Spade and Carvey Criticize Hollywood's Emphasis on Race and Gender

Comedians David Spade and Dana Carvey are urging Hollywood to shift its focus away from emphasizing race and gender, arguing that such distinctions can be diminishing to individuals. On a recent episode of their podcast, "Fly on the Wall," Spade expressed his view that award shows should cease highlighting recipients as the "first Black director" or "first actor" of a certain race.

"I wish they would quit saying that because I think everyone we can't all be equal to you," Spade said. "If you just say we're all actors. . .now this is my point of view, that it just makes it more even and not, we're all just the same. We're all acting."

Carvey offered a humorous anecdote, suggesting that if he had won an Emmy, the announcement might have stated he was the "198th straight white male that has won this award." Spade also recalled his time working on the show "Just Shoot Me," when he was informed each week if they would be working with a female director.

"I [would] go, 'That's fine. Just is it a director? Yeah. Okay, we got it.' Like you don't even have to say that," Spade stated. "Female director. It feels like a little, not condescending, but a little diminishing. That's a good word. It's a little 5%. Instead of going, 'We don't have a regular director,' you know what I mean? So, I was a big proponent of fighting that."

Carvey concurred, describing the phrase "female director" as "a funny thing to say."

In a previous podcast episode, Spade had spoken about the broader state of Hollywood, commenting that "the Hollywood industry is dying" and attributing some of the decline to leadership in California. He mentioned observing the industry's shift during his time on the CBS Radford lot while "Just Shoot Me" and "Seinfeld" were being produced.

"Dude, I'm so old," Spade said. "I was on the lot at, uh, CBS Radford when we were doing ‘Just Shoot Me.’ … And also they were doing 'Seinfeld,' and I'd see him on his bike. It was the greatest lot. Of course, just filed for bankruptcy, the lot. Terrifying in LA Thanks, [LA Mayor] Karen Bass. Thanks, [Gov.] Gavin [Newsom]."

The Los Angeles mayor's office responded to Spade's earlier remarks, with a spokesperson stating that Mayor Bass has championed the entertainment industry as a vital part of the city's middle class. The statement highlighted initiatives such as reduced filming fees and the reopening of the LA Central Library for production, along with the approval of new studio and creative office space and the construction of new sound stages.

Later, during an appearance on the podcast with comedian Tim Dillon, Spade clarified his previous comments about California leadership. He explained that he was not directly angry at Newsom and Bass but rather advocating for Hollywood to be a greater priority.

"I was just saying, ‘Could we make it a slightly more of a priority? I don't know what we're spending the money on that's flowing in, because it's a lot flowing in, but it goes out so quickly. I want to sort of reserve a little piece of the pie to like focus, like let's try to get this back,’" Spade said. "That's all."

Dillon, however, countered that Bass and Newsom seem to believe things are progressing well, making it difficult to convey the urgency of the situation to them.