Cause I know my brain. I'm in this bitch all day. But seeing it from somebody else's point of view and being like, oh, here's something to add. Like, something that I would not add because that's not my lived experience. That feels like such a gift. And when I'm by myself, it's just kind of like playing in a toy box that you already know about. So I like the excitement of being able to work with other people.
[00:10:17] Speaker B: How do you go about preparing for that type of thing, though? Do you have to pull from things that are, like, currently happening in culture, or is it just like, I know that this crowd could relate to a, b, and c. Like, how do y'all prepare for that?
[00:10:33] Speaker C: Usually I talk about myself a lot because I know myself the most.
And I think that's what's relatable. I think people are people and go through a lot of stuff. So if I'm talking through a lens of myself, you don't have a point of view to judge it. Cause you, not me. If I'm just talking about regular, just, like, life stuff, I'm like, oh, you have an opinion. And I'm trying to create an experience that feels unique where I'm talking about something on stage that nobody else could talk about. Nobody else could talk about my life. And so that instantly puts me in a lane that's simply my own. And I like that. I don't want to be like everybody else.
[00:11:10] Speaker B: You know what taught me that people are we Relate to each other more than we know is the Justin Lavoi page. Are you familiar with the Justin LaVoi page?
[00:11:18] Speaker C: The who?
[00:11:19] Speaker B: The meme page. The Justin LaVoy.
[00:11:21] Speaker C: Oh, yes.
[00:11:22] Speaker B: Yeah. You know, he'll post something and you like, dang, all these people is reposting this and relating to this.
[00:11:28] Speaker C: It made sense, like. Cause you said. Cause I was always like, just an LA boy.
[00:11:32] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, yeah.
[00:11:33] Speaker C: And I was like, who's Lavoy? That makes sense. I just assumed it was la.
[00:11:37] Speaker B: Like, so on one of them days, you were Keke Palmer's braider, and her hair was halfway done. And I don't know if people even remember back in the day that we used to get the circle in the middle and then the braids on the outside. So when she's walking up, I kind of saw that her hair wasn't, like, finished. And then once it, you know, unfolded and we saw that it was revealed that her hair wasn't finished. That's some relatable black girl shit right there.
[00:12:01] Speaker C: That is the thing I think people talk to me most about that movie.
[00:12:04] Speaker A: Is that right?
[00:12:04] Speaker C: I cannot tell you how many fucking performance black women. Black women have come up and been like, why would you do that to her? And me being like, so you know I didn't do that in real life. Right.
But, like, I think that part was like. I think that's the specificity that you have to have in comedy so that people do feel like, oh, this is real. Like, I think that helps the comedy a lot by just recognizing, like, oh, this. I could put myself in this. Like, in these shoes.
Also. It's very funny. Cause people on Twitter also just be adding me, like, why didn't you finish her hair? And I'm like, why are you not acknowledging that she was trying to use her friend gave her.
[00:12:47] Speaker A: There's a whole plot line that you skipping.
[00:12:49] Speaker C: I know. I said, wow, you're really ignoring the movie. Cause I said, hey, I have a paying customer. You ain't paying me.
[00:12:58] Speaker B: You getting a homie hookup, literally.
[00:13:00] Speaker C: And you're taking advantage of this friendship. That's what people ain't saying. They just think I'm doing oh, girl dirty. And I said, no, she's doing me dirty. And this is a consequence.
[00:13:09] Speaker B: But she couldn't even pay her rent.
[00:13:12] Speaker C: And that's why she needed to get her shit together.
[00:13:14] Speaker A: Right?
[00:13:15] Speaker C: What that got to do with me so much?
[00:13:18] Speaker A: And then there's beyond me.
[00:13:19] Speaker C: Exactly.
[00:13:19] Speaker A: That shit is beyond.
[00:13:20] Speaker C: It was the first of the month for me, too.
[00:13:23] Speaker B: I Gotta pay my rent, too.
[00:13:24] Speaker C: Hello?
[00:13:25] Speaker B: What was it like filming that movie?
[00:13:26] Speaker C: Oh, my God. It was so.
There was a beautiful moment. So in the Blackening, there's a line where I write about Keke Palmer. I'm, like, in the, like, vent, and the killer's looking for us, and, like, he turns on our phones to find us, and I'm like, oh, my God. No. Oh, my God. Keke Palmer just retweeted my tweet, and it's, like, a very small thing. And then she hosted the premiere at the. At the Apollo when it premiered at Tribeca, and I got to meet her for the first time. We were like, kiki in. And we were like. She was like, oh, I really like you. Like, you have a great energy. And I was like, likewise. And she was like, we should be in a movie together. And I was like, I think so. And then the first day on set, I came on set and we were like. We did it. Look. And it was just like a beautiful, full circle moment.
[00:14:10] Speaker A: That's hard.
[00:14:11] Speaker B: That would make me cry. I'm finna cry right now.
[00:14:13] Speaker C: It was just, like, really amazing. Like, I just really.
It was just, like, very heartwarming and to be embraced by somebody who I've been a fan of for a long time, it was just really cool. Like, I thought it was a really dope experience.
[00:14:30] Speaker A: Has there been any, like, camaraderie amongst. Like, not camaraderie, but critique? Like, oh. Offering tips on different things from other actors throughout. Throughout the process?
[00:14:40] Speaker C: Not really. I think what was nice is that there was, like, a. A trust that everybody is here to do what they do.
[00:14:46] Speaker A: Do that thing. Yeah.
[00:14:48] Speaker C: And if we all kind of come with our best, then we will make the best product that we can. And so I think that creates a space where you feel comfortable to just play and, like, show up in a way that.
That is your best.
Because I watched, like, a blooper reel, and it was. We were saying insane things. It was. It was such a good time and, like, to have the freedom to, like, improvise and, like, tell Jo going off each other, I think that just created a very. Just easy space.
[00:15:21] Speaker A: I saw one of your specials. It was a few years ago, but I forgot what the title was. But it was about your sexuality and stuff like that. Right.
When did you get comfortable just being that person out loud? Cause I remember there was a joke in, I think, the Blackening too, the one we just talked about. But when did you become comfortable with that? Or were you always comfortable with that?
[00:15:45] Speaker C: I came out in high school.
So I was, like, still pretty young, like, comparatively. I think I was, like, 17.
And I just remember, like, I was a football player. I had a girlfriend.
[00:15:56] Speaker A: Oh, shit.
[00:15:57] Speaker C: And I was just like, you're a lot of work.
[00:16:01] Speaker A: Wait, so you had a girlfriend and you just kind of just told her, like, yeah, damn.
[00:16:06] Speaker C: Well, we were about to go to college, and she was like, oh, we should go to the same school. Like, I want to be with you forever.
[00:16:12] Speaker A: And I was like, that's a long ass.
[00:16:13] Speaker C: In my mind, I'm like, I'm going to go to college, become a brand new person.
And I think by that point, it was just me being in the closet. I just recognized that I was trying to pretend to be a version of a man that was very unhappy. And the version of the man that I was trying to be, I would see the other boys and be like, y'all not happy either? Like, why would I do all this work to pretend to be someone that's unhappy? Like, that seems stupid.
And I think I just got to a point where I was like, what's the consequence? Some people won't like it. Yeah, okay, they don't like me now. Shit, it don't matter.
So, yeah, I came out pretty young just because I felt like, who.
Like, a very Chicago. Just being like, who gonna do something about it?
[00:17:07] Speaker B: How did your first receipt.
[00:17:08] Speaker A: Like, I'm a real nigga.
Who gonna do something about this shit?
[00:17:14] Speaker C: I was filming something yesterday with a friend of mine, and he reminded me, and I think this is funny, so I'm just gonna say it. When I did, I was on Wild N Out Season nine. And there was a moment where we were, like, practicing, and he was like, you remember when you told everybody that you would beat they ass? And I was like, huh? And then I remembered, like, there was a period where, like, the morale was kind of low, and, like, the. It was like a vet and the new people and we had, like, a truth circle, and they were like, okay, go around and just, like, talk. And it got to me, and I was like, hey, I just need y'all to know, like, yes, I am gay, but I will kill you. Like, I will beat your ass. I don't. I don't think, like, I think y'all really got it fucked up.
