Adele’s Africa Tourism Skit on ‘SNL’ Is Getting Some Backlash
Adele is receiving backlash over one of her skits this past weekend on Saturday Night Live. In the clip, Adele, Kate McKinnon, and Heidi Gardner talk about the wonders of Africa.
The skit shows the women explaining all there is to see in the country, including “tall tribesmen” “massive bamboos,” and “the rivers, the drums, the pounding.” Behind them, black men and white women keep walking by. The entire skit alludes to the fact that divorced caucasian women visit African to sleep with the black locals.
Unfortunately, not everyone enjoyed the sketch, and there has been some backlash on social media. One Twitter user wrote, “the *only* SNL sketch where Adele couldn’t keep from laughing was an “African Tourism Board” bit where the underlying premise was a blatantly s—y racial stereotype. everyone involved ought to be ashamed of themselves.”
Another said, “ #SNL Did I really just see a sketch about white women using Africa as their buffet for oversexed and overendowed African ‘tribesmen’ who carry them around on their shoulders starring Adele fresh off a Bantu knot minstrel show outrage? Truly unbelievable. #readtheroom“
One person added, “How can SNL writers like @Sudi_Green and @Bowenyang be so culturally literate and progressive yet SNL still produces the most tone deaf, African-fetishizing sketch that Adele couldn’t seem to get through?! Wtf happened there… the racist exoticism ???”
#SNL Did I really just see a sketch about white women using Africa as their buffet for oversexed and overendowed African "tribesmen" who carry them around on their shoulders starring Adele fresh off a Bantu knot minstrel show outrage? Truly unbelievable. #readtheroom pic.twitter.com/wc8Yw5N2F3
— BlueWave2024 🇺🇸 #CeasefireNow 🕊️ (@amightystream) October 25, 2020
How can SNL writers like @Sudi_Green and @Bowenyang be so culturally literate and progressive yet SNL still produces the most tone deaf, African-fetishizing sketch that Adele couldn’t seem to get through?! Wtf happened there... the racist exoticism ???
— Angelica 'The Female Paul Giamatti' Florio (@AngelicaFlori0) October 25, 2020
https://twitter.com/vana87/status/1320743428880244736
Fat Adele would have never done the African sex tourism sketch.
— Stephanie Elliot (@SeeStephTweet) October 26, 2020
https://twitter.com/jasper00711/status/1320844757980106754
So happy to see @nbcsnl commenting on foreign ignorance about the continent of Africa & expoloitative sex-tourism targeting African men & boys. Humor is a great way to start these conversations . Also funny to see them make fun of people with “jungle fever “ & @Adele breaking 😂
— Coréon Dú (@CoreonDu) October 25, 2020
Twitter been quiet about that Adele “African tourism” skit 👀
— CDL Tech 🛻 🚌 (@Steebie_K) October 26, 2020
Yeah, apart from Adele breaking character (hilarious), this sketch bothered me some (especially with the circumstances surrounding several African nations right now). Like it was sorta objectification and clearly race/white supremacy plays a role into that. #SNL #AdeleSNL https://t.co/QMARFamzil
— Chinanu Okoli (@ChinanuOkoli12) October 25, 2020
White women also fetishizing the “big Black Africa“ man has deep historical roots that have often place the Black man’s life in danger.
— Golding (@GoldingGirl617) October 25, 2020
Why would #SaturdayNightLive think this skit was okay?
Watch the full African Tourism sketch below.
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