‘One of the Dumbest Moments In History’: Jaleel White Shares Frustrations with Lunch Setup Due to COVID-19 Protocol on Set

Actor Jaleel White is not thrilled about the lunch seating arrangement while on set of a new project.

In a video shared to social media, masked White showed off a large warehouse filled with rows, and rows, and rows of individual desks and chairs intended for members of the set to enjoy a socially distanced lunch.

“Yo, this is one of the dumbest moments in history, and I want this s—t recorded,” states White. “It’s beautiful, but it’s dumb. … They’ve got us lined up like we in a big-ass class.”

The actor then pans his phone to show where various members of the production are lined up in the front of the room picking up their meals. He goes on to explain that once seated, “We all have to face forward. We can’t sit across from each other at tables like normal for lunch.”

He goes on to show his hairstylist Greg sitting at a desk in the back of the “class” before pointing to his own desk, also in the back of the “class.”

“This is one of the dumbest moments in history, get frickin’ vaccinated you a-sholes,” he said through laughter. Already expecting some pushback in the comments, he continued, “They gone start cussing my ass out ,saying, ‘You’re trampling over my freedoms.’ If you don’t this is what’s going to happen, we’re all going to have to eat lunch in class for the rest of our lives. This is crazy. man.”

But all semblance of a good lunch was not lost. Despite feeling as though he had returned to his younger scholastic days, White pointed out his meal consisted of a lobster roll, baked potato, asparagus, a soup, and a decadent chocolate dessert. “You see the food though is lit, OK!”

The former child actor did not reveal any details about his latest project, however he was dressed in an NBA polo, hinting that his role could be any member of a fictional team. According to his IMDB page, his most current project is listed as “North of 10” — a comedic drama about a group of five friends, one of whom is pursuing international love. 

In September the “Family Matters” star announced he would again reprise his notable role as the love-struck nerd Steve Urkel for an animated holiday special. 

Still independent.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

The wider picture isn't any steadier. Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under, it's rarely the ones built to center a Black perspective from the ground up that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top