[00:17:57] Speaker B: You said it this calm and low.
[00:17:59] Speaker C: Absolutely.
I would believe it.
[00:18:02] Speaker A: You can't talk.
[00:18:03] Speaker C: I literally look. I went around the circle and said, I need to look y'all in your eyes. Cause, like, what I don't do, like.
[00:18:09] Speaker A: How many niggas was it, like.
[00:18:10] Speaker C: It was a lot. And I just, like. I think that people have a misconception, and I think that they saw my sexuality, and it was just, like, an environment that was, like, hyper masculine. And I think they had an assumption as to how I was gonna function in that space, and I had to tell them how I was gonna function. And the function was, I will beat your ass, y'all.
[00:18:30] Speaker B: Fuck a nigga up.
[00:18:31] Speaker A: Don't, like, beat your ass for what, though? Like, for gay jokes or.
[00:18:34] Speaker C: Yeah, for just disrespect.
[00:18:36] Speaker A: Just disrespecting you.
[00:18:37] Speaker B: Had they ever been too overboard with you with the jokes, or did you. Did it didn't matter.
[00:18:42] Speaker C: Cause the environment, I just felt like it could have gotten there, and I needed it not to.
[00:18:46] Speaker A: Oh, you wanted to set the tone.
[00:18:47] Speaker C: I needed them to know it was a disclaimer from the beginning, like, hey, hey, I'm getting a vibe.
[00:18:53] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:18:54] Speaker C: And I just need y'all to know what my vibe is.
And they were like, her. And I just remember there was, like, that was a season where, like, they were trying gay people, and it was me and this other guy. And our. After that moment, our experiences were very different because they just kind of. I just think where I come from, you have to tell people how to treat you.
[00:19:16] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:19:16] Speaker C: And I think they knew at that point how to treat me, and that just changed the dynamic for the better. I just think people forget that, like, oh, they're like, well, you're gay. And I'm like, I'm also from Chicago. I grew up with the same niggas like I was. I had to fight more. Like, what are y'all? What are you talking about? And so I think just that misconception, I just sometimes feel like it has to be said because people forget.
[00:19:44] Speaker A: They'll try you.
[00:19:45] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:19:46] Speaker A: Do you? I'm sorry. Sorry. Hold on one second. The Wild N Out thing, not the Wild Line thing, but comedy, is that off limits from a joke standpoint? Cause I've talked about this with my comic friends where we joke about everything. My name is DJ Head. They make fun of me. You know what I'm saying? Is that off the table for you as a joke, or it doesn't matter how it's done?
[00:20:07] Speaker C: No, I just think there are jokes from a comedy standpoint, and there's just the way you treat me. We can tell jokes.
[00:20:13] Speaker A: Got you.
[00:20:14] Speaker C: And a joke is a joke. But also, I think there is a certain, like, elevation to comedy, too.
[00:20:21] Speaker A: Sure.
[00:20:22] Speaker C: And I think they're just lower hanging Fruit and like. And you can tell your joke. You can tell any joke. Will I respect that joke? Will I respect you for telling that joke? That's something different. But you can say whatever you want.
[00:20:34] Speaker B: And how many times have I already heard this same joke? Probably. You can probably be saying some shit.
[00:20:38] Speaker C: I done already heard the thing. Like a joke has to be a joke. Like a joke is a joke. You just saying something's gay. That's not a joke, that's a statement. Be funnier.
[00:20:49] Speaker A: Yeah, be funnier. That's crazy. Yeah.
[00:20:53] Speaker C: So.
[00:20:54] Speaker A: Yeah, do better.
[00:20:56] Speaker B: Have you ever had to pause a straight man?
[00:20:58] Speaker C: Huh?
[00:20:59] Speaker B: Have you ever had to pause a straight man?
[00:21:00] Speaker C: What does that mean?
[00:21:01] Speaker B: Like, if a straight man says something that's out of pocket or out of line to you, you gotta be like, hold on, pause?
[00:21:06] Speaker C: Yeah.
