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SNL fails to read the room! Tom Hank’s racist MAGA character, Black Jeopardy even less funny

February 17, 2025 | | Print Article

Crowd reaction to a retread insult of MAGA supporters during a “Saturday Night Live” special suggested the cultural tide had indeed shifted.

Sunday in New York City, former cast members and VIPs gathered to entertain and celebrate 50 years of the sketch comedy show with “SNL50: The Anniversary Special.” This included Kenan Thompson reprising his role as the host of “Black Jeopardy!” that ended with a surprise appearance by Tom Hanks that drew sparse laughter over an attempt to make supporters of President Donald Trump appear racist.

Near the end of the skit that had Thompson, as host Darnell Hayes, questioning Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan, and Eddie Murphy portraying Morgan, Hanks came out to replace Murphy to answer a question about the Church Lady as the character Doug.

“If more people went to church, we wouldn’t be in this mess we’re in now,” said the MAGA hat-wearing Hanks prompting Thompson to react, “You know what, I agree with you, Doug. I’d like to shake your hand, sir. Here we go.”

As soon as the “Black Jeopardy!” approached, the contestant threw his hands up and backed away as though afraid of being approached by a black man before cautiously accepting the handshake for the recycled gag that had been used in the previous version of the skit, prompting many to react like Libs of TikTok in suggesting “This propaganda is dump and isn’t funny.”

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The joke had previously been used in Oct. 2016, just prior to Trump defeating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the presidential election as part of the skit showing that supporters of the GOP leader and black people had common ground.

Before ending the updated version Sunday, Hanks added, “Maybe I’ll start a show for you to come on and we’ll call it, ‘White Jeopardy!'” earning the response from Thompson, “We don’t need it.”

While that drew laughter, the implied racism was met with a tepid reaction from the crowd that stood in stark contrast when presented alongside the original “joke.”

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Whether a lack of change in the writing on the program that continued to prominently feature bias, or a product of bringing back former writers to add to the production, many on social media couldn’t help but notice that the live audience barely laughing at the gag signaled people had had enough of the division and weren’t willing to even pretend to agree with the erroneous stereotype.

“Even the crowd is offended what a weird cringe thing to do. All they’re doing is trying to divide America and create narratives that just are not true because they’re lunatics sick in the head. Mind virus is real for these cats that don’t live in the real world like us,” wrote one user as another opined, “They get it. They just imagine that they have the same influence and status that they used to have, and they don’t.”

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Kevin Haggerty
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