Marlon Wayans Says Comedies Like White Chicks Are 'Needed' in Today's Cancel Culture Climate

Marlon Wayans
Marlon Wayans
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty

Marlon Wayans says he's not going to stop telling jokes the way he wants to.

During a recent interview with BuzzFeed, Wayans, 50, said that films like his 2004 comedy White Chicks are "needed" when asked whether the film could thrive in today's pop culture environment.

"I don't know what planet we're on, where you think people don't need laughter, and that people need to be censored and canceled," Wayans told BuzzFeed. "If a joke is gonna get me canceled, thank you for doing me that favor."

In reaction to the idea of cancel culture, the writer and actor, who wrote and starred in White Chicks along with his brother Shawn Wayans, told the outlet that he finds it "sad that society is in this place where we can't laugh anymore."

In White Chicks, the brothers played undercover FBI agents who pose as white women to solve a number of kidnappings.

"I ain't listening to this damn generation. I ain't listening to these folks: These scared-ass people, these scared executives," Wayans added. "Y'all do what you want to do? Great. I'm still gonna tell my jokes the way I tell them. And if you want to make some money, jump on board. And if not, then I'll find a way to do it myself."

RELATED: Marlon Wayans Reveals Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton Inspired 'White Chicks' — and They Respond

Wayans added that he recommended to Priah Ferguson, who costars in his new Netflix movie The Curse of Bridge Hollow, to watch White Chicks as preparation for their new film. Overall, the star appeared confident that his audience will continue to appreciate his work moving forward.

"I know my audience. My audience comes to my shows every weekend and they leave feeling great and laughing," he told BuzzFeed. "One thing about the Wayans, we've always told the worst joke the best way."

white chicks
white chicks

Everett Marlon Wayans and his brother Shawn in White Chicks

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

In July 2021, Wayans revealed in an Instagram post that he and brother Shawn conceptualized White Chicks together after looking at a magazine cover of Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton.

"Funny story one day my brother [Shawn] calls me at 3 a.m. saying 'Marlon we should play white chicks,' " the actor recalled in a caption on Instagram, alongside a photo of him and Paris snapped at FOX's Tubi & TikTok Live Long-Form Reunion event in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

In response, Marlon said he asked Shawn, "You high?"

The next day, Shawn showed Marlon a magazine with Paris and Nicky on the cover.

RELATED: Marlon Wayans on His Journey to Becoming a Leading Man — and the Possibility of a White Chicks Sequel

"[He] said we should play gurls like this," Marlon, 48, remembered. "I immediately got it. They were so big and was the gateway to pop culture send up."

"We did that film in good spirit to celebrate a special time in all of our lives," Marlon said. "So thank you Paris and Nicky for being muses. Love ya."

The actor added at the time, "When we do #whitechicks2 'Let's go shopping' 🛍."