MAGA melts down at Tom Hanks playing Trump fan on SNL50
Summary
Tom Hanks reprised his 2016 "MAGA" character, Doug, on Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary episode, sparking backlash from Trump supporters.
The sketch, Black Jeopardy!, featured Doug again hesitating to shake hands with a Black host.
Conservative commentators criticized the portrayal as outdated and offensive, calling it an unfair caricature of Trump voters.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/maga-melts-down-over-tom-hanks-playing-racist-trump-fan-on-snl50/Open linkView original on lemmy.world760
Comments136
Outdated? Maybe. He's not making them look like nazis
Offensive? Not even close.
Honestly, his portrayal is more human than any interaction I've personally had with any Trumper (family coworker, stranger included).
Tom Hanks's whole brand is around getting you to emphasize with the cast.
If Tom Hanks is playing your character, it's an implicit compliment. An insult would be if they'd gone with Steve Bushemy.
I would be stoked if either one of them impersonated me.
But Hanks was not complimenting them.
He was humanizing them. An act they see as insulting.
I have to admit, you had me going there for a second lol
Empathy not emphasis. Prolly an autocorrect but just pointing it out.
I haven't seen the recent sketch--In the original though, his character was racist out of ignorance, but sorta open-minded and empathetic when actually facing black folks.
That latter part is probably what the trumpers actually find offensive.
They literally did that exact thing last time
The fuck is this fascist apologist bullshit?
They don’t need help looking like Nazis. They already look, act, and smell like them. And if they look, act, and smell like a Nazi, they are a Nazi
I'm confused by your comment. Who is the fascist apologist?
They guy who says MAGA “look like” Nazis. They are straight up Nazis.
Ok, so it was the commenter. The OC wrote:
The OC is apparently the Nazi apologist. Just so I don't get accused of being a Nazi apologist in the future, should the comment say this instead?
Yes. Don’t need to beat around the bush with Nazis. Just say it like it is.
The issue is that to appease your anti-fascist fervor, we have to break grammar rules and phrase things awkwardly.
For Tom Hanks to portray his MAGA character as a Nazi, which is what the OC is saying would be needed to update the skit, he would have to make the character look like a Nazi to the audience. Having him be a Nazi in the script doesn't benefit the audience. The audience needs to get that he's a Nazi by having him look like one.
Seems a minor point to be harping on OC about.
Well, they have me blocked, so I can't address their issues. I don't even see their original comment in my inbox.
Edit: with this account
Your reading comprehension is off the charts.
Since you’re from .ca I will charitably assume your primary language is Québécois. In English I assure you that your understanding of the statement is not correct. There is no need to be angry at the person you originally replied to.
Saying Tom Hanks portrayal of Maga is charitable of their behaviour is Nazi apologism?
What is your real issue here? You have that account blocked, and blocked so that it doesn't receive notifications. (Edit: I may have blocked you due to this type of behaviour)
Are you afraid that I'll poke holes in your argument?
Were you looking to call me a Nazi or do you just sling mud when someone steps out of your narrow set of authoritarian morals?
No, I'm not afraid you'll poke holes in my argument. I usually don't reply to threads of people who are very opinionated against me, as it seems to be a waste of time. But since you made a new account to get my attention....
The point I was trying to make was
That's it. Take it as you will.
Not a new account chuckles, check the date. Hole one.
What I was saying and you have been told by others is that Hanks' portrayal is more charitable than they deserve and it makes yhem look like garden variety racists. Hole two.
I feel Hanks went soft on them.
You are worked up about a version of what I said in your fucking mind.
If you were blocked or blocked me why did you go out of your way to be offened?
Again, I don’t really care about holes at this point and I admittedly didn’t check your account date. I’m not sure if I have you blocked or not, I was perhaps a bit sensitive because I have the ever present dread that the US will continue to be a fascist state from here on out.
If you think Hanks went soft, I misunderstood your comment and we agree.
conservatives in general do not understand comedy in any form, unless it involves bigotry.
Maybe they can get some thoughts and prayers from the ... *checks notes * ... immigrants eating people's cats and dogs?
Why can't they just do fair caricatures?!
and have an surgery wing in schools for transitions.
