Tracy Morgan is facing backlash after making insulting comments about teachers during a conversation with Saturday Night Live’s Marcello Hernandez for Variety and CNN’s Actors on Actors series.
The exchange started lightheartedly, with Hernandez joking about getting in trouble at school for being mischievous and talking too much. Morgan defended that behavior, saying, “They didn’t understand you. You had a sense of humor. And they couldn’t control that. God gave that to you.”
Morgan’s Comments About Teachers Drew the Sharpest Reaction
Things turned tense when Morgan took a swipe at teachers who are “still making minimum wage,” prompting Hernandez to react with an uncomfortable laugh and a quick, “No.”
Morgan then asked, “You know how much them teachers probably making right now?” Hernandez answered, “Man, not enough,” underscoring the discomfort around the remark.
He Later Went Further
Morgan also said he “can’t stand teachers” and mocked what he described as their “ceiling” in the profession. “I can’t stand teachers,” he said. “You know why? Because they have a ceiling. They have a limit. That’s all they ever gonna be. Man, I teach my kids, sky’s the limit.”
The comments landed badly, especially in light of how often teachers spend their own money on school supplies while dealing with the demands of elementary classrooms.
Responses to Morgan’s remarks began circulating after the clip was posted by Variety, adding to the criticism around his exchange with Hernandez.