Jimmy Fallon has apologized for a Saturday Night Live blackface sketch of Chris Rock. As one of America’s most popular late night talk show hosts, Fallon has seen his career skyrocket over the past six years, going from SNL regular to household name.
Fallon took over as host of The Tonight Show in 2014, right on the heels of the previous debacle that saw Conan O’Brien ousted from his position as host of the iconic American late night talk show in order for Jay Leno to return. When it was initially announced that Fallon would be the show’s new host, some fans were concerned Fallon wasn’t experienced enough to handle the show’s demands. Much of this fell by the wayside relatively early on, however, as Fallon quickly proved to be quite adept at navigating both the program’s comedy and its interviews. Although not everyone is a fan of Fallon’s hosting abilities or his comedy, there’s no denying that to date, he’s been a major plus for The Tonight Show.
Unfortunately, a newly unearthed video of Fallon portraying comedian Chris Rock in an SNL sketch from 2000, now has The Tonight Show host in hot water. The sketch was done in full blackface and although the concept wasn’t met with an outcry in 2000, things are much different in 2020. The issue has become an online frenzy, with some demanding the end of Fallon’s time on The Tonight Show. Today, Fallon took the chance to address the issue via his Twitter account, offering an apology for his “terrible decision” to impersonate Rock in blackface, as well as thanking the public for holding him accountable. You can see the full Tweet below:
Anyone who is a fan of Fallon or has followed his career in any way will know that he has quite a range of impressions in his comedic arsenal. Chris Rock happened to be one of these impressions, and SNL as well as Fallon made the decision to dress the comedian in full blackface for the sketch. With so-called cancel culture now a very prominent aspect of pop culture and the entertainment industry as a whole, Fallon's 2000 sketch will likely cause the comedian no small amount of trouble in the coming days and weeks. Whether or not it will mean an end to his status as host of The Tonight Show remains to be seen, but there is certainly no shortage of those wanting exactly that outcome. As for his apology, Fallon hasn't wasted any time in making the public aware that he does not take the matter lightly and that he is sorry for having done it in the first place. Comedy can be an especially challenging creative pursuit as of late, specifically due to the willingness of the public to hold comedians responsible for the things they say and do.
While Fallon's blackface incident is one that merits discussion, it should be noted that the original blackface performances of the 19th century were intended to mock and dehumanise the black population. The target was skin color, paired with the erroneous notion that those who weren't white were inferior. It's hard to see Fallon's impression in this same light, though it is still understandable how it could offend or trouble many. However, if blame is to be laid, it shouldn't land squarely on Fallon's shoulders. SNL has an entire team of writers as well as its cast members, all of whom are in charge of creating and getting a sketch off the ground. It wasn't simply up to Fallon to appear in blackface as Rock. For this reason, blame must be fairly attributed to all of those involved in airing the sketch, including SNL and NBC.
Source: Jimmy Fallon/Twitter