Ok, ok, I REALLY gotta know what Trump supporters are actually offended by being called out as racists. Like, that's literally 50% of their entire thing with the other 50% being homophobes.
They're offended by being called out. Doesn't matter what it's about, it's just the being called out that's the problem.
To trump supporters, being called racist is more offensive than being racist. Whatever they can use to play the victim
Its because they see racism as an identity or ideology not as an action or an observational thing. I see it with my grandmother who will say some notably racist shit but doesnt see it as racist. They dont like the implication of being seen as a racist because they dont see themselves as racist.
That is true for any racist not just Trump supporters.
Boy do they hate being called pedo after they diddle kids.... they are "youth pastors"...
Because it's all dog whistles so "you can't prove it! I just don't like DEI, it's unfair!" "I don't like gay people being forced down my throat in all media!"
There's always a somewhat "proper" argument that hides the real reason they agree with it.
Meanwhile they just use DEI as a stand in for the N-word.
That mayor is a DEI! This pilot is a DEI! Etc.
CRT, DEI, "woke", the right uses these interchangeably functionally for what the nazis called "Jewish science".
It'd be funny to keep playing dumb about what they mean about "DEI" and why they are so grrrr mad about it until they get so apoplectic that they go full nCLANGer mode like Blazing Saddles guy.
The real problem is half of them really do like gay people forcing themselves down their throats but they are too afraid to admit it.
"Gay people forced down my throat" nice double entendre.
There are a lot of racist who will swear up and down that they are not racists.
"It's not racist when it's true."
You hear this shit living in Indiana.
Being called what they are is worse than being what they are.
They’re looking for any excuse to be the victim.
Well yeah. Conservatives very often are outdated and offensive.
Sounds like a bunch of snowflakes
The original Doug on Black Jeopardy sketch is my absolute favorite sketch they've ever done.
It's so obvious that poor white people would get along with and want to same things as minorities if they could just get over that racism and stop falling for the manipulation by religious and political leaders
Which is why they killed Martin Luther King, Jr. He was starting to make progress bringing poor people off all backgrounds together and that was a threat to the powers that be.
The FBI killed him, Cash was innocent.
And Malcolm x was killed within months of denouncing the racism of the NoI.
And Fred Hampton was killed the same year as founding the rainbow coalition.
To be fair Hampton had to be stopped. If permitted to continue AIDS and crack wouldn’t have hurt nearly as many nor could the state ensure a new wave of prison “workers” every few weeks. /s
It doesn't happen in a vacuum. There's generations of racism bred into them, including the politicians and religious leaders.
That kinda hate makes for a very powerful weapon.
No. Absolutely not. Not even maybe.
Taught. The racism is taught.
Yes, obviously racism isn't genetic, but it has very, very deep roots.
I dunno, it's hard to tell who is high on their own supply or who is just taking advantage
Every one of those comments is talking about how they shouldn’t be made fun of because trump won the popular vote, but did that stop them from making fun of any democrat that won the popular vote for the last twenty years?
remember when Obama didn't salute? or wore a tan suit?
Now there's a poem waiting to happen.
@[email protected] will probably write one soon.
Make sure you Terrorist Fist Jab your homies on a regular basis.
So winning the popular vote means no one makes fun of you? I wonder if the redcaps have any clue about anything in this world.
That seems to be what they’re implying. I guess they only just selectively thought of it.
The GOP proved that they're not above randomly making up new rules just to complain the other side isn't following them with all the "traditions" that Obama snubbed
Conservatives were not impressed, with many commenting online that they were quick to switch the program off.
The reason why they switched it off so quick because it reminded them of themselves and made those snowflakes uncomfortable.
At least they know how to switch the channel. Don't want to protest for SNL to be canceled.
You can't spell hatred without red hat.
(I can't take credit for this, I saw this comment on this same story elsewhere, and I thought it was so obvious that I can't believe it isn't more widespread)
Ouh nice one
how the fuck are we near 10 years later and I'm just now seeing what should've been the DNC's campaign motto from the start? People, politicians, and pundits can argue about "flavors of fascism" till the cows come home, but the hatred is plain for anyone to see.
At least when Tom Hanks is joking, it doesn't end up violating human rights and constitutional law.
