Slog - Comments on Obama is Half White... http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white ...so can a half white, half Asian actor portray him on Saturday Night Live? From the Washington Post: Debate over that question has been pinging around the Internet since [Fred] Armisen, a veteran cast member, donned darker makeup to portray the Democratic candidate for the first time Saturday. Armisen played Obama opposite Amy Poehler's Hillary Clinton in a sketch satirizing the supposedly cushy treatment his candidacy has received from the media. "SNL" impresario Lorne Michaels said yesterday by phone that he thought the sketch played so well that the show intends to air another Obama/Clinton debate spoof tomorrow night, with... Copyright 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:22:59 -0800 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:38:51 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by D I frown on it, just because they are plenty of ethnic and mixed-race actors out there that aren't being used because their parts are being stolen by white actors. Charleton Heston in A Touch of Evil, Angelina Jolie in A Mighty Heart, Ashley Judd in Frida. You can't tell me there are no other actors that could have taken these parts.

]]> D http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951770 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951770 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:27:37 -0800 Comment by elenchos To me, when an actor portrays somebody other than themselves, it's hypocrisy.

]]> elenchos http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951771 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951771 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:28:37 -0800 Comment by it's true. ECB will put up a post later citing this as yet another reason not to vote for Obama.

]]> it's true. http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951780 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951780 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:31:39 -0800 Comment by seattle98104 @1 there's no actors that could have done it as well? couldn't have drawn an audience for the price the studio paid to finance the movie? who gives a fuck?

]]> seattle98104 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951781 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951781 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:32:13 -0800 Comment by Dan Savage Fred Armistan is a mixed-race actor, D. But not the right mix, it seems, for some.

]]> Dan Savage http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951782 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951782 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:32:34 -0800 Comment by Peter F Does anyone else really miss Dave Chappelle this campaign season? He could have had a field day on his show with this material.

]]> Peter F http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951784 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951784 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:33:49 -0800 Comment by Judah I frown on it, just because they are plenty of ethnic and mixed-race actors out there that aren't being used because their parts are being stolen by white actors.

For every non-"ethnic" actor who plays an "ethnic" part, there are fifty "ethnic" actors playing Hamlet or Macbeth or Henry V, somewhere in the country.

"Stolen" my hairy Hungarian ass.

]]> Judah http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951787 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951787 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:34:40 -0800 Comment by Matt from Denver Much ado about nothing, D. This isn't the thirties or fifties. And it's SNL, not the whole of Hollywood, so their talent pool is probably slim anyway.

]]> Matt from Denver http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951788 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951788 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:35:01 -0800 Comment by konstantConsumer who cares. as the article notes, hammond has played jesse jackson for years. no one cared then.

]]> konstantConsumer http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951792 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951792 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:36:18 -0800 Comment by Levislade As long as the role of Ken Hutcherson is only ever played by himself, I have no problem.

]]> Levislade http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951797 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951797 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:38:50 -0800 Comment by apres_moi @4. For years, Hollywood's main actors have been whites. They hardly give minorities the chance to play leading roles. Recently that's slowly been changing. However, the fact remains that minority actors aren't given their chance to show that they have the talent and acting skills of Jolie, Heston, Judd and other. For every one black movie star of today, I can probably name 6-8 white stars.

]]> apres_moi http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951804 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951804 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:43:45 -0800 Comment by doink "For every one black movie star of today, I can probably name 6-8 white stars."

Given that blacks are 12% of the total population, this seems reasonable.

Is there some reason that you feel that blacks should be overrepresented in the entertainment industry?

]]> doink http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951808 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951808 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:47:33 -0800 Comment by Andy Niable This is almost as horrible as a man playing Janet Reno a few seasons back! Abomination! What are they, comedians?

How about a compromise--they hire a cranky old bi-racial man to play McCain?

]]> Andy Niable http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951811 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951811 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:48:11 -0800 Comment by Ziggity Ever since I first saw Maya Rudolph playing a black celebrity on SNL, I still can't figure out whether or not she's black. Partly because I don't give a rat's ass.

]]> Ziggity http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951820 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951820 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:53:46 -0800 Comment by seattle98104 Apparently, by some of these comments, unless you're 100% black, you don't count as ethnic.

Racists.

]]> seattle98104 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951829 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951829 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:58:35 -0800 Comment by Mike in MO as long as the make up doesn't look like this, it should be ok.

]]> Mike in MO http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951831 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951831 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:59:03 -0800 Comment by Elvis @12 FTW

]]> Elvis http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951835 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951835 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:03:41 -0800 Comment by Katelyn SNL needs to retire or mutate into something a little more relevant.

]]> Katelyn http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951842 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951842 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:14:33 -0800 Comment by Abby @14:

Her mom was Minnie Riperton!

]]> Abby http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951844 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951844 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:15:19 -0800 Comment by Greg Can I just point out here that this is far, far different than something like Charlie Chan or a minstrel show? Guys, save your ire for THOSE kind of performances, not this.

]]> Greg http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951848 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951848 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:18:48 -0800 Comment by griet http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnBTu9qGAkw&feature=related

It is on the BBC (and why not)

]]> griet http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951861 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951861 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:25:26 -0800 Comment by mackro mackro Dan, to answer your question, we have reached that point many many years ago, but it's still relatively rare when it's not crude racist caricature, sadly.

Jonathan Winters played black characters in his stand-up dialogue many many years ago, and -- I could be wrong -- but I think it was Eddie Murphy who said that Winters was the only white comedian he felt who could do black characters without feeling like he wanted to slug him.

