The iHeartRadio Awards were held last night and some big-name musical acts came out, which I guess means we have to start taking the IheartMusic Awards seriously. To me, the awards are pretty far down the list of “important” music shows, well below the Grammys, the VMAs, even the BRIT Awards. But iHeartRadio is trying to making this a bigger deal, which is why they got Jamie Foxx to do the opening monologue, which I guess was supposed to be “funny”. It ended up veering away from “awkward” into downright offensive when Jamie thought it would be great to make some jokes about Bruce Jenner’s transition.
Jamie Foxx got things off to an uncomfortable start at the iHeartRadio Awards on Sunday, March 29. After performances from Iggy Azalea, Jennifer Hudson, and Nick Jonas, the Annie star took the stage at L.A.’s Shrine Auditorium to begin his hosting duties with a roast-like monologue. Foxx, 47, first took aim at rapper Suge Knight, who’s facing murder charges for a hit-and-run in January. He then turned the spotlight on Bruce Jenner, making a poorly received joke about the reality star’s transition from male to female.
“We got some groundbreaking performances here, too, tonight,” the Oscar winner began. “We got Bruce Jenner, who will be here doing some musical performances. He’s doing a his-and-her duet all by himself.”
He followed that with another jab at the former Olympian, saying, “Look, I’m just busting your balls while I still can.”
Viewers watching from home were quick to call out the actor on Twitter. Many accused him of transphobia, saying the joke was offensive and in poor taste.
You can see the video at Us Weekly. To the audience’s credit, the transphobic jokes fell flat. Like, barely anyone laughed and you could sort of see it on Jamie’s face, that the jokes didn’t go over the way he planned. I think we’ve come so far in the past five years or so towards greater understanding of trans issues and trans people, but there’s always going to be some caveman who thinks it’s totally cool to make “jokes” like this. Enough. There are kids watching and they see Jamie normalize that kind of bullying. Jamie should offer an apology, but I doubt he will.
I’m including some photos of Jamie and some of the other dudes in attendance last night, including Chris Brown, Jason Derulo, Boy George and Nick Jonas.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.
Yeah… very much ugh.
Jamie is an @$$… always has been-always will be.
I will never understand people who try to ‘power through’ a possibly uncomfortable issue with thoroughly tasteless (and humorless) humor. And clearly the discomfort is largely Jamie’s. And citing the comedian clause, he will likely not apologize for it.
Agreed totally. While multi-talented, his fame-whoring and look-at-me persona grate on my last nerve. The comedic bouts and occasional “I can sing, too” falsettos are getting rather old.
And while I am NO FAN of the Kardashians, I really hope that none of them were in attendance at the event. I read where Kylie and Tyga were there, but I really hope they WERE NOT there at the time those jokes were being told. This family should be thick-skinned at this point, but,, like it or not, that is someone’s parent that Jamie was belittling.
I too CANNOT with Jamie Foxx I’ve never ever found him funny or appealing… and his jokes are always as Tired as Leno’s … which at least Leno doesn’t have them Chiclets teeth or that sharpie hairline
I never understood Jamie Foxx appeal. I found his sitcom incredibly unfunny. His radio show (foxhole) was just the epitome of douche. He has always been great at impersonations which I suppose is what won him the Oscar for Ray. And I really think he said or did something to Beyonce, her whole demeanor just changes around him in a way that never happens with anybody else including Fifty. Every time.
Some of the stuff that is written on this site is worst than his joke so get off your high horse.
Yeah not funny. But is that on him or the writers? I didn’t think they were allowed to improv at these things.
Regardless, if it was the writers, Jamie should have REFUSED to do such tasteless and highly-offensive so-called jokes. I am totally appalled. Bruce Jenner does not deserve public mockery…so disrespectful and so ignorant on the part of the writers and/or Jamie Foxx. Total ignorance.
I agree! If he wasn’t okay with it he should’ve refused to say it.
Also did anyone see Chris Brown laughing hysterically? I’m not surprised
Will Ferrell also made one at Bieber’s roast (and Kendall was right there in the audience).
