James Corden.Photo: The Howard Stern Show/YouTube
James Cordenis making big changes toThe Late Late Show’s “Spill Your Guts” segment after claims that the recurring bit encourages racism against Asians.
During a recent appearance onHoward 101, the actor and comedian told hostHoward Sternthat he was aware of a petition that urged his show to alter the segment — which sees celebrities choose to answer questions or eat unique foods from around the world that many Americans might see as intimidating — and had taken action to do just that.
“We heard that story, and the next time we do that bit, we absolutely won’t involve or use any of those foods,” said Corden, 42.
Added the late-night host, “Our showis a show about joyand light and love, we don’t want to make a show to upset anybody. In the same way that when we played it withAnna Wintour, we gave her a pizza covered in cheeseburgers.”
“We completely understand,” Corden continued. “It’s not for us to determine whether somebody’s upset or hurt about something … all we can do is go, ‘All right, we get it, we won’t do that.’ "
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The Late Late Show’s “Spill Your Guts” segment.Terence Patrick/CBS
“During these segments, he’s openly called these foods ‘really disgusting,’ and ‘horrific,’ " the petition’s description continued. “In the wake of theconstant Asian hate crimesthat have continuously been occurring, not only is this segment incredibly culturally offensive and insensitive, but it also encourages anti-Asian racism.”
“So many Asian Americans are consistently bullied and mocked for their native foods, and this segment amplifies and encourages it,” the petition added.
It went on to request that the foods on “Spill Your Guts” either be “completely changed” or for the segment to be removed, an apology from Corden and “funds donated to local Asian American organizations that are working to help Asian-owned restaurants and small businesses.”
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Corden previously spoke to Stern, 67, about the segment during an in-person appearance at Stern’s studio back in 2019, insisting that the foods are “not odd.”
“I said, ‘Look, all of these things are delicacies around the world,’ " he recalled of a 2018 conversation he had withCherbefore sheparticipated in “Spill Your Guts,“in which she was hesitant before playing but eventually chose to eat a cow’s tongue instead of saying something nice about then-PresidentDonald Trump.
“They’re just odd to us — they’re not odd. And a lot of it doesn’t taste bad. it really doesn’t. It’s just your psyche of something being new,” Corden explained.
The star said he told Cher, 75, " ‘I promise you, all of these things are all fine and you don’t have to worry about anything. You just gotta have a good time.’ "
source: people.com