Specifically during the show that the blackening was in, a friend of mine was trying to pitch a sketch. He came to me and he was like, I have this idea. It's a little out there. He said, so it's like Inspector Gadget, but instead it's Inspector Faggot. And I said, come here. What the fuck is wrong with you? And I just had to tell him like, no.
And it was very funny because another guy that was in the show who's straight was also like, why would you say that? But the thing was, it wasn't like he was earnest and it wasn't like he was trying to be offensive. So it wasn't a conversation that was.
[00:21:47] Speaker A: Like, oh, it was literally an idea pitch.
[00:21:49] Speaker C: Yeah, gotcha. And I was like, oh, you pitched that casually. Cause you don't know. You just don't know. And I said, and he received it. Well, I just think that's just something that stood out to me because I did laugh at the audacity.
[00:22:07] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah.
[00:22:08] Speaker C: And he was like, was it dude white? No.
[00:22:11] Speaker B: You know, that was a nigga.
[00:22:13] Speaker A: I was just saying it was the crazy. Like, uh huh.
[00:22:17] Speaker C: It indeed was. And we still cool.
[00:22:20] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:22:20] Speaker C: And I think that's the difference. I think similarly, like, I'm open to critique as well. Like, and I think I'm funny enough to where I don't need to be offensive. Like, if someone is like, hey, your joke has offended me, I will consider it to be like, oh, like how? Like, let me know. Like, why? Because I do think that, like, I have a skill set to where I am infinitely funny. There's not many things that many ways I can't be funny.
[00:22:47] Speaker B: And it's not malicious.
[00:22:48] Speaker C: Yeah. So if I'm really nailing down, like, I have to tell this joke. I'm just like, why do you feel like you can't make up another joke?
[00:22:54] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:22:55] Speaker C: Are you that not funny that you can't pivot? Just say something else.
[00:22:59] Speaker B: That's a good point.
[00:23:00] Speaker A: Do you think the same way, like, about other comics? Like, big, like Chappelle, or like, I've seen Andrew Schultz, they both have criticism about the things that they've said on stage or whatever, but everybody gets the jokes equally, so to speak.
[00:23:12] Speaker C: Yeah. I think just generally I'm a more empathetic person. I think just like growing up, just naturally growing up the way that I grew up, like, I just, it doesn't move me. I don't think, like a laugh, is that worth it if somebody's being harmed.
[00:23:27] Speaker B: It'S not worth it to embarrass.
[00:23:28] Speaker C: Yeah. I just think there are so many ways to make people laugh.
[00:23:33] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:23:33] Speaker C: That if there's a group of people being like, hey, that's actually pretty harmful.
I'm like, oh, cool. Like, let me not cause more harm. Especially it's words. Like, the stakes are not that high. Like, it's a joke. People tell jokes all the time. Like, it's not that deep. And if you are putting jokes above people, that just lets me know what you think about people. And that's you.
[00:23:58] Speaker A: That's on you.
[00:23:59] Speaker C: I just prefer to care more about the human experience. And also if I'm doing a show, like, I want the people that come to the show to feel good. So if you're leaving my show worse than how you came, I don't think I'm doing my job.
[00:24:13] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah.
[00:24:14] Speaker C: So, yeah, I understand.
[00:24:16] Speaker B: How did your friends and family receive you coming out of high school?
[00:24:22] Speaker C: They were like, okay.
Like, yeah, like, it wasn't.
I was never like doing like musicals and shit. Like, it wasn't like, surprise, surprise. It was like, we already know, bro. Yeah, it was like, well, that makes sense. Like, I literally have a stand up joke about it where I text my sisters. It was like, hey, I'm gay. And they literally said, if that makes sense.
I said, oh, shit, okay.
[00:24:50] Speaker A: You coming over for Christmas or not, nigga?
[00:24:52] Speaker C: Like, they're like, okay, cool.
And then I, I would say, I have a joke, a stand up joke where I forgot to tell my father. I came up to, like, my, like, my sisters and my mother. I just like kind of forgot to tell my father because, like, he went there and then I was at my nephew's birthday party and I had a boyfriend and I brought him and My father was like, who's that guy? And I was like, my boyfriend. And he was like, your boyfriend? You're gay? And I was like, oh, my God. I literally forgot to tell you. Yeah.
