Tom Hanks is so beloved across the nation that he is frequently referred to as a national treasure. Over the course of a lengthy career, the actor has portrayed numerous famous characters.
Everybody has their favorite Tom Hanks character. Whether it’s the frightened Chuck Noland from Cast Away or the naive Forrest Gump. Each of us can relate to a particular character.
However, not everyone was pleased with Tom Hanks’ latest decision to revive an old character. Read on to find out more.
Tom Hanks joined the scores of other celebrities who made an appearance on Saturday Night Live this past weekend.SNL aired a three-hour special edition this past weekend to commemorate its 50th anniversary.
Hanks made an appearance in the Black Jeopardy sketch. He played a folksy, conservative figure named Doug while sporting the iconic red MAGA hat. Hanks’ portrayal of the character is not the first.
Kenan Thompson returned to the show with a long-running parody of the popular game show Jeopardy!On the sketch, Hanks played Doug.
With a theatrical southern drawl, Hanks remarked, “We wouldn’t be in this mess we’re in now if more folks went to church.”
Darnell Hayes, the show’s presenter who agrees with Doug, approached him to shake hands in one of Thompson’s plays.
Doug flinches and adds, “Don’t like that, whoa, whoa, whoa.” He then pressures Hayes to reply, “It’s just a handshake.” At last, Doug extends his hands for a handshake.
Doug continues, “Perhaps I’ll start a show ‘White Jeopardy,’ for you to come on.”
“It’s not necessary,” Darnell Hayes responds.
However, many people took issue with Hanks’ portrayal of Doug.
“On the 50th anniversary special of Saturday Night Live, Tom Hanks appeared wearing a MAGA hat and performed a skit in which he pretended that he was unwilling to shake hands with a black man,” a user posted on X. “SNL is in the toilet because of this.”
For the role, some referred to him as a racist. “Tom Hanks is a racist for using racism as a weapon,” one commenter said. We have had enough of your racist agenda. How can you treat your own ancestry with such disdain, Tom? Elite Point of Sale
Another person expressed their opinion that Hanks’ portrayal of Doug was disrespectful, writing, “Faux During the SNL 50th anniversary special, Tom Hanks made an appearance wearing a MAGA hat and performing a sketch in which he pretended not to want to shake hands with a black guy. SNL is in the toilet because of this.
One user wrote, “Tom Hanks’ SNL skit was a letdown,” while others felt that the character and scene were controversial. Divisive, tone-deaf, and cringe-worthy. SNL, do better.
The Black Jeopardy sketch was one of the first sketches to air during the three-hour live event. Leslie Jones played Shanice, Tracy Morgan played Darius, and Eddie Murphy played Tracy Morgan, who was standing next to him.
“Welcome to ‘Black Jeopardy,’ the only ‘Jeopardy’ where every single viewer fully understood Kendrick’s halftime performance,” Thompson says at the beginning of the sketch.
From 1990 until 1993, Chris Rock participated in Saturday Night Live as a cast member and made a brief appearance as host.
Nearly ten years ago, in a 2016 piece for the same sketch, Hanks made his debut as Doug. Doug’s character also hesitatingly shakes the host’s hand in that sketch.
Michael Che and Bryan Tucker, who were co-head writers at the time, wrote the comedy and the character.
of a 2018 interview with Vulture, Tucker stated, “I am white, but the comedians that I really enjoyed during the formative times in my life were always black.”
Kenan Thompson briefly praised Hank’s performance as Doug in the same interview, stating that the actor had done a fantastic job of giving the role a more “human” feel.
In the interview, the comedian remarked, “It was really bold of him to play a character that was so far on the other side of the aisle.”
Tucker also disclosed that Hank made an impromptu decision when Doug hesitated to shake hands.
“I laughed really hard in my head when he did it, but I played it off,” Thompson said of the incident. “I’ve never done an ad-lib so naturally.”
Additionally, Tucker recalled that Hanks had informed them that Oprah had phoned him to discuss the sketch, which Tucker thought was “cool.”
It appears that sentiments regarding Doug, played by Tom Hanks, are highly polarizing. How do you feel about this sketch? Tell us in the comments section.
