Aries Spears sparked a firestorm with what fans see as disrespectful comments about comedy legends who came before him.
Spears is best known for the celebrity impressions of NBA star Shaquille O’Neal, actor Denzel Washington and rapper Jay-Z. However, he’s also famous for not holding his tongue when it comes to other celebrities.
Now his opinions have gotten him in trouble once again after he criticized the talent of some legendary comedians.
During his Aug. 27 appearance on “Live From The Green,” Spears held nothing back when Tony Rock asked which highly praised comic he didn’t care for.
Prepping Rock and co-hosts, Trey Elliot and Joe Fox, Spears said, “What I’m about to say it will be deemed blasphemous by the Black community because we hold these people and these institutions to such high regard.”
He continued, “But it’s OK for you as a subjective opinion to go, I just don’t get it.”
The former “MADTv” star briefly paused before dropping his bombshell answer, which was “Bernie Mac.”
The other three men simply fell silent until Rock asked, “What don’t you get?”
Before answering, Spears launched into an impression of Mac, repeating his signature stand-up catchphrase, “motherf—r.”
“I get lost in the voice. It’s hard for me to buy into the jokes,” he explained.
Rock then pushed Spears to name the comedian he didn’t care for.
“Oh, this is another big one. The Martin Lawrence show. ‘Martin,” he explained. “Sometimes I thought it was so over the top, that it bordered buffoonery.”
Spears referred to the “Romantic Weekend” episode in season 3 when Martin and his partner Gina leave home for a romantic getaway. The 1995 episode is still regarded as one of the funniest television show scenes to date.
In a turn of events, their resort had massive rodents, leading him and Gina’s best friend, Pamela, to fight one rat off.
I’m sorry but the Romantic Weekend episode of Martin still takes me out every time I see it 😭 https://t.co/hrhHjFM1Qe pic.twitter.com/QmEpuSvY11
— BardiBey 🐦⬛ (@bardibeyy) January 30, 2023
Spears went on to praise Eddie Murphy for the characters he embodies and said he believes Lawrence tries to emulate Murphy’s portrayals.
Fans of both Mac and Lawrence defended the comedians while slamming Spears.
One outraged fan commented, “Bernie Mac?! Martin Lawrence?! That’s just insane.”
Another person typed, “Man, Aries is a hater, PERIOD!! This is wild!”
The criticism quickly piled up, with others accusing Spears of letting bitterness fuel his take.
One critic wrote, “Martin was hilarious. Aries spears never really made it like everyone else and he’s bitter.”
Underachieving comedian Aries Spears says he doesn’t understand the praise surrounding comedians Tracy Morgan and Bernie Mac and says he just doesn’t get them, while also calling the TV shows “Martin” and “The Wayans Bros.” borderline buffoonery.
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) September 3, 2026
(🎥 Live From The Green…
Another asked, “Why do people still seek an opinion of a never was D level ‘comedian’? This goofy a— negro’s career was not what it should’ve been, because he AIN’T FUNNY! Never hear anything about his comedy only his dumb a— opinions.”
Mac and Lawrence weren’t the only two comedians that Spears isn’t quite feeling.
He also pointed to Tracy Morgan as somebody that wasn’t his cup of tea, and he didn’t get “The Wayans Brothers.”
Spears emphasized that his words are simply an opinion and that he still loves the other comedians.
To lighten the blow, he focused on the positives and noted that he loved “The Cosby Show” as well as the dramedy series “Rock.”
But that’s not all.
Spears came back online himself to hit back at “sensitive a— n—s who think everything is a diss.
“I never disrespected Bernie in my assessment of his comedy. I never disrespected Martin the man in my assessment of the show,” he stated.
After getting cooked by the internet for trying to downplay Bernie Mac and Martin Lawrence, Aries Spears now throws shots at comedic legend the late great Paul Mooney-Spears sarcastically says
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) September 4, 2026
“let’s be honest, his career wasn’t what it should have been, because he was so…… pic.twitter.com/1SfRIurfXO
Spears stood by his assessment, insisting he never intended to disrespect Mac or Lawrence.
“Bernie … a genius,” he said, acknowledging Mac’s talent before explaining that he simply didn’t connect with his comedic style.
He made the same distinction about Lawrence, arguing that Lawrence’s strength as an actor doesn’t automatically make him a great comedian.
Spears also addressed the backlash over his mention of the late comedy legend Paul Mooney, who he brought up while defending his controversial opinions.
