Jimmy Fallon has recently come under a lot of fire after a clip from an old episode of SNL from 2000 has resurfaced showing Jimmy Fallon doing Blackface. This has ignited a firestorm on Twitter demanding that Fallon apologize, and he did.
However, despite Fallon tweeting an apology, the flames of anger are still burning bright on Twitter, with some even calling for the cancellation of his show. For some, this seems like the right action, but for others, it seems like a witch hunt based on a clip that is almost 20 years old.
Why People Are Angry At Jimmy Fallon
First, let us analyze why some people have become furious at Jimmy Fallon. It seems to have started when an old clip of SNL from 20 years ago resurfaced on social media. The clip in question is of Jimmy Fallon imitating Chris Rock in which he appeared in Blackface.
The infamous clip in question was shared with the caption:
“NBC fired Megan Kelly for mentioning blackface. Jimmy Fallon performed on NBC in blackface.”
Following the publication of the tweet, it didn’t take long to gain a massive amount of traction. Shortly after the tweet gained popularity, the hashtag #jimmyfallonisoverparty began trending, with social media users calling Fallon out for the skit which also featured SNL actor Darrell Hammond.
The tweet had caused such a storm that there was no choice but for Jimmy Fallon to address it, which leads us to Fallon’s apology.
Jimmy Fallon Issues An Apology
Days after the drama over the video reached a monumental crescendo, Jimmy Fallon took to his Twitter to address the sea of criticism over his skit from 2000 and issued a heartfelt response.
For some people, this apology was enough, but for others, it doesn't erase the damage caused by the 20-year-old sketch.
The Mixed Reaction To Jimmy Fallon’s Apology
Many people have accepted Fallon’s apology over the Blackface sketch scandal, but others are still angry at Fallon over the sketch and refusing to back down over their anger. Some Twitter users have continued to voice their opinion over the debacle:
With many other users voicing their support of opinions such as this. However, on the flip side, there is also those who view this as a big overreaction and have voiced their support to Fallon. Including Jamie Foxx, who has spoken out against the hysteria surrounding the whole debacle.
Foxx wrote on Fallon’s Instagram apology post:
"Bro You ain't got to apologize for s**t,"
Highlighting the massive divide in opinions that exists over this issue. Some people view this as another example of racism in the media, where Blackface is used as comedy, and others view it as a massive overreaction and a witch hunt.
Regardless of which camp of opinions you fall in, the fact that the clip comes from the year 2000 makes it significant. In the year 2000 sensitivities and what can and cannot be done in comedy were a very different animal to what they are in 2020, so it makes it very difficult to judge a clip from 2000 through the lens of 2020 sensibilities.
After all, there have been cases of Blackface in the mid-2000s that has not garnered negativity but has instead received a multitude of praise in the media, and from critics and viewers alike. This is, of course, the case of Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder.
Was Robert Downey Jr’s Blackface In Tropic Thunder Just As Bad?
Robert Downey Jr’s performance of Kirk Lazarus in Tropic Thunder in 2008, earned him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars and was regarded by many as a brilliant performance that has gone down as an iconic comedic Robert Downey Jr performance.
Robert Downey Jr’s performance as Kirk Lazarus was not without its controversy, however, as it attracted a lot of negative opinions at the time and some in the industry even warned Robert Downey Jr that it would destroy his career forever if he took on this role. But why was this role so controversial?
Well, the role of Kirk Lazarus was of an Australian method actor who undergoes “pigmentation alteration” to become an African American character in a war movie. Downey Jr. appears in Blackface for the majority of the movie. A decision that has resulted in a controversy that exists to this day.
Robert Downey Jr., however, has gone on the record to say that he doesn’t regret the decision to play Blackface in Tropic Thunder:
“…90 per cent of my black friends were like, ‘Dude, that was great.’ I can’t disagree with [the other 10 per cent], but I know where my heart lies. I think that it’s never an excuse to do something that’s out of place and out of its time, but to me it blasted the cap on [the issue]. I think having a moral psychology is job one. Sometimes, you just gotta go, ‘Yeah I effed up.’ In my defense, ‘Tropic Thunder’ is about how wrong [blackface] is, so I take exception.”
His response highlights the strange dichotomy that exists with the use of Blackface in the media, one performance has received an avalanche of outrage and the other has received many accolades and praise. Which begs the question: Does the intent justify the means?