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"SNL" Creating Sambo-Obama?

Posted Mar 1st 2008 11:26AM by TMZ Staff

Either "SNL" came back from the writer's strike completely color blind or extremely one-sided. The show debuted their new Barack Obama character, which as a surprise to many -- is played by someone who isn't African-American.

A columnist at the ChicagoTribune.com has called out SNL on their choice to have Fred Armisen, who is Hispanic and Asian, portray Obama -- saying the show may be marginalizing African-American performers.

Perhaps "SNL" had their hands tied, because Kenan Thompson, the only African-American male on the cast, isn't exactly in the same weight class as Barack. Seriously, he played "Fat Albert."

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Tags: SNL

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(Page 1 of 10) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

1. They've had a white guy play Jesse Jackson for years, and play him perfectly to, so whats the big deal having a asian hispaninc guy play Obama?

I was color blind to all this till you and the Chicago Tribune pointed it out. I know, it would all make it better if they had Myra Rudolf, a black woman, play Hillary.

Freaking Liberal rebel rousers, the whole lot of you.

Posted at 11:32AM on Mar 1st 2008 by Hussein Obama

2. I think the critics need to ease up on SNL.

Posted at 11:33AM on Mar 1st 2008 by wasted days and wasted nights

3. Last I checked Barack had a white mother and a black father. Being a white male I take offense to Fred Armisen playing Barack because Fred Armisen isn't white enough.

Posted at 11:35AM on Mar 1st 2008 by Dan

4. maybe they didnt have a cast member to play the role........

Posted at 11:33AM on Mar 1st 2008 by Noneofyourbusiness

5. FiSTED

Posted at 11:34AM on Mar 1st 2008 by Anal Itch

6. Has everyone forgotten that Obama is half white as well? it doesn't matter who plays him, as long as it's funny.

Posted at 11:34AM on Mar 1st 2008 by Jennifer

7. i am black and i do not have a problem with fred armisen playing barack obama. let the record show that barack obama isn't 100% black himself. and when did it matter that a nonblack male play a black male. where are these other african american actors going to come from to play barack? now i'm sure if finesse mitchell were still on the show they'd have him play barack but he's no longer with the cast. and it's not a precedent that they have someone play someone outside of their race. what is the big deal. i think the chicago tribune is just trying to turn this into something it's not. also i don't think that SNL is going to sway votes either way; yes they may get people to think but is that SO BAD?


Posted at 11:35AM on Mar 1st 2008 by artjunky

8. OMG What are we doing in this country!!!! How many SNL characters and skits are portrayed by actors of different race, size even gender. This is so ridiculous, this country is turning itself into a bunch of s**tstirring trouble makers. This is so ridiculous no wonder nobody looks at their fellow man as just that another fellow man....

Posted at 11:35AM on Mar 1st 2008 by Tina

9. Isn't obama half white? The point is to find someone who looks like him. they did that.

Posted at 11:37AM on Mar 1st 2008 by idiots

10. I thought it was funny. That's why I watch the show. So good job SNL !

Posted at 11:39AM on Mar 1st 2008 by whocares

11. just as long as it isnt that nutjob who played Mongo a few years back...whatever happened to him? another ex snler goes to hollywood and bombs terribly. Nice to see Will Ferrells new movie get torn to living shreds by the critics since its release yesterday. Mindless, baby talking babbling that has been done over and over and over by this guy and his snl sidekicks.

The movie out, the movie coming out, and the movie being worked on----thats all Will has to talk about these days on any show he appears on. Boring, Stale, overdone and unfunny.

Posted at 11:39AM on Mar 1st 2008 by SNL is a baby talk Factory

12. Big deal, it was a really lame sketch anyway! I hadn't watched SNL in
years and tuned in to see that sketch. It sucked and he wasn't funny,
so I quit watching about 15 minutes into that night. That show
really, really sucks bad now!

Posted at 11:40AM on Mar 1st 2008 by SNL is LAME!

13. How often have they had a black actor play a white character because of a shortage of white actors? NEVER! Find a deserving unemployed black actor, SNL! What? They're not any available? They are all working somewhere else? What?

Posted at 11:42AM on Mar 1st 2008 by Donna

14. It doesn't matter if he's white. What matters is can he also play the cool, smiling side of Obama. He played it too seriously last week. too intense. Obama has a big smile and makes jokes too. SNL needs to lighten up the character.

Posted at 11:45AM on Mar 1st 2008 by Janet

15. PLEASE. I'm soooooo sick of all this PC crap! Fred was chosen to play the part because he was the performer who most matched Obama physically, and he had the mannerisms and voice inflection down pat. I thought he did a great job. Why is someone always trying to look for trouble where there isn't any???? What about Maya Rudolph? Has anyone noticed that she plays characters that are white or of color, depending on what is needed.

Posted at 11:45AM on Mar 1st 2008 by Jane

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