Saturday Night Live needs to confront its racism

One of its only black writers, Leslie Jones, says goodbye to the show.

Last week Leslie Jones announced she would be leaving Saturday Night Live. She tweeted “Yes it’s true I am leaving Saturday Night Live. I cannot thank NBC, the producers, writers, and amazing crew enough for making SNL my second home these last five years. Lorne Michaels, you’ve changed my life in so many ways!” She thanked Michaels for the opportunity that jumpstarted her career, giving her the notoriety and connections that led her to a starring role in the newest adaptation of Ghostbusters. Success on Saturday Night Live opens the doors of opportunity in the comedy industry. 

Throughout her career on SNL, working both on stage and behind the scenes as a writer, Jones has demonstrated an undeniable stage presence as well as incredible comedy writing skills. She was even nominated for an Emmy for her role on SNL as a supporting actress. However, Jones was undoubtedly hired by Saturday Night Live as a conscious effort on behalf of the producers to appease viewers critiquing the show for its lack of diversity.  

After the show came under fire for its lack of diversity in both the writing room and on stage, SNL had a casting call in December of 2013 to add, at the very least, one African American woman to their cast. Jones was initially hired as a writer, along with LaKendra Tookes in 2013. Jones and Tookes were the first African American female writers since 1993, marking the end of ten long years without any African American representation in the writing room. It was not until the following year that she was promoted to being a featured actress. In October of 2014, when Jones was added to the cast, it was the first time in the history of Saturday Night Live that two Black female comedians were on the show at the same time, the other comedian being Sasheer Zamata. 

Female comics, particularly Black female comics, are treated as a genre; they’re tokenized. Being that comedy is such a subjective field, one that is dominated and led predominantly by white men, it stands that the actors hired reflect those who are in power. Up until recently nearly the entire cast of SNL looked like Lorne Michaels, the white male creator and producer of SNL. However, viewers have the power to request representation and diversity. In fact, we demand it, and in 2013 that demand was successful.  

People used to say that women aren’t funny, or, that women aren’t as funny as men, and so few women were afforded opportunities in comedy—even fewer women of colour . Despite this lack of opportunity, many female comedians have proven that they are just as funny as men. Nevertheless, it is still clear, particularly so in Jones’ case, that the opportunity must be granted by a white male. When women comedians do come into the spotlight, their talent is evident. Viewers have shown that they want diversity and a myriad of different voices and, when viewers demand representation, change can happen, ensuring that people of all races and genders are given the opportunity to perform on shows like SNL and beyond.  

As of right now, it is uncertain if another female African American comedian will be hired to replace Jones. As viewers, we have the power to ask for representation and to ask to be shown a diversity of voices in our mainstream media. Leslie Jones has left an impression on viewers not only as a talented female African American comedian, but as a talented comedian, worthy of the SNL spotlight. The onus is now once again on the producers of SNL to find and show to viewers the talents of comedians of all races and genders; to hire comedians who reflect the diversity of the audience, and to never again allow for a ten-year-long white-out in the SNL writers room or on its stage.  

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