Eric André has built a reputation in Hollywood for leaning into things that are provocative and uncomfortable. As such, when he makes moves like posting a nude photo on Valentine's Day or psychologically torturing celebrities on The Eric André Show, he often gets a pass. André recently crossed a boundary that elicited responses from fellow celebs like Diplo and Howie Mandel, and he accomplished that by jumping on the "Free The Nipple" trend in a disturbing way.
Just one week after Julia Fox freed the nipple at Cannes, Eric André decided to try his hand at the trend on Instagram. The actor plugged the upcoming premiere of Season 6 of The Eric André Show and shared a photo that would potentially be pulled from social media had it been shared by others:
Eric André is sporting a breast prosthesis in the above photo, but it looks enough like the real thing. Suffice it to say there were many people with commentary, and quite a few of them were celebrities. Howie Mandel is always one to joke, as CinemaBlend learned when he dropped an epic zinger on Nick Cannon after appearing on The Masked Singer. The comedian went more subtle with his response to André's photo, and I absolutely love it:
Something about you is different. Did you cut your hair?
Other comedians, like Michael Rappaport, seemingly weren't in a joking mood. Rappaport's reaction was one of shock (unless he was kidding around), and perhaps is the guy willing to say what others are thinking but not willing to call the actor out themselves:
WTF BRO!!!! This is porn.
Other celebrities didn't have much to add in terms of Michael Rappaport's commentary but did continue to weigh in on Eric André's photo. Diplo decided to pay the comedian a compliment and maybe even shoot his shot with the actor following his breakup with Emily Ratajkowski:
U look kinda good ngl.
That's pretty tame compared to what former New Girl star Lamorne Morris had to say in response to the photo. Morris replied with a statement that I can almost guarantee was the first time anybody had ever made this comment on the internet:
Got them mammories swangin. Got them glands…..boy got them satchelzzz…..boy got them briskets cookin!
Saturday Night Live's Sarah Sherman, also known by her online persona of Sarah Squirm, has absolutely no room to talk when it comes to being shocking on the internet. Given her history, however, I couldn't help but chuckle when I spotted her comment on the post in response to the nipple picture:
I'm reporting this.
As provocative as the photo is, there are still plenty of people who clearly thought it was hilarious because, c'mon, it's Eric André. After all, those following him on Instagram or any social media platform should be prepared to see something shocking at some point. For those who don't follow him and were subjected to it anyway... well, this will be a moment in the "Free The Nipple" movement many won't soon forget. This image is now burned into my subconscious!
The Eric André Show will return to Adult Swim for Season 6 on Sunday, June 4th at midnight. I imagine the season will be at least as shocking as this recent photo of his, and maybe even a bit more extreme. I can't wait to find out for sure!