Boy George looks so good! I was scrolling back and forth wondering who that young Boy George looking kid was…
He and his former band mates with Culture Club were playing a concert in my town last year. I loved that group.
He’s a lovely person!
I met him in a bar in Spain years ago–I was in school there, out at my favorite bar, and some friends from favorite bar #2 (around the corner) came running in to say that Boy George was at this bar, and please please please go say hi to him because I was the only one who spoke English. So I did, I went around the corner to the other bar and approached him, apologized, and said that I was the designated fan ambassador since I spoke English and my friends did not. He was so sweet and polite! We had a nice chat about my studies, what I was doing in Spain, his concert that he had given at my hometown, etc. He waved graciously at my friends and made them all swoon, of course.
He is polite, a little shy, and soft-spoken in person. At least, that was my experience of him.
🙂
I was going to say that! He looks so healthy. I used to see him DJ-ing on the London club circuit way back in the day when I wasn’t ancient.
Boy looks great! Seeing this photo has made my week!
that was my reaction too…he looks so good!
did he quit drinking/drugging? because I seem to remember he was kind of a mess for a while…
I was just going to make that comment! He definitely looks a lot less puffy than he has in the past. It also looks like he might be wearing sweatpants … and I’m all about it (forgive me Eva Mendes)! He looks comfy and great.
Jamie Foxx has made a lot of homophobic comments in the past and he has not evolved on that issue at all.
This is not a surprise and precisely why I can’t stand this smug dumbass.
Gross, especially considering Jenner isn’t remotely relevant in the context of a music awards show, so Foxx was really stretching in order to get those jokes in.
My thinking, too.
Totally. Plus, its kind of old news now
Jamie and the writers should be ashamed.
Kris probably wrote those jokes to build sympathy, push cross brand awareness, and keep the KJ business in the public consciousness.
Ugh. Sorry. That’s how cynical I am about these people these days.
As much as I would hate to disagree with you, all of what you said rings entirely possible.
Jamie should be ashamed of saying such things, and Chris Brown should be ashamed of showing up to that event, or any other for that matter. Actually, he shouldn’t even have the luxury of being ashamed. He should be in jail, ashamed or not.
God, that is just awful. How could he or anyone think that was a good idea?
I though Jamie was funny. The his and hers duet reminded me of Victor/Victoria. So, it made me smile.
Irrelevant but at first glance, I thought Boy George was Kaley Cuoco with a fake beard. lol
Boy George looks great.
Katie Holmes sure is attracted to douche bags.
What he said wasn’t transphobic. It just wasn’t funny.
I’m wondering if someone didn’t talk to Jenner before making these jokes… and I’m wondering how we’d feel if he had. Would he get a pass if he’d asked if it would be ok first?
And is this really trans *phobia*? People always throw that label out when someone says something potentially insulting or insensitive… but I’m not convinced that fear is where the source of this kind of thing resonates.
NOT defending (because I see where this was over the line) – but I mean – comedians make a living off of jokes about whatever they find so different from mainstream that aspects of them could be considered funny. Anything or anyone is not really off limits when comedians take the stage. Name a comedian and I’ll bet I could find source material that someone will find offensive.
And is it phobia if something just doesn’t appeal to you? If you don’t like apples or the look of freckles it doesn’t mean you are afraid of them. It’s just not appealing to you.
I don’t know… I’m just thinking maybe it doesn’t need a PC label – he’s just being an insensitive a-hole, especially if he didn’t bounce that off of Jenner first.
As a side note – I guess all the Katie Holmes/Jaime Foxx dating supporters are elsewhere atm.
The -phobia suffix isn’t exclusive to clinical fears…. in a social context, it represents negative feelings and beliefs, particularly intense dislike and discrimination. I’m not sure why you’ve turned this into a semantic argument, but if you insist, look up the words “homophobia” and “transphobia” (and while you’re at it, “Xenophobia” and “Islamophobia”). The word does not mean what you think it means.