Speaking of Prince parodies on SNL, the best one was still by the very-white Billy Crystal for the "Prince-Aid" sketch in 1985 (response to Prince not taking part of USA For Africa). Crystal knew he couldn't be Prince, so he gave him a false thespian personality when he sang "I am ALSO the world, I am ALSO the children". Crystal did don darker skin makeup though, but I don't remember this being controversial at all.. and I don't remember feeling it should have been controversial. (I was really sensitive to race issues as a young kid for reasons I won't go into right now.)

]]> mackro mackro http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951879 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951879 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:30:36 -0800 Comment by Bub Heaven forbid Lorne Michaels have more than one actor of color on the SNL cast. I guess that Fred Armesen is half-Asian, but for the life of me I can't remember a single Asian actor in the history of SNL. The only Latino actor I remember is Horatio Sanz.

]]> Bub http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951908 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951908 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:42:39 -0800 Comment by Big Sven To me, when an actor portrays somebody other than themselves, it's hypocrisy.

If elenchos supported Hillary, he'd pretty much be my perfect human being.

Ziggity@14:

Ever since I first saw Maya Rudolph playing a black celebrity on SNL, I still can't figure out whether or not she's black.

She is, however, 100% hot.

]]> Big Sven http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951942 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951942 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:57:55 -0800 Comment by whatwhat Black, black-face or whatever, the guy was terrible by any standard.

]]> whatwhat http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951953 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951953 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:03:29 -0800 Comment by w7ngman "but I think it was Eddie Murphy who said that Winters was the only white comedian he felt who could do black characters without feeling like he wanted to slug him"

Wasn't it Eddie Murphy that donned "white face" in an SNL comedy sketch in order to avoid discrimination at a job interview? IIRC he caricatured whites pretty crudely, joking with the interviewer about "silly negros" and whatnot.

The real WTF seems to be that there are no black cast members on SNL, or rather, that people still watch SNL at all.

]]> w7ngman http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951957 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951957 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:06:49 -0800 Comment by Aislinn Who should they have had play Obama, Kenan Thompson? Fred Armisen is hilarious, it was a much better choice.

]]> Aislinn http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951965 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951965 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:11:03 -0800 Comment by Andy Niable Chevy Chase is available. And he did a mean Gerald Ford....

]]> Andy Niable http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951979 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951979 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:21:31 -0800 Comment by elenchos Sven. Look up the the etymology of 'hypocrisy.'

]]> elenchos http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951982 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951982 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:25:10 -0800 Comment by D. I don't retract my comment although I wasn't really commenting on the SNL piece specifically.

But I was just reminded of a great performance where I forgave the actor for "stealing" a part from a woman. Nick Garrison rocked as Fay in Loot. He played a better Fay than I think anyone could have and he played it completely straight.

]]> D. http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951983 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951983 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:25:37 -0800 Comment by Henrietta It's funny there's suddenly a big outcry over Armisen playing Obama. His whole schtick is racial stereotypes: Fericito - the Venezuelan comedian, Billy Smith - Native American comedian, Gabe - the Jewish man in adult education, and Noony - whatever he is.

His stuff is frequently offensive, and frequently not so funny, but I still kinda appreciate him pushing the boundaries. I mean that was the best part of the Chapelle show - stepping over boundaries, exposing racism and laughing at racial stereotypes.

]]> Henrietta http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951986 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951986 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:26:36 -0800 Comment by keshmeshi @26,

Yes they do, but I think it's fair to say that Kenan Thompson, despite his talent, wouldn't be an appropriate choice to play Obama.

He is a hilarious Al Sharpton, however.

]]> keshmeshi http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951990 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c951990 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:28:00 -0800 Comment by Big Sven e@29-

Nice. So your comment worked on two levels. Why I no write good?

]]> Big Sven http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c952024 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c952024 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:42:08 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle He may not be the best choice to portray Obama, but on those rare occasions when Obama isn't around to play himself on SNL, he does fine.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c952026 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c952026 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:43:01 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle and besides, most of us in the West are multi-ethnic anyway, so why should we care?

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c952032 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c952032 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:45:43 -0800 Comment by mk Fred Armisen is basically SNL's chameleon - he played an Arab man on 30 Rock, Javier Bardem (Spanish) and Obama (biracial) last week, and members of countless other racial and ethnic groups. To me, it's not a big deal at all.

]]> mk http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c952126 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c952126 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:36:25 -0800 Comment by linus If were supposed to have a dildo up our ass over a lighter hue playing amn of a darker hue then as a "caucasion american" I should feel offended about eddy murphy and dave chapell being 'racist" and perpetuating crude racial sterotypes via donning 'white face'

give me a fucking break
PC people are silly hysterical basterds

]]> linus http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c952163 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c952163 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:56:48 -0800 Comment by V I don't care who plays Obama on SNL, but it would be nice if whoever gets the role could do it with as much talent as Hader when he played Daniel Day-Lewis' character from "There Will Be Blood".

The Obama impersonation was just bad. Do it well, and it's funnier.

]]> V http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c952342 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c952342 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:29:49 -0800 Comment by Luckwouldhaveit Just to clarify, Fred Armisen is Latino (Venezuelan) and Japanese.

]]> Luckwouldhaveit http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c952343 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c952343 2008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:29:54 -0800 Comment by onion zomg. the obamatrons actually remembered that obama, along with being (all) black, is also half white! yay!

]]> onion http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c952883 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/obama_is_half_white#c952883 2008 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:38:51 -0800