Mo’Nique’s gender and racial debate against Netflix has inspired other comedians to speak out on the matter. While on the red carpet for the American Black Film Festival Honors, VIBE chatted with comedian Deon Cole, who shared a bit of advice with the Oscar winner for her next move.
“I think she should do a special whether it’s with Netflix or not,” he said Sunday (Feb. 25). “Regardless do the special so we can hear you out cause if you can’t tell us all individually what you’re going through—then do your special, so we can hear you and sympathize with you.”
The special the black-ish star is referring to is a proposal she and manager-husband Sidney Hicks had with the streaming giant. The actress was allegedly offered $500,000, a wide pay gap compared to other comedians like Amy Schumer who reportedly received $13 million. Fellow living legends Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle were offered $20 million for their widely adored specials. Mo’Nique slammed the low-ball offer and questioned the company’s intentions.
After causing a stir on social media for her Netflix boycott, the actress gained supporters like Chance The Rapper and critics like Charlamagne Tha God.
Besides urging her to do her own show, Cole also touched upon the notion of worth in Hollywood, and what that really means when it comes to getting paid accordingly. Cole has been featured in the Netflix special, The Standups, where six comics are given 30 minutes to wow the crowd. In his eyes, no one really gets compensated what they deserve.
“Ain’t nobody getting what they worth,” he affirmed. “I don’t care who it is, so what makes you any different? My thing is show them what your worth. They are going to give you what your worth to them not what you’re really worth. We’re all going through that so if you do your special and you kill it, what can they say?”
Lil Rel Howery and Carl Anthony Payne II also shared their thoughts on the issue. Watch the rest of the interviews above.