CNN host Chris Cuomo found himself on the receiving end of backlash over the weekend after recently claiming that he is “black on the inside.”
What happened?
While speaking with friend and fellow CNN host Don Lemon on Friday, Cuomo began singing the theme song for “Good Times,” a CBS sitcom that aired in the 1970s.
The show was particularly notable for centering around American TV’s first black two-parent family.
“How do you know the words to ‘Good Times’?” Lemon asked.
“You know I’m black on the inside,” Cuomo immediately shot back.
Lemon glossed over Cuomo’s remark during their interview.
What was the reaction?
While Lemon did not say anything to Cuomo, social media quickly responded to the off-color comment, blasting Cuomo for his claim.
“It’s f***ing offensive. Black isn’t something you can just say you feel you are inside without having to deal with the racism that comes with being physically Black on the outside. This is cultural appropriation,” Aisha Staggers, managing editor of Sister2Sister magazine, said.
Staggers added, “Black is not a costume, I don’t get to be white when I don’t feel like not dealing with racism or racist police or just regular bulls*** Black people deal with. I can’t even hide at home because I can be killed there in my bed, so understand, there was nothing silly about this.”
One person mockingly asked, “Are the Cuomo brothers competing for S****iest Cuomo rn?”
Another person upset over Cuomo’s comment demanded the CNN host undergo sensitivity training.
“Chris Cuomo just said to Don Lemon OUT LOUD on Wolf Blitzer’s CNN, ‘You know I’m Black on the inside,’ and we had to turn off the television because I’m not here for that nonsense. @CNN needs to have some sensitivity training with their on-air personalities,” the person, Rev. Mary Dande, said.
Megyn Kelly even set her sights on Lemon.
“Weird how Don Lemon, who sees racism everywhere if a Republican is involved, gives his buddy a total pass on this,” Kelly said.
Anything else?
Cuomo was also criticized this week after finally addressing the scandal growing around his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
“Obviously I am aware of what is going on with my brother. And obviously I cannot cover it because he is my brother. Now, of course CNN has to cover it. They have covered it extensively and they will continue to do so,” Chris Cuomo told his viewers last week.
Critics contrasted Cuomo’s statement with how he treated his brother during the height of the COVID-19 crisis last year when he joked about the size of his brother’s nose instead of questioning Gov. Cuomo about his handling of the pandemic.