If you're offending Trump supporters then you're doing something right.
Snowflakes.
Oh, did they melt?
Tame. What crybabies.
Is it more of a slam? Was anyone blasted? Lol
someone torched it.
How many blasting is a torching. I can't keep up
Yes, by MAGA's own vernacular it does.
Conservative commentators should be written nazi enablers
Looking at some of the response videos from maga supporters I realized that they're the most butt hurt demographic in existence.
Bruh, its like everything else from conservatives.
Anything they say is projection.
They scream that democrats, gays, etc are pedophiles.
What group is on the news every day with a new child molestation arrest/conviction? Conservatives.
They laugh at and mock democrats for being snowflakes that get big hurt over existence.
What group is constantly whinging online about their feels being hurt over facts? and trying to hide their tears behind the the SDE of impotent rage.
Everything a conservative says about another group, is in fact a confession about conservatives. everything
GOP:
Gaslight
Obstruct
Project
They think if they are having an issue with it, everyone else must be as well.
It's part of the indoctrination of sin from the church as well.
It's also a pretty common logical bias from smart people thinking others think or know what they do.
Apparently we are all the same flaws with very different responses to them.
And what's hilarious is this character is actually dead on. I've met people just like this character. I guess that's why they're butt hurt
If they don't have something to be angry about, they don't have anything at all to say. It appears that fine-tuning the ragebait algos for max engagement has had a persistent negative effect.
Like a decade and a half ago Starbucks had been nerve to put. Happy holidays on there winter season cups, and the right wing lost their shit.
They cannot be taken seriously with their complaints about being victims.
Liberals are constantly offended because conservatives are constantly attacking everything around them.
Conservatives attack everything around them because they are offended by EVERYTHING!
They simply cannot stand the ugly truth about them, those MAGA snowflakes.
Who cares? Time to stop giving a crap about racists and biggots feelings. What a bunch of snowflakes.
Meanwhile Google removes Black History Month.
This was the best part and only real swing taken in an otherwise really disappointing three hours. Yeah, I hate that I have to say that but it was a nothingburger that had so much potential for comedy and good.
I thought the entire SNL50 shit was kinda gross when watching a few segments of it. Every skit (especially the adam sandler song), had references to "Lauren's" horrible work ethic and how much of a psychological shit storm working on that show is.
Like it just kept going on and on with little jokes telling how much of a crap place it is, then everyone smiles and says, "Thank you Lauren!!" I honestly doubt if George Carlin was alive, that they would've asked him to come back and host (he was the first host).
If this would've been the last show, like they all decided to hang up the towel. Then sure, treat it like graduating from a crappy ass highschool you're just so thrilled to be out of, you can enjoy the last day. But all the appearances and references just reminded me of how shitty SNL has really been over the decades. Sure some great writers and performers, but those have been squeezed and mutilated out of creative individuals for decades for our entertainment.
I really have nothing to say about the "outrage from conservatives" lol, that just feels like clickbait for every side.
Well, Tim Allen offends me whenever I hear his comedy.
Go Woody!
"Someone's poisoned the water hole!"
He was legitimately funny when he started doing standup in the late 80s.
Unfortunately, his entire act became, "I am a man who does manly things, here is my annoying grunt sound."
Also once legitimately funny: Jeff Dunham.
They really hate it when you point out their racism, don’t they. Poor snowflakes.
that’s because we teach kids that racism is really bad and onlt bad people are racists. These people cannot be bad people therefore they aren’t racist.
The issue is if you are raised in a racist society, as most are, you will internalize and express racist views from time to time. You are only a bad person if you don’t try to reduce or stop expressing these views.
That was hilarious. I don't usually care to watch a lot of videos online, but that was well worth it.
And holy shit, Tom Hanks playing the least racist person ever to wear a MAGA hat. Not nearly offensive enough.
That's as evil as he could make it. Probably seemed cartoonishly evil to him.
While its funny to see the right bitching aroun like a kid that didnt get what they wanted, i watched the clip and as a european it was like watching a parallel universe.
Yeah I just didn't think Tom was that funny. Eddie Murphy fucking killed it though. Holy shit!