[00:25:21] Speaker A: He wasn't in the group chat.
[00:25:24] Speaker C: And then he said, like, I think that was a funny response. He just told me, like, don't get aids.
[00:25:30] Speaker A: Oh, shit.
[00:25:30] Speaker B: Oh.
[00:25:31] Speaker C: And I was like, yeah.
[00:25:32] Speaker A: Was that a joke or was he.
[00:25:33] Speaker C: He was dead ass.
[00:25:34] Speaker B: Is he funny?
[00:25:35] Speaker C: And I said, yeah, sound like a dad. And he was just like, dunga days. And I said, yeah, you neither.
[00:25:41] Speaker A: Like, God damn.
[00:25:46] Speaker C: He said, okay, you got me there. I said, yeah.
[00:25:51] Speaker B: Did you guys get any backlash for, like, the stereotypical black dialogue on a black nigga?
[00:25:59] Speaker C: Not really. I mean, I think that the people that got it got it.
[00:26:02] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:26:03] Speaker C: And I think there was some. I feel like I got critique from, like, other black people who felt like it might have been, like, too, like, new black or, like, Twitter based. Like, it was just like, this idea of, like, there's a certain kind of portrayal of blackness that feels, like, Internet based. So I got some of that, but I just was like, yeah, nigga, I'm a product of the Internet.
[00:26:26] Speaker B: It should be.
[00:26:27] Speaker C: I'm like, that's. Yeah. Like, some of the jokes literally came from my Twitter. Like the O'Reilly auto parts joke. I literally. Years ago, I tweeted that the O'Reilly Auto Parts song is more culturally relevant than the Sour Sprinkle banner. And then a bunch of white people were in my DMs being like, we gonna kill you. And I was like, dang, that's crazy. And it got, like, hundreds of thousands. Like, it went viral. And I put it in the movie. Cause I was like, oh, I don't tweet for free. Like, this is like, y'all are focus groups. Like, what do y'all like? What do you think this is?
[00:26:57] Speaker A: Focus groups?
[00:26:59] Speaker C: This joke works. I'm gonna put in this movie.
[00:27:02] Speaker B: I saw it work.
[00:27:04] Speaker C: So they're like, this seemed like it came from Twitter. Yeah, and it came from my Twitter.
[00:27:08] Speaker B: I tweeted it.
[00:27:09] Speaker C: What are you talking about?
[00:27:10] Speaker A: I know you got the new studio series. What do you like better doing movies or television?
[00:27:18] Speaker C: I think they both have pros and cons. I think, like, film. I love that it's contained where you do it, and then that's it.
[00:27:29] Speaker A: Oh, it's just bundled up and you.
[00:27:30] Speaker C: Yeah. Like, you do a couple weeks, and once you're done, you're done. I feel like TV is more constant. So that was like, Over a couple of months where you kind of go in when you're needed, then you come back. So I think that takes longer.
But specifically with the studio, I really enjoyed that process because it was like none that I've had before. Like, the way that they filmed it, kind of like it was a lot of one takes. So it felt like theater where I'm like, performing with these really famous people. But it felt very equal because they were like, well, if I mess up my line, we have to start over. The whole scene has to be kind of done.
[00:28:07] Speaker A: How long was the longest scene that you shot? Congruently?
[00:28:13] Speaker C: Probably like six, seven minutes with no cut.
[00:28:18] Speaker A: Damn.
[00:28:18] Speaker C: And we would just do it over and over. I think Seth was saying, like, Seth Rogen was in, like, the sweet spot, was around, like, 16 to, like, 25.
And it did create, like, a camaraderie where by the end you were like, okay, we got this, like, we are a team. Like, it just created, like a very team, like, dynamic. That was really fun.
And it was like some improvising. It was just like a very fun set. Those are such pleasant, white Canadian people.
Big fans of them. Yeah.
[00:28:52] Speaker B: With so many sets and spending so much time with other actors and actresses, does it feel like a family? Does every set feel like a family?
