Skip Bayless delivered a surprisingly vulnerable – yet strange– take on Ryan Coogler’s blockbuster thriller “Sinners” over the July 4 weekend. Known more for sports hot takes than social commentary, Bayless unexpected detour to share his praises and critiques of the film — particularly concerning the movie’s racial themes — caused confusion and backlash across social media.
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On the latest episode of “The Skip Bayless Show,” the longtime Fox Sports podcaster pivoted away from his typical play-by-play analysis to share how the film left him with “white guilt.” “I love and hated Sinners,” Bayless began. “I loved it because when Ryan Coogler applies his genius to a film, I won’t have any choice but to love it.”
He went on to list Coogler’s movie accomplishments, including his work with Michael B. Jordan, who played a pair of twin brothers in “Sinners,” coining his “gifted” visionary talents.
“I love “Sinners” because of the brilliant melding of two very different genres,” he paused and shared in amazement, “The plight of Black people in 1932 Mississippi and…vampires?” The podcaster praised Coogler’s screenplay ability to “grab you by the throat that will probably get bitten.” After commending the performances of Delroy Lindo and Jordan, Bayless thanked Coogler for creating the film.
“Yet, I must admit when “Sinners” ended, I felt battered, bludgeoned, and battered by white guilt,” he admitted. “Look, “Sinners” has no use for white people, nor should it.” Bayless continued analyzing the film’s metaphor by highlighting how “evil, devious white people tricked Black people and sucked their blood, and turned them into something they weren’t meant to be.” He even noted the “ first member of the Black community to defy the brothers” was the white-passing woman, “Mary,” portrayed by Hailee Steinfeld. “She obviously has some white blood, which obviously prevails and it leads her and, in turn, the black community to ruin.”
The podcaster went on to reflect on his career, sharing how he has fought against racial injustice in the United States. “I was so blessed to have been mostly raised by a black woman who was far more of a mother and a teacher to me than my mother was, my real mother.”
Though he attributed his growth to his house manager, Katie Bell, he shared how his “soul aches” when he has to watch what white people did to Black people in the deep South in the 1930s, admitting he doesn’t know how to fix it. He continued, “After a while, it’s just hard to watch.”
After the segment clip went viral, the comment section flooded with reactions to Bayless’ movie reflections. One YouTube user called him out, saying, “ This man, Skip, really misunderstood the movie.” Commenters continued to share how his reflections missed the mark, with a Facebook user posting, “Bro found a way to make the movie about him lol.”
While some weren’t buying into Bayless’s comments, others felt there was no need to feel guilty about it. A Facebook commenter posted, “I’m white and I loved the film and don’t feel any white guilt whatsoever after watching. Why would I? I never did any of those horrible things portrayed in the film. “Sinners” is a snapshot of a real-time in our country with a supernatural twist. Nothing more, nothing less.”
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