People Are Outraged After 'SNL' Writer's 'Number One Slave Draft Pick' Sketch
Jones, appearing as SNL's "in-house image expert," weighed in on actress Lupita Nyong'o being named the Most Beautiful in the World by People magazine.
"I agree that she is beautiful," Jones told co-host Colin Jost, "but I'm waiting for them to put out the 'Most Useful' list."
"Look at me, I'm single right now, but back in the slave days, I would have never been single," Jones explained. "I'm six feet tall and I'm strong, Colin. Strong! I mean, look at me, I'm a mandingo ... I don't want to be a slave I'm just saying I'm just saying that back in the slave days, my love life would have been way better. Massah would have hooked me up with the best brotha on the plantation … I would be the No. 1 slave draft pick."
The backlash was immediate, with many black commentators slamming the writer-performer.
Writer and Social Strategist, Mary Pryor, tweeted to her over 21,000 followers following the sketch:
- "Since everyone was busy watching the fight pls watch and explain to me how these slave jokes were funny"
- "This is a problem. Pls watch this slave joke segment from #snl & discuss"
- "Slavery/Forced Mating/Monkey jokes aren't funny let @nbcsnl @Lesdoggg know don't give this a green light"
- "This is extremely problematic especially since @Lesdoggg wrote the jokes and writes for the show"
Ebony.com senior editor Jamilah Lemieux tweeted to her over 25,000 followers:
- "This Leslie Jones person is an embarrassment @msmarypryor. I'm so appalled right now."
- "So the Lupita moment had to be counteracted by a Black woman acting like a big loud monkey? Just...wow. #snl"
- "If comedy is fair game and you can say whatever you want, then comedians shouldn't get upset when audiences reply however they see fit."
After #LeslieJones quickly became a trending topic on Twitter, the comedian went on a Twitter rant of her own, heatedly trying to defend the sketch.
"Very sad I have to defend myself to black people," she tweeted to her over 4,000 followers. "I'm a comic it is my job to take things and make them funny to make you think. Especially the painful things. This joke was written from the pain that one night I realized that black men don't really fuck with me and why am I single."
Jones continued, "I'm betting if Chris Rock or Dave Chappelle did that joke or or jay z or Kanye put in a rap they would be called brilliant. Cause they all do this type of material."
Jones' 15 tweets are combined below:
Ok I wasn't gonna say any thing because I know that dumb people know how to use the computer too, but now this is so ridiculous. Where is the rape idiots. I said nothing about rape you f------ morons. I was talking about being match to another strong brother. Not being rape by white man. What part of this joke that wasn't true? I would have been used for breeding straight up. That's my reality.
And it saddens me that BLACK PEOPLE bitch and moan about the most stupid s---. I'm a comic it is my job to take things and make them funny to make you think. Especially the painful things. Why are y'all so mad. This joke was written from the pain that one night I realized that black men don't really f--- with me and why am I single. And that in slave days I would have always had a man cause of breeding.
If anybody If anybody should be offended is white folks cause it's what they did. Y'all so busy trying to be self righteous you miss what the joke really is. Very sad I have to defend myself to black people. Now I'm betting if Chris Rock or Dave Chappelje did that joke or or jay z or Kanye put in a rap they would be called brilliant. Cause they all do this type of material. Just cause it came from a strong black woman who ain't afraid to be real y'all mad.
So here is my announcement black folks, you won't stop me and Im gonna go even harder and deeper now. Cause it's a shame that we kill each other instead of support each other. This exactly why black people are where we are now cause we too fucking sensitive and instead of make lemonade out of lemons we just suck the sour juice from the lemons. Wake up. I wouldn't be able to do a joke like that if I didn't know my history or proud of where I came from and who I am.
My dad is the biggest militant in the world and he would have loved that joke. My grandmother went to jail for whooping two white men asses for attacking her she also was 6'2 and strong. And she laughed her ass off. Get over yourself and you might as well get use to it cause I'm good at what I doand I ain't going NOWHERE!!! #bouttowakemfsup
A few hours later, Jones tweeted:
Watch the skecth in question below and judge for yourselves.