Andrew Schulz Ryan Clark beef: What led to heated exchange between the two during viral podcast appearance?
Comedian Andrew Schulz and ESPN analyst Ryan Clark found themselves at odds over a controversial joke that Schulz made about Black women. The tension reached its peak when Schulz appeared on The Pivot Podcast to discuss the issue directly with Clark.
The dispute began when Schulz, on his Flagrant podcast, joked about the so-called "Black girlfriend effect."
He suggested that men dating Black women often change their appearance, like cutting their hair short, due to stress and growing beards for extra cushion during alleged physical confrontations. While Schulz intended the remark as humor, many, including Clark, saw it as offensive and rooted in harmful stereotypes.
Clark publicly criticized Schulz, addressing the joke on The Pivot Podcast. He argued that such remarks could reinforce negative stereotypes and create real-world harm.
Andrew Schulz, however, felt singled out. He pointed out that The Pivot had featured guests with histories of domestic abuse, yet those cases were not scrutinized in the same way his joke was.
During their discussion, Schulz confronted Clark directly, saying,
"I get a whole section that's not even part of an episode… for a joke. And these guys, who have actually hurt Black women, and convicted… they don’t get anything."
Clark responded by saying that he had questioned those guests about their pasts, but parts of those interviews were edited out due to requests from the guests or their management.
The conversation remained tense. Schulz admitted that "we’re all hypocrites" and that he was aware his joke had upset people. He emphasized that his intention was never to hurt Black women but rather to create humor.
Clark, however, stood firm in his belief that comedy should be held accountable when it perpetuates harmful narratives.
Despite the heated exchange, both men seemed to reach a level of understanding by the end of the discussion. However, the debate about the boundaries of comedy and the responsibility of public figures continues.
Andrew Schulz’s controversial joke
The controversy traces back to July 2024, when Andrew Schulz and his Flagrant co-host Akaash Singh invited British podcasters James and Fuhad from ShxtsnGigs. During their conversation, the group joked about how men with Black girlfriends often change their look.
Schulz then made an inflammatory comment, saying,
"They shave their hair because they start losing it, because they’re so stressed because a Black girl keeps complaining about sht all the f***ing time."
He also added that Black women were allegedly abusive, suggesting that men grew beards because,
"There’s more cushion when they get slapped the f**k out."
Clark immediately took issue with these remarks, calling them offensive and harmful. He was particularly disappointed that the two Black men sitting across from Schulz in the episode did not push back against the joke.
While Andrew Schulz and Ryan Clark were able to have a direct conversation about their disagreement, the larger debate over comedy, race, and responsibility remains ongoing.