Comedian Marlon Wayans has once again ignited controversy online with his “Make America Laugh Again” hats, a provocative parody of newly inaugurated President Donald Trump’s campaign slogan.
The merchandise campaign was shared through three distinct social media posts that drew mixed reactions from his nearly 8 million followers.
The first promo drop was on Dec. 18, when he posted a selfie of himself with the fire engine red cap on, staring into the camera sharing that he will be selling them during his shows on his upcoming 30-date “Wild Child” tour.
After the inauguration, the “Air” actor returned to Instagram and posted a video of himself wearing the same hat. This time, in addition to encouraging people to buy the cap, he shared that he intended to flip the toxicity he believes is in the world on its face by making a joke out of it.
“The world needs laughter. F—k all this toxicity,” he says, while modeling his merch.
Then on Friday, Jan. 24, he followed up with another post. This time he offered a commercial showing stylish T-shirts of himself smoking a cigar and a table filled with the crimson headgear.
The public response was dramatically polarized.
Some fans enthusiastically supported the gag apparel.
“Lemme place my order,” one said, while another requested, “Marlon please do the hat in another color, I don’t wear much red.”
One follower proclaimed, “Make America not be offended by Comedy again!”
However, many critics saw the merchandise as problematic.
Another fan expressed disappointment, “We grew up watching you and your family, enjoyed all of your movies and been your supporters. Don’t ruin that over a cheap joke that’s not even funny.”
Some found the concept potentially misunderstood, “You gotta understand something man. Where I’m from that’ll be a potential problem from those assuming instead of actually reading it first lol.”
Another criticized it as unoriginal, “Naw man. Gotta be more creative. The maga parody hats are 2016.”
This controversy aligns with Wayans’ long-standing comedic philosophy.
In a 2018 Paste Magazine interview, while promoting his Netflix special “Woke-Ish,” he boldly stated, “Half of comedy is making fun of stereotypes.”
Throughout his career, he has consistently challenged social boundaries through comedy, arguing that humor can address complex social issues by forcing people to confront uncomfortable truths through laughter.
After facing backlash in 2023 over a social media joke referencing the Alabama riverboat brawl and Jason Aldean’s hit song “Try That In a Small Town,” he remarked on Jalen Rose’s podcast, “I think social media messed up socializing and we’ve got to get back to laughing and stop being so damn sensitive.”
He emphasized that “All we’re doing is filling our airwaves, filling our kids with fear and hate — there’s no laughter and love. The only thing that’s going to bring us together is humor.”
His recent comedy specials, including 2024’s “Good Grief” about losing his parents and 2023’s “God Loves Me” addressing the Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Chris Rock Oscar slap incident, reflect this approach — using humor to navigate sensitive topics.
With his works and including his promotional items, Wayans aims to force people to laugh at things and not be so politically correct that humor disappears.
By launching the “Make America Laugh Again” hats, Wayans underscores his belief in humor’s unifying power. He aims to remind audiences of laughter’s importance, even when navigating complex and challenging topics — an approach embraced by comedians like Dave Chappelle, though not without significant criticism.
During an interview with WGN News, promoting the tour, the hat, and his upcoming “Scary Movie” film, Wayans said, “The whole agenda is to make America laugh again.”
“I just want everybody to live like they’re 15 years old,” he said, before adding, “like you’re 9 years old,” when people don’t care about backlash and issues.