[00:29:01] Speaker C: No.
[00:29:02] Speaker B: No. Is it not like no big group chat or anything that everybody's in?
[00:29:06] Speaker C: I mean, the Blackening still has a group chat to this day. Yeah.
[00:29:10] Speaker B: Oh, I would love to.
[00:29:11] Speaker A: Oh, that's crazy. That's crazy as fuck.
[00:29:14] Speaker C: And it's crazy. Cause on our first day, it was a bunch of people. I'm not gonna name them. They were like, I don't really do group chats. Couple weeks went by, we were like, we gotcha, bitch. You in a group chat.
[00:29:26] Speaker B: Is it called the Black na.
[00:29:27] Speaker C: It's called the Blackin Niggas.
[00:29:30] Speaker A: Get the fuck outta here. You serious?
[00:29:31] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:29:32] Speaker A: Is it white people in here?
[00:29:33] Speaker C: No, it's just the main cast.
[00:29:37] Speaker A: Like the blackin niggas.
[00:29:40] Speaker C: Like blackin niggas.
[00:29:42] Speaker A: Oh, that's hella funny.
[00:29:43] Speaker C: Once it got to the end, we just added niggas.
[00:29:45] Speaker B: So when is the second one coming out?
[00:29:48] Speaker C: When we finish.
I don't know. We're still, like, in the process, so can't really say much about it, but I was working on it today.
[00:29:58] Speaker B: You gotta come back when it.
[00:30:01] Speaker C: I would absolutely love to.
[00:30:03] Speaker A: Clue.
[00:30:04] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:30:05] Speaker A: One of my favorite games of all time. Just because I'm a cerebral person. And it's like deception. It's like the whole thing, this project I guess it's. I don't know if it's top secret or not. I don't know if I'm blowing the spot up but the clue adaptation or like. Can you talk about it?
[00:30:22] Speaker C: Yeah. I mean, yeah. So it was very funny. Cause after the blackning came out, Tim Storey. I'm obsessed with Tim. Tim Story's one of my favorite people I've ever worked with. Just such a good man. We were approached and they were kind of like, oh, do what you did for the blackning for a clue.
And then I came up with an idea and they were like, oh, we like it. And then we worked on it.
I think I can say it's. I don't think. I think it's pretty much dead now.
[00:30:53] Speaker A: It's over with.
[00:30:54] Speaker C: Yeah. Okay.
There was like mergers and like something happened and it was like a whole thing.
[00:31:01] Speaker A: So I wanted that to happen.
[00:31:02] Speaker C: Me too.
[00:31:03] Speaker A: I understand.
[00:31:05] Speaker C: Oh, I don't know. Like, I can't like tell you how many projects you like. That's kind of the.
[00:31:11] Speaker A: You get attached to it and it's like.
[00:31:12] Speaker C: Yeah, it's cuz. It's also like just like the business aspect. I mean like. And it's not even like something creative. It's just a company was bought by another company and they have different mandates. It's just like movement, different product.
But it was a really dope project. I worked with some really great people.
Yeah.
[00:31:29] Speaker A: The project was, was completed.
[00:31:31] Speaker C: There was a script. Britain.
[00:31:33] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:31:34] Speaker B: What else are you working on? What else is coming?
[00:31:36] Speaker C: What the hell am I working on?
[00:31:39] Speaker A: You working on the black and in two today?
[00:31:40] Speaker C: Uh huh. I'm working on the black and his eagle. I'm working on myself personally, my mental health, trying to get my abs back.
[00:31:47] Speaker B: I would love to see you doing some type of work with the new scary Movie with the Waynes.
[00:31:52] Speaker C: Me too.
I'm trying to put that into the world, put it out there. Damon Wayans Jr. Sent me a very nice message after watching one of them days. And I was like, the Wayans know me.
[00:32:03] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:32:03] Speaker C: And it was, it really is very special to kind of.
[00:32:07] Speaker A: That's a royal family right there, bro.
[00:32:09] Speaker C: Yeah. And it really kind of like gagged me like the best way.
