Look, for the most part, I like Adam Carolla. He’s a smart, funny guy who’s led an interesting life and has carved out a unique niche for himself. He was also nice enough to let us interview him a while back. But sometimes I wish he’d just shut the f*ck up if he can’t express himself more eloquently and with a little more empathy, because some of the things he says makes me uncomfortable in the way that can be uncomfortable when someone you’re talking to starts randomly starts spouting ass-backwards sh*t, like that women aren’t funny men are funnier than women and stuff (hasn’t he ever heard of Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Sarah Silverman, Chelsea Peretti, etc?). And now the Man Show alum and podcasting pioneer has taken it to another level.
In an interview podcast with former San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom on his podcast, Carolla went there. After Newsom noted that “half of African Americans in the state of California, and roughly half of Latino families, have no access to a checking account or an ATM,” Carolla voiced some questions that probably should have been addressed, well, more eloquently and with a little more empathy.
“What’s wrong with them?” asked Carolla. “I want to know why those two groups don’t have access. Are they flawed?”
Newsom quickly attempted to steer the conversation elsewhere. “I don’t want to have a sociological debate,” he said.
“I want to know why [Blacks and Latinos] are struggling,” Carolla continued. “Do Asians have this problem? Why do so many [Blacks and Latinos]? Blacks have been here longer than we have. What about Asians–they were put in internment camps. Are they at the check cashing places?”
“Why are [these problems] concentrated in the African American community?” Newsom responded. “Look at the history. It’s naïve to suggest that those things don’t matter.”
“How about the Jews?” asked Carolla. “No problems in the past? Whose had it worse? Why are the Jews doing well? […] Why do some groups do so much better? I’ll tell you why: They have a family who puts an emphasis on education.”
Did Adam Carolla just wonder aloud why blacks and Latinos can’t just be more like the Jews? Why yes, I think he just did. Here’s audio of the exchange…
UM, WELL, OKAY THEN DID YOU HEAR THE ONE ABOUT WHAT THE CAT TOLD THE HORSE?!?!
(Pretends to have to be somewhere else and walks uncomfortably away.)
(Via Gawker. Pic via Shutterstock)
