Kevin Hart is pushing back on criticism over the theme of his son’s birthday party last week.
In celebration of their son Kenzo’s first birthday, Hart and wife Eniko Hart recently threw him a “cowboys and Indians” themed party. After the couple posted pictures from the birthday party on Instagram, many on social media accused the comedian of cultural appropriation and called him out for insensitivity towards Native America culture.
But Hart wasn’t perturbed by the harsh feedback, choosing instead to point out what he called hypocrisy on his SiriusXM show, Straight From the Hart, on Wednesday
“The reason why I’m even bringing this dumb s—t up is because it shows just how stupid our world is becoming with opinions,” he said. “People are at a point of an all-time high. To throw racial judgment into the development of a 1-year-old’s birthday party where the theme is cowboys and Indians? It’s based around the outfits that are given to the young kids!”
When it was brought up that the party that the party might have been more insensitive to Native Americans than he realized, Hart doubled down on his stance.
“As a kid, when you played these games, it was based off of the premise from a hypothetical place that was put into perception for movies,” he said. “What I’m saying is this isn’t something that just started. This isn’t a racial slur that people are doing or being malicious with. This is a game that’s been played for years.”
“I’m about to be 40 years old. I remember at the age of 6, 7, playing these dumbass games,” he added, seemingly getting more riled up in the moment. “I remember playing cops and robbers!”
What are your thoughts on this topic, ESSENCE fam?
