Tom Hanks is facing backlash after reprising his Black Jeopardy character, “Doug,” during Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary special. The skit, which originally aired in 2016, portrays Doug as a stereotypical MAGA-supporting white man who unexpectedly finds common ground with his Black co-contestants.
During the sketch, Doug hesitates before shaking hands with host Darnell Hayes (played by Kenan Thompson), blurting out, “Don’t like that, whoa, whoa, whoa.” At one point, he jokes about starting “White Jeopardy.” Many conservative viewers were outraged, calling the portrayal “tired” and “disgusting.”
Conservative commentator Benny Johnson accused SNL of failing to understand Trump’s popularity, stating, “Donald Trump just won a landslide election and has never been more popular with Americans.” Others, like the Libs of TikTok account, labeled the skit as “propaganda” meant to mock Trump supporters.
The SNL anniversary special also took jabs at Trump in other segments, including a joke about renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” and a skit featuring Steve Martin and Martin Short involving an ICE deportation gag. Despite the controversy, Hanks has not responded to the backlash.
