Hygiene practices are personal, but when the divisive topic is broadcast to the public, the conversation of “nasty work” leaves the bathroom. Such was the case when Kevin Hart appeared on his friend Chelsea Handler’s “Dear Chelsea” podcast.
The two comics found themselves debating just how much scrubbing a person should have to do when cleaning themselves weeks after fellow comedian Tiffany Haddish offered to scrub an African man with peroxide and baking soda.
With Hart and Handler obviously being Black and white, respectively, it did not take long for their experiences to differ.
The hot topic was sparked while answering a viewer’s question about bathing a dog in the household tub instead of outdoors — the latter being a practice that Hart said Black people commonly participate in.
Nonetheless, it opened the door for Handler to confess that cleanliness is about efficiency, not a detailed removal of excrements.
“Why do my legs need to be washed? They’re f—king covered all day. It’s not like my legs are going out without me,” she asked, leaving Hart stunned.
She continued, “And when I take a shower, all the soap from my shower comes down…It’s not like my legs are out there gardening all day without me.” Through laughter, the “Acting My Age” jokester said, “That is so bad. You f—king wash your legs!”
Handler hit back with, “No, I don’t think so.”
Their exchange continued with Hart asking her to clarify “What do you mean you don’t think?” The best answer the former E! personality could offer was to inquire why anyone’s legs would need to be directly washed.
“It’s your body. You wash your body, Chelsea. Your entire body. You don’t pick and choose,” Hart said.
Kevin Hart reacts to a couple who showers their dog in the same bathtub they use and says Black people don’t allow their dogs to sleep in their bed.
(🎥 Dear Chelsea/YouTube) pic.twitter.com/V9BN3mRSXw
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) November 10, 2024
The former late-night TV host admitted she has “hot spots,” which sent her co-host and Hart into another fit of laughter. “I have hot spots that I wash. I get one, two, three, four,” Handler said, motioning to her underarms, groin, and backside. She further explained, “I get those going and then the fifth is the head, and then everything is fine.”
Hart disagreed. “No, it’s not, Chelsea.” Their conversation further derailed when Handler divulged that she also forgoes cleaning between her toes because “Who got in there?”
By that point, Hart was compelled to plead his case that 1) there were other hot spots that Handler missed and 2) that every part of the body deserved to be scrubbed because people naturally “conjure up sweat.”
In short, they agreed to disagree on matters of sweat. “This is just where we’re culturally different…It really is and this is a thing that we just have to nip in the bud. Also, you probably don’t even use like a washrag,” Hart said as Handler interrupted to confirm his suspicions that she only utilizes her hands.
The discourse about white people forgoing a thorough bodily scrub and not using cloths is an ongoing topic. Known celebrities such as Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian have even confessed that the tennis phenom introduced him to the importance of using more than a bar of soap across his body.
And recently, former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce revealed that he’s not scrubbing extremities past his knees. The brother of Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce even suggested that washing of feet as mentioned in the Bible only made sense because Jesus was walking in a “dusty-ass desert in sandals.”
As it pertains to the cultural hygiene differences, Hart said it could all be easily remedied. “If we would just hear white people say, ‘You know what? I understand the washcloth and I get it. OK, if that’s what this is about, I’ll meet you halfway, and I’ll use a washcloth. Doesn’t mean I’m gonna wash my entire body. … I’ll start by at least admitting the use of a washcloth is important,’” he said.
Adding, “The double bang of no washcloth and only hot spots, that’s a lot. That’s a lot to digest.”
But listeners don’t think it’s that simple. “Justifying filth is beyond nasty,” an Instagram user wrote. Another said, “Chelsea if you nasty just say that bcuz ain’t no way that just came out your mouth with a serious face!”
Someone else pointed out, “This conversation makes me itch.” And like a number of others, an individual brought up her ex stating, “50 had them legs wrapped around him.”
Another said, “Ain’t no way 50 Cent … nvm.”
Rapper 50 Cent and Handler briefly dated in 2011. Unlike him and ex Vivica A. Fox, the hitmaker and comedienne have remained friendly since ending their brief romance.
However the two still kept in contact, with the Queens native posting a raunchy photo of Handler for her 41st birthday.
She still refers to 50 Cent as her “favorite ex, (and the only ex-boyfriend I am still asked about in every interview) who gets an extra special shout out in my @hbo special,” according to a 2020 IG post.
It’s unclear exactly why they split but Handler once told Us Weekly, “I don’t know if I can handle him, to be honest. I like to have fun, and I’m really trying to not get into anything too serious.
Handler has been vague on the details but she hinted the breakup had something to do with 50’s ex.
“We dated for a couple months and then we had a falling out. One of his ex-girlfriends was coming onto my show,” she said on Howard Stern’s morning show in 2012.
She seemingly appreciated the heads up but it wasn’t something she wanted to be involved in, “I was like, at my job. It was just so juvenile, I was at work.”
