During the explosive Club Shay Shay interview, Katt Williams claimed Steve Harvey stole not only Mark Curry’s jokes, but his career.
Among the still-cascading effects of Katt Williams’ Jan. 4 interview on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast – which has 33 million views at press time – is the glut of receipt-digging everyone is doing to corroborate the many claims Williams made.
He made crystalline that he has zero love lost for “Mr. Potato Head” Steve Harvey. But outside of his hilarious ad hominem attacks – and the fact that he caused so many people to just now discover that Harvey used to wear a “man unit” when we had that figured out during Barack Obama’s first presidential term – Williams made the damning accusation that Harvey jacked entire jokes and concepts from other comedians.
Williams claimed that Harvey nicked comedian Mark Curry’s entire “Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper” concept for his own “The Steve Harvey Show.” The former ran for five seasons from 1992 to 1997, and the latter for six seasons from 1996 to 2002.
Both shows center on men transitioning from their passion career into teaching and are complete with hijinks from staff and students. Those of us of a certain age loved both shows, but Williams made many of us notice the similarities for the first time; it casts a pall over “The Steve Harvey Show” knowing that Harvey might’ve pulled the same shit that “Friends” did with “Living Single.”
This weekend, a 2019 episode of “The Mike & Donny Show” featuring Curry as a guest started doing the rounds. Curry claimed that Harvey stole a joke involving him being so poor that he had to dress up as a UPS box for Halloween.
“You made enough money b***h ass…why you on my material?” Curry asked.
Mark Curry Calls Out Steve Harvey For Copying His Material – The Mike & Donny Show
Did Harvey steal the joke? It looks pretty damn bad, but you can make the determination for yourself:
The TikTok super-sleuths also honed in on the 2017 “Def Comedy Jam 25” program on Netflix. Notable for being one of the last times we saw Russell Simmons outside, the program concludes with Dave Chappelle closing out the evening with everyone on stage behind him.
Squint and you can see Curry speaking to an incredibly uncomfortable-looking Harvey in the back. Jesus be a lip reader.
Of all the things he had to say about Harvey on Club Shay Shay, Williams never suggested that he stole any of his jokes. But the sleuths did their sleuthing and determined that Harvey might have jacked Williams as well.
When Harvey left stand-up, leveraged his three marriages to write the “self-help” book “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man” and built up a lucrative “mainstream” career (read: get paid by white folks to entertain white folks), he became less appealing to his original fan base – his pretentious letter to his staff and those weird shirtless photos didn’t help his cause.
So, if Harvey did jack comedians like Curry – who hasn’t enjoyed the same degree of fame and income — I’m here for airing him out like a wet toupee. Maybe the whole thing is a coincidence and Harvey and Curry were somehow in a creative sync (more than once), but it feels like Harvey was willing to “Think Like a Man, Act Like Another Comedian,” which puts an asterisk over his entire career.
Oprah EXPOSES The Truth Behind Tyler Perry & TD Jakes Sacrificing Young Boys
The new documentary about Tyler Perry’s incredible life and career made its world premiere during 2023 AFI Fest in Los Angeles.
Directed by Gelila Bekele and Armani Ortiz for Amazon Studios, Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story takes an intimate look at his ‘harrowing but faithful road to the top of an industry that didn’t always include him,’ according to IMDb.
It took him from a childhood described as a ‘living hell’ all the way to a billionaire media mogul.
Not only did the documentary make its premiere at the festival it was also selected as the Centerpiece Screening for this year’s event, which was held at the world famous TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on Friday.
Along with Perry, the film also features Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg, Kenya Barris, Killer Mike, Gayle King, Ari Emanuel, Mellody Hobson, Lucky Johnson, T.D. Jakes, Mark E. Swinton, Michael Paseornek, Ozzie Areu, Elvin Ross, Keleigh Thomas Morgan, Debra Lee and Tim Palen, among others.
AFI Fest: Tyler Perry, 54, spent a lot of time chatting with longtime friend Oprah Winfrey, 69, at the world premiere of the new documentary Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story
Ahead of the screening the acclaimed filmmaker made the rounds on the red carpet with many of his friends and colleagues.
Perry, who at 16 had his first name legally changed from Emmitt to Tyler in an effort to distance himself from his father, showed off his fashion sense in dark slacks with a tinge of purple that was matched with a lavender shirt and a black leather jacket.
He made sure to share the spotlight of the red carpet with Winfrey, who he has credited with inspiring him to pursue a career as a writer after watching an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show when he was in his early 20s.
During that particular show, Perry heard someone describe the sometimes therapeutic effect the act of writing can have, so he did exactly that.
He soon started writing a series of letters to himself, which became the basis for his first successful play, I Know I’ve Been Changed (1993), which focused on issues such as child abuse and rape.
Winfrey, 69, could be found snuggling up next to Perry during a round of photos decked out in an all-white suit consisting of slacks, a blazer, and a blouse.
Rounding out her chic ensemble, the so-called Queen Of All Media also wore a pair of gray pointed shoes, and had her dark locks styled with an extra dose of volume and soft waves, along with a subtle part just off to the left.
On more than one occasion, the longtime friends showed off their chemistry by breaking out into laughter, all while the photographers snapped away.
Chemistry: Winfrey and Perry showed off their undeniable chemistry while on the red carpet that included an all-out laugh fest
Working it: Perry and Winfrey were joined on the red carpet by British actor and director David Oyelowo, 47, who looked stylish in a gray-patterned suit with a black dress shirt
Family matters: Perry also spent time with family at the premiere that included his aunt Jerry Banks, who amazing in a dark blue gown
Show of support: Fame star Debbie Allen, 73, was also on hand to lend her support
Sharing the spotlight: The billionaire media mogul also struck a pose with the documentary’s two directors Armani Ortiz, Gelila Bekele
British actor and director David Oyelowo ended up joining the Winfrey-Perry duo on the red carpet for a round of photos.
The Selma star, 47, looked handsome in a gray-patterned suit that he wore with a black dress shirt and black shoes.
Perry also spent time with family at the premiere that included his aunt Jerry Banks, who amazing in a dark blue gown, as well as with Fame actress Debbie Allen, 73.
The Madea’s Family Reunion star also struck a few poses with the documentary’s two directors, Armani Ortiz and Gelila Bekele.
‘Working on this film for the past decade has been a life-changing journey for the both of us,’ Bekele and Ortiz said, according to Perry’s website. ‘Getting intimately acquainted with the man behind the icon while witnessing the transformative impact of Mr. Perry’s work within various communities has been truly awe-inspiring. We hope this film is more than a road-to-success story, but rather, a meditation on healing, unconditional love, and an inspiration to audiences.’
Some of the other high-profile people on hand for the world premiere event included the likes of film producer Mark E. Swinton, actor Elijah Collins, Deance Wyatt, All the Queen’s Men star Skyh Black, Sistas actress KJ Smith, If Loving You Is Wrong star Edwina Findley, and Beyonce’s mother Tina Lawson.
Perry wrote and produced many stage plays during the 1990s and early 2000s.
Stylin’: Beyoncé’s mother Tina Lawson, 69, wore a black suit with a plunging neckline
Show of support: Mark E. Swinton, Elijah Collins, and Deance Wyatt also gathered for a photo
