So far, Open Mike Eagle and Baron Vaughn’s Comedy Central sketch show The New Negroes is three for three on musical guests. The rap comedy duo has featured a different well-respected rap star in each episode, tackling the sticky subjects of modern society like microaggressions, code-switching, and racial profiling. Their latest video, “Woke As Me,” aims to deflate barbershop conspiracy theories and Youtube rabbit holes with the help of The Foreign Exchange’s Phonte Coleman, who plays the role of the hapless adherent to overly woke culture. The two reproduce the sort of woke debates you see on Twitter all the time, using the buzzwords and catchphrases as part of their clever punchlines to both deflate the pomposity of online debate and reinforce some of its smarter ideas (and Phonte’s line about Bell Hooks is just amazing).
The video also features a cameo appearance from twin comics the Lucas Brothers, who drop by the barbershop mid-rap-debate to play the “Wokken” arcade game in the back of the shop. The characters onscreen are joking references to archetypes anyone who’s spent enough time on internet comments sections, Reddit, or Twitter, from the Campus Crusader and the Hotep to the Yoga Mom and the dreaded Info Warrior. To be honest, if you can make it through the entirety of the video without experiencing some post-traumatic flashbacks, congratulations — you have successfully avoided being Extremely Online and you deserve an award.
“Woke As Me” joins “Unfiltered” and “Police Myself” as The New Negroes‘ latest hilariously incisive cut, which begs the question: When are we getting a full soundtrack? If ever they release it, it could very well be the wokest hit of the year.
