Another day, another very cringe-worthy celebrity moment that is blowing up on Twitter.
The usually unproblematic comedian and late night talk show host Jimmy Fallon is under fire for a recently resurfaced clip of the actor doing blackface on an episode of Saturday Night Live back in 2000.
The clip is going viral and Twitter has a lot to say about it.
It’s not uncommon for old videos and/or tweets of celebrities to resurface these days.
It’s part of the larger cancel culture that is running social media. As opposed to having an open and educational conversation about someone’s inappropriate behavior, Twitter users are quick to “cancel” a celebrity for their past faults.
To be fair, some celebrities should be canceled, but others simply need to learn from their mistakes.
The clip of Jimmy Fallon was resurfaced by Twitter account @chefboyohdear which is, tbh, the most iconic username I’ve ever read.
The video shows Jimmy Fallon in full blackface impersonating Chris Rock on an episode of Saturday Night Live in 2000.
Naturally, it’s super upsetting and unsettling to see such a beloved comedian participate in something so tone-deaf and insensitive.
People let their thoughts be known on Twitter as #JimmyFallonIsOverParty began trending.
Understandably, people are feeling strongly about this video.
The opinions on social media have been varied, to say the least.
“Okay you can think it’s in poor taste but since this was part of a TV show, maybe cancel the writers and producers of that show and stop watching it instead, rather than cancelling the actor who was just doing his job,” expressed one Twitter user .
Many people feel Jimmy shouldn’t be canceled because it was a part of a TV show, which he most likely had no control over.
“Jimmy didn’t do this all by himself. While he’s the only one we see there are people behind him pulling strings. Who gave the green light for this [expletive]? No one in the whole chain of command saw anything wrong with this but we wanna blame Jimmy?” wrote one fan.
Twitter user Melanie Lee defended the comedian, saying Jimmy was doing a “spot-on impression of a specific person, not spoofing an entire race.”
“I’m African-American. Jimmy Fallon isn’t doing “blackface”; he’s doing Chris Rock,” she wrote.
Naturally, the conversation then switched to other celebrities who have done blackface in their careers, like Robert Downey Jr. in *Tropic Thunder*.
RDJ was in blackface for the 2008 film and has come under fire for the role numerous times on social media.
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Other people pointed out that controversial public figures like Jeffree Star haven’t been canceled despite old footage of the makeup mogul using racist slurs.
This resurfaced clip has started a discussion on social media about what type of behavior can and should be tolerated, and what shouldn’t.
A lot of the social media discourse also turned against celebrities who have committed felonies like rapper 6ix9ine.
The 24-year-old was charged with a list of offences back in 2019 that included racketeering, carrying a firearm, assault with a dangerous weapon, and conspiracy murder charges.
The rapper was released from prison early due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Comedian Marlon Wayans weighed in on the controversy and defended Jimmy.
“Y’all stop digging up old [expletive]. Go find a new tree to piss on. This one is clean,” he wrote.
I think it’s safe to say *no one* should be doing blackface, ever! It’s 2020 and we know better now!
What are your thoughts on the resurfaced clip? Let us know in the comments below!
