"SNL" Creating Sambo-Obama?

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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46. "And so it begins... can we really deal with 4 years of people saying everything is racist??"

Yeah..that would be awful compared the last 4, no 8 years, right? The beautiful thing about Barack Obama and what's happening with this country is that Bush's reign of incompetence and war is a huge reason people are flocking to the man. The funniest part is that you have no idea what to do or how to stop it. So far, you've come up with the country's inability to "deal with" what people could potentially say. That should work....

Posted at 1:01PM on Mar 1st 2008 by simonesdad2008

47. Osama has a white mama, so he is not a full black anyway. Get over it!!!

Posted at 1:10PM on Mar 1st 2008 by hillary

48. Nevermind who is playing him. "Sambo-Obama"????? Now that is offensive!

Posted at 1:09PM on Mar 1st 2008 by No way

49. This is all regoddamndiculous.

Posted at 1:10PM on Mar 1st 2008 by ~Emma

50. To #39: 1- how a Black women chooses to wear her hair is not necessarily an indicator of what's on her mind- most of the time it's just what's convenient.
2- hair color is fun, and some Black women wear blond very well, becauseTHEY PICK THE RIGHT SHADE. BTW- some of us are NATURALLY blond. And if we take care of our hair, IT GROWS LONG.
3- Due first to massa raping Black women, our hair has MANY different textures. My hair is not "stiff". Some of us have naturally straight hair!
4- the woman that raised you STRAIGHTENED her hair with that hotcomb- you are contradicting yourself!
5- whIte people are GOING UNDER THE KNIFE to look like US. (not to mention risking skin cancer with all the tanning)
So who really feels inferior?

Be careful- that meth you're taking is quite pure!

Posted at 1:13PM on Mar 1st 2008 by sogladimBlack

51. So what's the matter? Barak Obama is not exactly black either, he is mulatto. His mother is as pale as a ghost.

Posted at 1:12PM on Mar 1st 2008 by Rain

52. OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!! HAVE A GOD DAMN SENSE OF HUMOUR CHICAGOTRIBUNE!!!! SOMEONE ALWAYS HAS TO BE A NEGAVTIVE ASSH*LE WITH NO SENSE OF HUMOUR!!!!

Posted at 1:13PM on Mar 1st 2008 by B

53. This guy actually resembles Obama, who is as much white as he is black; lame attempt to make this a race issue.

Posted at 1:13PM on Mar 1st 2008 by LightBulb

54. Oh, please. It's called acting. Here we go with the race baiting again. These people need to get a life.

Posted at 1:13PM on Mar 1st 2008 by Lily

55. this is retarded. they got this guy to do because when he's in the full costume he looks the most like Obama. They can't just get any black guy to do it, it has to be someone who looks like him. The Chicago Tribune needs to have a nice cup of stfu. This is how problems begin, they're looking for something to nit-pick and when they can't find anything, they start saying crap about nothing. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

Posted at 1:17PM on Mar 1st 2008 by OMGG!

56. Sorry- my previous comment is a response to OSCAR'S dumb ass.

Posted at 1:19PM on Mar 1st 2008 by sogladimBlack

57. I think the world has forgotten that Obama is as much white as he is black. His "black" father left when he was two. Geez sound familiar, black man runing out on his faamily? Anyway, Obama was raised by his WHITE mother and HER WHITE parents in Hawaii. He's probably more "white" than "black". However, the media and the campaign spin this by using that "black thing". He's just like the rest of us, a mix of stuff! Besides, SNL is comedy not a biographical movie...take it easy...Obama-aniacs, it's a joke!

Posted at 1:31PM on Mar 1st 2008 by Hilary

58. Just so everyone is clear, a single Chicago Tribune columnist brought it up. I don't think the average black person cares or is even aware of the skit. I'm black and have said I'm not offended, don't care. It is a non-issue....and yes "Sambo-Obama" is a poor choice on TMZ's part. TMZ picks and chooses who it offends but if you look caerfully you see their trends.

Posted at 1:24PM on Mar 1st 2008 by simonesdad2008

59. I don't care who plays him but Fred Armisen SUCKED! They need to give another cast member a shot.

Posted at 1:39PM on Mar 1st 2008 by cluv

60. Fred Armisen is frickin' hilarious.

Posted at 1:40PM on Mar 1st 2008 by Jerry Jarvela

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