Gothamist: SNL Looking to Hire a Black Obama

ANGRYGOD11

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 15:12:54 -0500

Just hire a black guy to play Obama? It's not that simple. The mostly white cast of SNL has never been able to replace Will Farrell's fantastic George W Bush. They had years and they tried, but it wasn't that simple.

r1b2

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 14:14:55 -0500

Janeane Garofalo? Talk about whatever happened to... I guess the lack of anything funny caught up with her.

JMH

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 13:18:41 -0500

The main problem with Finesse Mitchell is that he's already had one unfunny chance at the SNL cast.

chris lee

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 11:22:44 -0500

The other problem is that Obama himself is just not that funny. It's always funny in that kind of venue to take the piss out of the White Male Administrative elite, because they are obviously so hypocritical, but Obama's persona is sort of colorless and sincere.

ides_of_march

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 09:13:37 -0500

Moot point: it will be illegal to make fun of Obama once he takes office. That's just the way it is with marxists.

chelcc

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 01:41:50 -0500

donald please!!!!!

bamcat

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 01:40:18 -0500

Finesse Mitchell would be great (and wants to do it: http://www.nationalpost.com/arts/story.html?id=906868)

duckert

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 01:10:09 -0500

they need new blood

cucarachita

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:02:58 -0500

I mean, it's not like I have anything against more black actors on SNL. In fact, it's kind of weird there's only Kenan these days! But this political correctness regarding Obama seems misguided. That's all I'm saying. Let them find a mixed race actor if they want to be really politically correct. Oh wait! They have one! Okay, okay, so let them find an exact replica of the mixture. With the same kind of personal history. I mean, go all the way, then.

cucarachita

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:55:18 -0500

Well, I think we should ask Obama what he thinks. Wait, didn't he say he was a mutt? So we know what he thinks. The future of the world is mutts, like me. And Obama. And Fred. I'd like Fred to play me when my life story gets made into a movie. I have no problem with the fact that he's a male. He's funny as a girl, too.

sondai

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:25:07 -0500

sondai

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:24:26 -0500

The perfect guy for the job would be the gentleman from YouTube. He is a fresh face and would be perfect. After all Obama represents change why not change things up a bit. Check him out!

MFer

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:22:42 -0500

La Cucaracha, la cucharachita... ya, no puede ... Okay, okee. That's essential correct. But this is America. And America wants its hero/anti-hero black and/or white. And if we just decided that Obama is black, jet black, let's get the blackest, darkiest man in the world to play him ... Wesley Snipe. He may not be funny. But he is sure black as night. Kettle black. And ain't that the point? Right. Score one for the mutts of this world.

cucarachita

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:29:03 -0500

Okay, my math wasn't good on Armisen: not half white, a quarter white, a quarter Asian, and half hispanic.

cucarachita

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:27:59 -0500

Excuse me, but Obama is half white and half black. Armisen is half white and half hispanic (in case nobody realizes it, his mother is Venezuelan and his father German and Japanese). What's so unpolitically correct about him playing Obama? He finally got it right, after a few dud performances. What is the deal with everybody imposing one race on a mixed race person? A mix is a mix. I'm a mix, myself: German, Swedish, Ecuadorian. If I were famous and someone were to play me on SNL, I would not object to them being half WHATEVER or even all whatever, but I wouldn't want people demanding that only a hispanic person be able to play me in all political correctness. We're all so "post-racial," and yet now we're insisting on true ebony to play Obama? That's just as racist as anything, in my opinion.

Rocknrope

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:13:09 -0500

#4, thank's Wyatt's mom.

QM

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:59:14 -0500

#3 is a poor judge of talent, Wyatt Cenac is amazing. Either way, I'd rather he not get involved in the shithole that is SNL, for his own sake.

Rocknrope

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:43:00 -0500

Please not Wyatt, he is terrible on camera. After almost a year on TDS, he still has awful, uninspired line readings and looks like he's about to shit a brick on the set.

Toby von Meistersinger

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:42:29 -0500

They would be better off if they could maybe hire some funny writers.

Mr Mel

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:38:11 -0500

I was thinking, Tiger Woods, he can be funny, as long as you're not competing with him.