Writers and comedians over at Saturday Night Live hit it big with the hilarious Beygency skit that aired this weekend, but at least one of their segments is causing a lot of backlash…and with good reason.
Leslie Jones, who was hired as SNL’s newest writer amid allegations producer Lorne Michaels didn’t welcome enough diversity into the creative process, appeared alongside Colin Jost for the show’s “Weekend Update.” But what was meant to be a skit celebrating People Magazine’s “Most Beautiful” recipient Lupita Nyong’o, turned into something much more nerve-hitting and, without the right historical context, degrading.
Because making fun of forced slave breeding and the use and value of black bodies is apparently funny.
Here’s a portion of the “slavery draft” joke Jones delivered on Saturday:
“The way we value black beauty has changed. I’m single now, but back in the slave days, I would have never been single. I’m 6 feet tall and I’m strong. Look at me, I’m a Mandingo,” she said.
“I do not want to be a slave. I don’t like working for all you white people now and you pay me. But back in the slave days, my love life would have been better. Master would have hooked me up with the best brotha on the plantation and every nine months I’d be in the corner popping out super babies. I’d just keep popping them out. Shaq. Kobe, LeBron, Kimbo Slice, Sinbad. I would be the number one slave draft pick. All of the plantations would want me,” she said. “Now, I can’t get a brotha to take me out for a cheap dinner. Can a b–ch get a beef bowl?!!”
Needless to say, that didn’t go over too well with viewers. Twitter came alive with dissent, pointing out that Jones’ joke could possibly be funny, if we lived in a bubble where everyone was knowledgeable about the horrors of slavery. Others weren’t so forgiving, calling out Jones’ irresponsible joking of forced breeding while hundreds of young girls are being sold into marriages in Nigeria and the number of sexual assaults on black women are through the roof.
Jones, however, doesn’t seem to be taking the criticism constructively.
Ok I wasn’t gonna say any thing because I know that dumb people know how to use the computer too, but now this is so ridiculous.
— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) May 4, 2014
Where is the rape idiots. I said nothing about rape you fucking morons. I was talking about being match to another strong brother.
— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) May 4, 2014
Not being rape by white man. What part of this joke that wasn’t true? I would have been used for breeding straight up. That’s my reality.
— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) May 4, 2014
And it saddens me that BLACK PEOPLE bitch and moan about the most stupid shit. I’m a comic it is my job to take things and make them funny
— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) May 4, 2014
to make you think. Especially the painful things. Why are y’all so mad. This joke was written from the pain that one night I realized that
— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) May 4, 2014
black men don’t really fuck with me and why am I single. And that in slave days I would have always had a man cause of breeding. If anybody
— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) May 4, 2014
If anybody should be offended is white folks cause it’s what they did. Y’all so busy trying to be self righteous you miss what the joke
— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) May 4, 2014
Agree or disagree? Watch the video above and sound off below…
SOURCE: Twitter, SNL | VIDEO SOURCE: HULU
