MAGA Melts Down Over Tom Hanks Playing Racist Trump Fan on SNL50

Tom Hanks stirred the pot as he stepped into character for ‘SNL’s 50th anniversary special — but his portrayal of a Trump supporter didn’t land well across the board. For the commemorative episode, SNL returned to some of its most popular sketches—including Black Jeopardy!, a game show that first debuted on the comedy series in [...] Read More... from MAGA Melts Down Over Tom Hanks Playing Racist Trump Fan on SNL50 The post MAGA Melts Down Over Tom Hanks Playing Racist Trump Fan on SNL50 appeared first on LOVEBSCOTT.

LoveBScott LoveBScott
Feb 17, 2025 - 12:00
0 0
MAGA Melts Down Over Tom Hanks Playing Racist Trump Fan on SNL50

Tom Hanks stirred the pot as he stepped into character for ‘SNL’s 50th anniversary special — but his portrayal of a Trump supporter didn’t land well across the board.

For the commemorative episode, SNL returned to some of its most popular sketches—including Black Jeopardy!, a game show that first debuted on the comedy series in 2014. The premise: asking questions that are favorable to the Black community which often leaves its white contestant fumbling for an answer.

Hanks initially made headlines with his character, Doug, in a 2016 sketch. Hanks wore a “Make America Great Again” cap and American Eagle shirt and spoke with a Southern drawl. He also surprisingly had a knack for answering the show’s questions correctly.

In that sketch, Black Jeopardy! host Darnell Hayes, played by Kenan Thompson, attempts to shake Doug’s hand, which Doug backs away from but eventually agrees to.

In 2016, co-writer Michael Che told Seth Meyers: “It made a lot of sense because all this comedy seems very divisive, and this is kind of a thing that says, ‘Listen, we’re not that different when you really break it down,’” Che said.

On Sunday night, Doug was back, much to MAGA’s ire, and again initially refused a handshake from Hayes, seemingly not having learned anything in the eight years since his debut.

“Don’t like that, whoa, whoa, whoa,” Doug can be heard saying, before eventually shaking Hayes’ hand.

“Maybe I’ll start a show for you to come on and we’ll call it ‘White Jeopardy,’” Doug says later in the sketch.

Conservatives were not impressed, with many commenting online that they were quick to switch the program off.

Popular right-wing commentator Benny Johnson raged at SNL over the idea: “Donald Trump just won a landslide election and has never been more popular with Americans. They have learned nothing.” Meanwhile, OutKick founder Clay Travis echoed similar sentiments to Johnson surrounding Trump’s fan base in the 2024 election.

Another popular conservative personality, Mario Nawfal, described the sketch as “tone deaf.” “Hollywood still doesn’t get it: Portraying Trump supporters as racist caricatures while he’s winning record minority support. SNL’s trying 2016 jokes in 2025,” Nawfal wrote.

A former aide to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Link Lauren, seethed at the moment, claiming backlash against the MAGA movement as “racist is disgusting.”

“This show wonders why their ratings are in the gutter,” Lauren wrote. “Trump won the popular vote. This tired trope that MAGA is racist is disgusting. SNL is an unfunny show for snobbish liberal elites. The current Republican Party is a big tent coalition compromised of many former Democrats. Good riddance, SNL!”

The comment was met with similar criticism online from Trump fans, who also labeled the sketch “disgusting” and boasted that ratings for SNL were “in the toilet.”

Another right-wing X influencer, Dominick McGee, dubbed dom_lucre, criticized Hanks, who he said “just disrespected every Republican on SNL as he was dressed up as a Trump supporter with a MAGA hat.”

Another wrote: “No one in the audience laughs as Tom Hanks appears on SNL as a racist Trump supporter that refuses to shake hands with a black man.”

Meanwhile a Trump fan account continued: “Tom Hanks and SNL thought it would be hilarious for him to put on a MAGA hat and act out a stereotype of half the country in a desperate attempt to cope with Democrats crushing defeat in November. Not surprising no one watches SNL or NBC anymore.”

via: Daily Beast

The post MAGA Melts Down Over Tom Hanks Playing Racist Trump Fan on SNL50 appeared first on LOVEBSCOTT.

Read More