Vice President Kamala Harris was accused of "pandering" with her taped cameo appearance during the Black Entertainment Television Awards on Sunday night that conservatives and critics mocked as "toenail curling level of cringe."
A pre-recorded skit featured host Taraji P. Henson calling Harris on a video call to discuss the upcoming presidential election between President Biden and former President Trump. Harris went on to say she is "out here in these streets" and referenced a recent rap song.
"Madam VP Harris, I’m worried about the election. Women’s reproductive rights are on the line, our Supreme Court is on the line, our basic freedoms are being tested. Madam VP, I know you’ve been traveling across the country," Henson said. "What are you hearing?"
"Yeah girl, I’m out here in these streets. And let me tell you, you’re right, Taraji. There is so much at stake in this moment. The majority of us believe in freedom and equality. But these extremists, as they say, they not like us," Harris said, using a nod to rapper Kendrick Lamar’s popular song "Not Like Us."
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Lamar’s "Not Like Us" is a recent "diss track" in which the Los Angeles-based rapper accuses rival Drake of being a pedophile for dating younger women. "Not Like Us" has emerged as a rallying cry in the hip-hop community in recent weeks.
After quoting Lamar, Harris insisted Republicans are attacking fundamental freedoms.
"There is a full-on attack on our fundamental freedoms, the freedom to vote, the freedom to love who you love, the freedom to be safe from gun violence, the freedom for a woman to make decisions about her own body, not having her government tell her what to do," Harris said.
"They out here trying to take away Pride, Plan B and Planned Parenthood, but protecting pistols. If you ask me, they pushing the wrong Ps," Henson said.
Harris responded, "They want to turn back the clock on our hard-fought progress."
Henson then asked what could be done about it.
"We will do what we’ve always done. Fight for our freedoms. But here’s the thing, we cannot fight alone. We need to get our families, our friends, co-workers, cousins, play cousins, aunties and uncles, get all of them to register to vote. That’s why I’ve been so busy, trying to make sure everyone is registered to vote and that they head to the ballot box on November 5," Harris said.
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Henson then said, "sometimes you need to pop out and show ‘em," another Lamar lyric.
Elon Musk posted on X that the skit was "Toenail curling level of cringe."
Citizen Free Press posted, "Kamala panders at BET awards and the reviews are not positive. Black Americans are embarrassed by Kamala."
Not the Bee, the non-satirical unit of Babylon Bee, added "Kamala popped into the BET Awards to prove she has rizz but ended up reaching NEW LEVELS OF CRINGE."
Many others mocked the skit on social media:
