'Shxtsngigs' Hosts Face Backlash for Controversial Comments in Recent Podcast

The hosts of the ShxtsNGigs podcast have found themselves in a huge controversy following an appearance on Andrew Schulz's Flagrant podcast. James Duncan and Fuhad Dawodu have exploded in popularity with their hilarious takes on pop culture, relationships, and everyday life. Their banter feels like you’re sitting down with your own friends, making every episode a laugh-out-loud experience.

However, the hosts have found themselves in hot water. James and Fuhad appeared on Andrew’s podcast in August and indulged in an insensitive conversation about Black women. The group were having a discussion about the viral “Black Girlfriend Effect” trend that has taken over social media. The trend suggests that men who date Black women change their appearance for the better over time.

During the conversation, Andrew spouted derogatory stereotypes about Black women while the ShxtsNGigs hosts laughed. Here is a complete breakdown of the controversy, and how James and Fuhad have responded to the backlash.

James and Fuhad are being dragged for not defending Black women after Andrew Schulz made offensive remarks. “They shave their hair because they start losing it," Andrew said. "Because he's so stressed to be around this Black girl complaining all the time." Andrew goes on to add, “I think the Black Girlfriend Effect, it might be a protective instinct.” A clip from the sit-down has since gone viral, and netizens are not happy with the ShxtsNGigs hosts.

“So, @shxtsngigs. You insulted the Black women that made you. You didn’t take accountability for your own actions (and inactions) on Schultz's podcast. At your big age, you should be able to stand up for yourselves. ESPECIALLY SINCE WHITE MEN CHECKED HIM,” one fan tweeted. Others were not as nice – with some fans accusing the hosts of pandering to negative stereotypes.

Following the backlash, the hosts issued an apology. “There were a few jokes made that were incredibly inappropriate, one specifically pertaining to Black women and in the clip, Andrew was making a joke. I'm not even going to get into specifics, making a frankly racist joke, and we were laughing at it,” James said on a Sept. 17 episode of ShxtsNGigs. Adding, “It ended up being something that really, really hurt people that look to us for support and look to feel protected.”

Andrew Schulz is no stranger to controversy. Andrew, who built a name for himself by pushing boundaries in his stand-up routines and podcasts, previously made comments about Australia’s Indigenous communities. During his standup routine, Andrew likened the Israel-Palestine conflict to the struggles faced by Aboriginals.

"All these white Australians out there, (saying) 'give them back their land…’ Just all these Aboriginals on the grass (would be) like 'what the f--k? Give who back their land? We don't even want the land, we want you to increase Centrelink'," Andrew joked (via The National Indigenous Times). And while his comments were met with applause from the audience, Aboriginal community members took issue with the remarks.