James Corden Stirs Controversy With Offensive Segment on the Heels of 'Friends' Reunion Backlash

The Late Late Show's James Corden recently drew the Internet's ire when he was the unpopular host [...]

By Alyssa Fikse

The Late Late Show's James Corden recently drew the Internet's ire when he was the unpopular host of the Friends reunion on HBO Max, and the late-night host is in hot water again for a more serious reason. "Spill Your Guts" has long been a popular segment on The Late Late Show and features Corden's guests making the choice between answering an awkward question or eating something from an array of foods that Corden calls "horrific" and "gross." However, with the recent spotlight on anti-Asian sentiment, many are pointing out that the food that Corden features and mocks is often from Asian cultures.

In light of this, a petition was started calling for Corden to apologize and retire the bit. The Change.org petition has garnered over 11,000 signatures since it was created 3 days ago. "The foods that are presented are meant to be 'gross,' as they are supposed to encourage the guest to answer his questions instead," the petition reads. "However, many of the foods that he presents to his guests are actually from different Asian cultures. He's presented foods such as balut, century-old eggs, and chicken feet, and which are often regularly eaten by Asian people."

"In the wake of the constant Asian hate crimes that have continuously been occurring, not only is this segment incredibly culturally offensive and insensitive, but it also encourages anti-Asian racism," they continued. "So many Asian Americans are consistently bullied and mocked for their native foods, and this segment amplifies and encourages it." The petition points out that the large viewership of The Late Late Show is influenced by segments like these, because "content like this continually perpetuates and encourages harm and racism against Asian Americans in our daily lives."

The petition doesn't call for Corden to be canceled but instead asks for the late-night host to take ownership of his mistake and formally apologize and present clear steps that he is going to take to change. They also request that Corden "completely change the food presented on his show to something else, or remove the segment entirely" and donate funds to organizations that help Asian-owned restaurants and small businesses. Corden and his team have yet to address the backlash at this time.

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