Brilliant SNL writer and stand up comedian Leslie Jones stirred up quite a controversy when she joked about slavery in a recent Weekend Update commentary. In this clip, Ari Melber plays the SNL piece again, then welcomes Karen Finney who represents the offended camp of sensitive souls, and Jackie Fabulous, a black female comedian, who discusses a comedian’s role in society and who also happens to find the skit to be hilarious.
Leslie Jones, writer and stand-up comedian was asked to come onto Weekend Update with the very white Colin Jost, during this week’s SNL to discuss Lipita Nyong’o winning People’s Most Beautiful award. Jones – a beautiful woman herself, who stands over 6′ tall, bemoaned the number of men who are intimidated by her. From there, she turned to slavery jokes. “I would be the No. 1 slave draft pick” she quipped, indicating that she would have been paired with the finest men on the plantation, and would have no lonely nights. While slavery is not funny, her own material, delivered in context was extremely funny!
Some of us howled with laughter, but the loudest howled with indignation and outrage! The Humorless crawled out of the twittersphere to denounce Jones, swear off SNL and shout until Leslie Jones was forced to explain the skit and humor to them, and maybe that’s a good thing. What she writes about humor, pain and knowing who you are, and where you came from is well worth reading.
Ok I wasn’t gonna say any thing because I know that dumb people know how to use the computer too, but now this is so ridiculous. Where is the rape idiots. I said nothing about rape you f*cking morons. I was talking about being match to another strong brother. Not being rape by white man. What part of this joke that wasn’t true? I would have been used for breeding straight up. That’s my reality. And it saddens me that BLACK PEOPLE witch and moan about the most stupid sh*t. I’m a comic it is my job to take things and make them funny to make you think. Especially the painful things. Why are y’all so mad. This joke was written from the pain that one night I realized that black men don’t really f*ck with me and why am I single. And that in slave days I would have always had a man cause of breeding.
If anybody should be offended is white folks cause it’s what they did. Y’all so busy trying to be self righteous you miss what the joke really is. Very sad I have to defend myself to black people. Now I’m betting if Chris Rock or Dave Chappelle did that joke or jay z or Kanye put in a rap they would be called brilliant. Cause they all do this type of material. Just cause it came from a strong black woman who ain’t afraid to be real y’all mad. So here is my announcement black folks, you won’t stop me and Im gonna go even harder cause we too f*cking sensitive and instead of make lemonade out of lemons we just suck the sour juice from the lemons. Wake up. I wouldn’t be able to do a joke like that if I didn’t know my history or proud of where I came from and who I am.