The 50th season of “Saturday Night Live” took a “vile” turn over the weekend when actor Tom Hanks parodied MAGA supporters in a skit that has outraged conservative corners of the internet.
Hanks, a devout liberal and icon of Hollywood, sported President Donald Trump’s signature red cap while playing a contestant on “Black Jeopardy” and expressing hesitance at accepting a handshake from actor and the faux show’s host Keenan Thompson, who is black. The 30-second interaction was spotted by conservative reporter Eric Daugherty and shared on X.
“This is vile,” he wrote after watching Hanks nearly refuse an offer to shake Thompson’s hand. In character, Hanks had just finished a soliloquy on how Americans would be better off if they regularly attended church.
“If more folks went to church, we wouldn’t be in this mess we’re in now,” a stubbly-faced Hanks spouted into the camera while wearing a jean jacket and t-shirt showing a bald eagle cresting over an American flag.
“You know what? I agree with you, Doug. I’d like to shake your hand, sir,” the host replied before walking over.
“Oh no,” Hanks’ character reacts as Thompson gets closer, raising his hands and backing away from the contestants’ podiums. Hanks eventually accepts Thompson’s hand.
“You’re welcome on Black Jeopardy anytime,” Thompson said before returning to his duties.
Hanks finished the bit with a tired trope. “All right, now maybe I’ll start a show for you to come on and we’ll call it… White Jeopardy.”
“Nah, we don’t need it! We don’t need it,” Thompson replied, shrugging off the comment.
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The moment might have encapsulated Hollywood’s opinion of the MAGA movement, which has seen minority voters swell the ranks of President Trump’s supporters without putting a dent in liberals’ belief that his second victory was powered by the discriminatory grievances of white America.
Now in its 50th season, “Saturday Night Live” has never really come to terms with, or bothered to understand, the Republican’s appeal. Writers infamously sent Kate McKinnon out dressed as Hillary Clinton to play a piano rendition of “Hallelujah” on the show’s first episode after Trump’s 2016 win.
In the final episode of that season, Alec Baldwin, dressed as Trump, took over piano duties while mock members of his administration crowded around and repeated the performance. “I’m not giving up because I didn’t do anything wrong,” Baldwin’s Trump said, referring to the Russia collusion hoax relayed in news reports at the time.
Social media users condemned the show for perpetuating the stereotype of racist MAGA supporters.
“POS,” user Catturd replied to Daugherty. “I thought better of you,” another wrote to Hanks. “Well, now I know what you think of me.”
The actor was noticeably thinner than his previous self, an observation some SNL viewers made when he appeared on the comedy show late last year. In a rendition of the Fast-Timers Club segment, Hanks’ hand was uncontrollably shaky, causing some to wonder if he is suffering from some form of dementia or wasting disease.