Literally the whole joke last time he was on was that rednecks and black people have more in common than they thought. But leave it to these snowflakes to find a way to feel oppressed.
Outdated? So admitting that your movement was racist, but trying to pretend it isn't racist anymore?
they switched to "sanewashing" now.
when are they not melting down? thier whole existence is around reactions.
just watched it, that was so milquetoast I can't believe anyone was actually offended. Shit, they just reused a couple jokes from the last time. That was it. He's scared of black people, that's the joke. magats are scared of anyone with more melanin than milli vanilli, so, uh, rings true to me
🤔
Milquetoast political satire on SNL? This is unprecedented!
Hey, you know how funny it is that Gerald Ford is clumsy? Let's not talk about the whole pardoning Nixon thing. "Live from New York..."
Are we still reporting on Tweets as if they are reflective of real human being opinions and not a psyop?
Do they not realize that the point of the sketch was that people have more in common than you think once you get rid of preconceived notions and prejudices?
Yeah truth hurts
Hilarious that having Doug on that show was literally DEI. And terrible white dudes are mad about it.
"I'M not racist! YOU'RE racist!"
"You're the vulgarian, you FUCK!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaiUqapF9Y4
........ Nods "Ok"
🙃
I saw some mags saying it’s offensive and racist, as if they ever cared about that and also, how is a white guy playing a white guy racist again?
If the red hat fits...
And the sketch is just so good Eddie Murphy is doind Tracy Morgan with him there. Guy goes off script and almost stops everyone from continuing. Then Tom comes and you know it went hard. SNL hasn't been great lately but this one works great.
Doug seems like an okay guy in terms of how he carried himself and was polite to the host. If they’re really offended over this character they really will be upset over anything.
The "Fuck your Feelings" crowd has very easily activated feelings
Doug was that sort of background racist that most MAGA are, but refuse to admit.
He flinched when a black man walked toward him, and then said he'd create "white jeopardy", not realizing that it was already a thing.
Tom Hanks pulled it off perfectly.
Snowflakes
This is an important point, though. Trump's win was in part because of successful propagandizing and winning a ton more minority votes than in 2020.
Trump got less votes, the problem was how many people didn't vote at all.
Both can be true. Minority blocs helped though. For example:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/arab-american-voters-trump-dearborn-michigan-israel-biden-harris/
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/trump-economy-latino-vote-2024-election-rcna178951
Anybody knows where one could watch that episode in europe?
Not quite an answer, but it was one sketch called Black Jeopardy in last night’s 3 hour long SNL 50th Anniversary special. Maybe that will help you find it.
Thanks, i will try to search with that
The first part of the sketch was different (and worth a watch), but the tom hanks part was a literal rehash of the older version he did and not nearly as funny, so if you haven't seen it you're better off watching the old one.
Not sure if it's geo-restricted, but https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qYM6bKl57A
Seems to work from here and I regularly watch full episodes on YouTube. Had to jump through much smaller (that's harder, right?) hoops to get Graham Norton on the BBC.
Smaller works, but it's usally : more
It is geo-restricted, but nothing the ol' VPN connection can't solve
While looking in a mirror instead of the TV.
MAGA fans wish they could be as well liked as Doug
Too bad they link to play it on xitter. WTF.
I hope that these low hanging low blows to the political opposition will not become mainstream here. Don't get me wrong, I think Trump and all of his staff are a threat to democracies around the globe.
But be better. Make analysis, make arguments that build on real journalism. Don't just spam memes and use political slurs. If you are not better, or takeaa moral highground this will just be another echo chamber...
Yeah it's funny that MAGA assholes are butthurt, but this also signals that "ThE LeFt" just does not understand a big part of why they lost: they have consistently ignored middle-class non-urban voices, for decades. (And not just "Hollywood types" like Hanks, I mean political leadership)
If political leadership and strong policymaking had been there for a majority of Americans for a long time, maybe just maybe by the 2010s the dumbass dick-swingin' rapist grifter wouldn't have found such a nice pile of grievances to conveniently turn to his advantage.
I don't fully disagree with you, but the problem isn't making fun of ignorant assholes though. It's leadership and representation having an utter lack of strategy other than "we're not Republicans" while getting fat off their positions.