D.L. Hughley, Unapologetically Honest on Free Speech, Obama and Everything in Between

Earlier this week, D.L. Hughley was in the guest chair for  an episode of SiriusXM’s “Unmasked” with Ron Bennington.  During the hour-long interview he was brutally honest about what’s wrong with America, touching on politics, immigration, free speech, family, comedy, sex and doing the right thing, in general.  “I love this country” he said. “I love the idea of it.  I like the brochure.”  But he has a few things to say about the reality.

Hughley talked candidly about the upcoming Presidential election.    He explained that he voted for Obama, but not because he’s black.  He voted for Obama because if the choice was between him and Sarah Palin and John McCain, that’s an easy choice.  But he’s not at all uncomfortable being critical of the President, calling Obama too passive.

“He doesn’t seem to get that you have to be willing at some point to fight fire with fire.”  He later added, “he’s closer to being a white kid. Intellectually, like his experiences are so different from mine that responds like an intellect as opposed to a regular guy.”

Hughley also explained why he thinks the country isn’t interested in this election:

“[I]f you were with a man and that man never reacted, never got mad, is always even keel, at a certain point that woman will start to think that man didn’t care about her. That’s how this country is. Because he is so plain and so nonplussed, people see that as devoid of passion. And that is somehow what we’re missing. So I think they’re reacting like if a woman wants a reaction from you, she has to push your buttons. And I think that’s what the country’s doing.”

Listen to the Clip Here

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Hughley also addressed the ‘apologetic’ climate of the country, and particularly how it’s a mistake to apologize for comedy.  “Comedy is the last unapologetic art form. The last one that’s suppose to be impervious to societal whims.”

“I think the mistake is actually apologizing. I really do. I remember once when Don Imus made the joke about the Rutgers girls. I was on Jay Leno and I said they weren’t hos, but they sure were nappy-headed. You can’t be a black woman and play basketball and not look like Van Wallace. And then people wanted me to apologize.  Hughley pointed out that he wasn’t defending Imus or what he said, but rather “It was of the right of that man or any man to kind of say what they want.”  When people boycotted his shows after that and demanded that he apologize, his feelings were clear.  “It’ll never f*cking happen.”

Listen to a clip here.

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Hughley’s new book, “I Want You to Shut The F*ck Up: How the Audacity of Dopes is Ruining America” is available now.  The Unmasked episode will air in its entirety today, August 3rd at 2pm eastern time on Sirius 206, XM 105.  You can hear Unmasked with Host Ron Bennington every week on SiriusXM’s Opie and Anthony, Raw Dog and Stars Too Channels.

Throughout the weekend you can catch  the following re-airings:

  • Saturday at 5am on Sirius 205/XM 105
  • Saturday at 8pm on Sirius/XM 99
  • Sunday at 3pm and 9pm on Sirius/XM 99
  • Sunday at 10am and Midnight  on Sirius 206/XM 105, and at
  • Sunday at 11pm on SiriusXM 104.