Seth Meyers hosted another segment of “Jokes Seth Can’t Tell” on Tuesday‘s episode of “Late Night.” This recurring feature involves writers Amber Ruffin, who is Black, and Jenny Hagel, who is a lesbian, presenting jokes that are considered inappropriate for a white, straight man to deliver.
The segment reached its peak when Ruffin jokingly suggested that Meyers should pray to “Black Jesus” as he struggled to deliver a joke about Black movie-goers. After several attempts, Meyers humorously got down on his knees and looked up, saying, “Oh Jesus, I know we’ve never talked, I really need this one.” Ruffin responded with a laugh, “You need to be praying to Black Jesus.”
The joke involved a recent event at a Maryland university—likely Coppin State University in Baltimore—where students attended a discussion featuring what Meyers referred to as “African American quilters.” As he attempted to deliver the punchline, he stumbled over his words: “A Maryland university recently had a talkback with African American quilters. Also having a talk—” He paused, realizing his mistake and trying again. “I mean, I just want to…”
Ruffin reassured him that it was fine. However, Meyers continued to fumble: “OK great. A Maryland university recently had a talkback with African American quilters. Also having a talkback with American, African American—wait, sorry.” He laughed nervously at his blunder before finally getting it right: “A Maryland university recently had a talkback with African American quilters. Also having a talkback with African Americans? Movie screens.”
In a playful mock outrage, Ruffin exclaimed, “Seth! How dare you!” Meyers then addressed the audience, who responded with subdued laughter, jokingly asking, “Why did we edit out the laugh?”
The segment showcased the comedic chemistry between Meyers and his writers while highlighting the unique challenges of navigating sensitive topics in humor.