[00:32:11] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:32:12] Speaker C: Cause I don't. I think I'm like humble in the sense of being like. I don't be thinking about a lot of niggas so I assume niggas don't be thinking about me. And so it's just really beautiful to have people just like be inclined enough or moved Enough to, like, send a message. Yeah. So that was. That made me smile.
[00:32:30] Speaker B: It gives you some sort of, like, feel of reassurance, too, that you like, doing the right thing and you seeing the right people, especially somebody that you might have looked up to or idolized at a point in your life. Congratulations on that.
[00:32:42] Speaker C: Thank you. And I think I'm just very grateful that the work that I've been able to do has been very black. It's just been, like, been able to reach, like, culturally, and I think that has been really special to me.
[00:32:55] Speaker A: Very culturally. Potent stuff you've been a part of, for sure.
[00:32:59] Speaker C: I think that's really dope. Cause I think when I was younger, that was my biggest thing, even with my sexuality, and be like, oh, I really love black people. I want them to love me, too.
And so it's nice to be able to be able to expand kind of the ways in which gayness is seen, like, queerness, and kind of be able to be both black and queer and, like, unapologetic about it all and still being received so openly and wholeheartedly to combat, like, the actual, like, homophobia, but also to combat the idea that black people are inherently homophobic. Because I don't think that's true. And I. And I. And it's proof from the way I feel like I've been embraced.
[00:33:42] Speaker A: Do you think that? Do you think. Well, I don't want to compare the two, but I had a conversation with one of the homies about racism, and then he made a comparison to being gay. And I was like, I don't know if that's the same thing, but from your experience, the discrimination, like, which discrimination have you seen the most in your life? Or both? Are they equal or both?
[00:34:02] Speaker C: I think it just. There is all this. It's not the same. There's a deeper nuanced conversation about kind of the systems of it all. But on a personal level, it's the same in a sense of, you don't fuck with me for something. I can't control that part. And that's weird.
[00:34:22] Speaker A: You go weird, though.
[00:34:23] Speaker C: Yeah, stop being weird. And specifically, I think racism is very much embedded in the culture of America. Whereas I feel like homophobia feels a bit more specific mainly in spaces like, in black spaces. I think it feels a little more insidious because you assume, like, y'all niggas know how to feel, so why would you do the same thing? Yeah, like, that feels crazy.
And. Yeah, so that. That part, it feels like cognitive dissonance in a sense of.
I Just want people to move to, like, see the logic. Quicker to be like, hey, yeah, they're not the same, but they're very similar.
Relax. Mind your business.
[00:35:14] Speaker A: Are you getting back on stage? Stand up anytime.
[00:35:16] Speaker C: Yeah, I'm going to New York, actually, on Tuesday.
[00:35:19] Speaker A: I mean, are you shooting any specials anytime soon?
[00:35:22] Speaker C: That's my hope. I'm working on my one man show.
[00:35:23] Speaker B: And I want to see one man show.
[00:35:25] Speaker C: It's called How Being Black and Gay Made Me Better Than youn.
[00:35:27] Speaker A: Damn, this nigga's crazy.
I look forward to that, bro.
[00:35:32] Speaker C: Thank you so much.
[00:35:33] Speaker A: Make sure you check out the studio. All things Dwayne Perkins. Also, one of these days is, you know, obviously one of them cultural phenomenons. Gina, actually, when she first saw it, she's like, this is our Friday. Like, this is our. You know what I'm saying?
[00:35:46] Speaker B: I'm already hoping that as we getting a sequel and it's called Another One of them Days.
[00:35:51] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:35:52] Speaker A: Do you know something?
[00:35:53] Speaker C: No. But I hope there's a sequel and I want to be in it. It could be called One of them Months. So my pitch. My pitch is that this could be like a franchise. Like One of them Months, one of them years. Then one of them Thanksgivings, one of them Christmases. Like, yes. I'm trying to be a producer, too. Hey, y'all manifesting for sure.
[00:36:12] Speaker A: But now, we appreciate you coming through, man.
[00:36:14] Speaker C: Absolutely. Thanks for having me.
[00:36:15] Speaker A: It's been a pleasure having you, man. Go check out all things Dwayne Perkins. It's effective immediately.
