Did she just cross a line, or was she pushing the envelope as all good comedians should do?
On last Saturday’s SNL, writer Leslie Jones gave a controversial performance while on Weekend Update:
“See, I├óΓé¼Γäóm single right now, but back in the slave days, I would have never been single. I├óΓé¼Γäóm six feet tall and I├óΓé¼Γäóm strong, Colin. Strong! I mean, look at me, I├óΓé¼Γäóm a mandingo…I├óΓé¼Γäóm 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, and every nine months I’d be in the corner having a super baby. Every nine months I’d be in the corner just popping them out: Shaq, Kobe, LeBron, Kimbo Slice, Sinbad├óΓé¼┬ªI would be the No. 1 slave draft pick.”
We can understand how this might spark an uproar, but isn’t this making fun of slavery?
Well, one person who did not like this segment was the Senior Editor of Ebony.com, Jamilah Lemieux:
This Leslie Jones person is an embarrassment @msmarypryor. I'm so appalled right now.
— Jamilah Lemieux (@JamilahLemieux) May 4, 2014
Whoa, strong words!
In response, Leslie had this to say on the matter:
“If anybody should be offended is white folks cause it├óΓé¼Γäós what they did. Y├óΓé¼Γäóall 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├óΓé¼Γäóm betting if Chris Rock or Dave [Chappelle] did that joke 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├óΓé¼Γäót afraid to be real y├óΓé¼Γäóall mad. So here is my announcement black folks, you won├óΓé¼Γäót stop me and Im gonna go even harder and deeper now. Cause it├óΓé¼Γäós 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 f***** sensitive and instead of make lemonade out of lemons we just suck the sour juice from the lemons. Wake up.”
We do believe the whole point of her joke was to criticize slavery itself, but we’ll be interested in seeing how Leslie pushes the envelope more!