SNL not doing enough for black women

Kerry Washington, the  Emmy-nominated star of ABC’s hit drama “Scandal,” was host to last weekend’s “Saturday Night Live,” and the cold open came with an ironic, joking apology to Washington for “the number of black women she will be asked to play tonight.”

Because SNL does not currently have a black female cast member, Washington was the only option to play two prominent black women in today’s media — Michelle Obama and Oprah.

It was typical SNL — a smart way to address the elephant in the room by mocking themselves while dodging the issue.

It’s the typical style for a show that freely mocks politicians and society for entertainment purposes.

SNL needs to take responsibility for its appalling lack of diversity.

Making a television show solely responsible for changing the cultural standards of society is foolish because it lets the actual leaders of our society off the hook.

But SNL has not had a black female cast member since 2007, and this needs to change.

Almost every week, SNL provides a humorous interpretation of recent events — from bizarre news stories to celebrity scandals to whatever is or isn’t happening in Washington, D.C.

Contemporary society is the subject, and it is hypocritical not to reflect modern times.
It de-legitimizes the great work the show does for comedic commentary.   

Then there are the mere logistics of it.

Black public figures have instead had to be impersonated by male cast member Kenan Thompson, notable for his roles in “Kenan & Kel,” “All That,” and “Good Burger.”

At least he’s black, so we’re halfway there.

Thompson has since refused to perform in drag.

So maybe we should get an actual woman to play these parts.

According to the show, Obama has not had a wife throughout most of his presidency.

We have to pretend that someone other than Oprah does all the hard-hitting celebrity interviews these days.

SNL is a show that represents current topics, yet it is unable to provide accurate impersonations of some of the most influential women in today’s world.

SNL has had four black female cast members — four in 38 years on a show that continually points out the absurdity of society.

And I don’t buy the “We haven’t found any funny black women in the past six years, and only four in the past 38” argument.

Try harder.

The writers apparently know their own cast diversity situation is worthy of an SNL-type spoof, so that is exactly what they did in Saturday’s episode.

But spoofing their own show’s problems is not enough.

It does not mean they can shirk responsibility on an issue that, unlike political problems or stupid celebrities, they can directly influence.

For one of the most culturally iconic shows on television, SNL needs to do better.

It needs to have more than one week with a black female host.

It needs to have a permanent black female cast member.

If SNL is supposed to react to contemporary society, then it needs to get with it.

Hire a black woman. And do it now.

­— cjellert@indiana.edu
Follow columnist Caroline Ellert on Twitter @cjellert.