Introduction
You ever watch someone get called out for saying something offensive—racist, insensitive, or just tone-deaf—and instead of apologizing, they deflect? That’s what happened when Joey Swoll, a popular online fitness personality, was criticized for a comment that many found racially offensive. His response? “Well, Black people said it too.” That deflection—asking why the same critique wasn’t aimed at the Black people who said something similar—isn’t a defense. It’s a dodge. It misses the point. It erases power, context, and the very real weight of history. It’s not just about what was said, but who said it and why it landed differently. When people pretend that race and power dynamics don’t change meaning, they’re not looking for fairness—they’re looking for a way out. That response reveals more about ego than equity. And instead of creating understanding, it shuts the conversation down. This isn’t about silencing anyone—it’s about recognizing that harm and history can’t be edited out with “what about them?” logic.
The Context Always Matters
Words don’t just float around in a vacuum. They come from bodies, histories, and systems. A Black person saying the N-word and a white person saying it are not the same, not because of preference, but because of power. Language carries history. The mouth it comes out of changes the meaning. That’s why, even if a Black person makes a certain joke or critique, it hits differently when repeated by someone outside that group—especially someone white. That difference isn’t about double standards. It’s about lived experience. Ignoring that is either naïve or intentional.
The Candace Owens Effect: Black Faces, White Comfort
When Joey Swoll pointed to Black people saying something similar, he was echoing a familiar playbook. It’s what Candace Owens does: say the thing that comforts white conservatives, then say, “Well I’m Black, so it can’t be racist.” That’s the Candace Owens effect—placing a Black spokesperson in front of harmful rhetoric so that white people can feel validated in saying or thinking what they know they shouldn’t. But one Black person’s agreement doesn’t cancel out a community’s pain. It doesn’t make the offense go away. It just puts a new face on the same harm.
Why Deflection Isn’t Accountability
Instead of listening, reflecting, and saying “I didn’t realize that landed wrong—thank you for pointing it out,” people like Joey Swoll go into defense mode. They start reaching for comparisons, dragging in others, and flipping the blame. “You didn’t call out the Black folks who said it” is not a rebuttal—it’s an excuse. It’s like getting caught speeding and saying, “Well, the car behind me was going just as fast.” That’s not how growth works. That’s not how accountability works. It’s a way to avoid responsibility, and it’s a pattern we’ve seen too often from public figures.
When White People Say “You’re the Racist”
There’s another dangerous layer to this: when the original offense gets flipped entirely, and suddenly the person calling it out is labeled the problem. This is a frequent tactic in conversations about race. A white person says something offensive, gets called on it, and then accuses the critic of being divisive or “playing the race card.” That’s not just frustrating—it’s manipulative. It shuts down the conversation and centers the feelings of the offender instead of the harm they caused. It’s easier to say “You’re overreacting” than it is to say, “I have something to learn here.”
Why “Colored People Said It Too” Doesn’t Work
Let’s talk about that phrase—“colored people.” First, it’s outdated and offensive. Second, using it while claiming you’re not racist only makes things worse. And third, pointing to what someone else said doesn’t erase your impact. Black folks criticizing Hulk Hogan for his racism doesn’t give a white man permission to echo those critiques without nuance, without context, and without accountability. And no, we’re not giving those Black folks a pass—but that doesn’t mean we’re giving you one either. Two wrongs don’t cancel each other—they just reveal a deeper issue.
Summary and Conclusion
Joey Swoll’s attempt to defend his offensive comment by saying, “Black people said it too,” isn’t new—and it isn’t valid. It reflects a broader pattern where white people, when confronted, deflect instead of listen. It’s the same pattern that fuels figures like Candace Owens, who provide cover for racial insensitivity by becoming a mouthpiece for it. But a Black voice doesn’t cancel a racist message. And accountability isn’t about matching tone—it’s about understanding impact. So the next time someone asks, “Why didn’t you say that to the Black folks who said the same thing?” remind them: context is everything, power always matters, and harm doesn’t become harmless just because someone else said it first.