In the wake of the traumatic United States election results, I think it’s safe to say that we were all a little off. We didn’t know how to process our depression, our anger, our confusion; feelings that were constantly fed by disheartening social media stories and CNN interviews. But, as per usual, Saturday Night Live (SNL) came to tell us that everything would be alright, offering us Elmer’s glue in a time when this country was slowly falling apart.
The mere cold open had the audience in tears. A recurring segment in SNL is mock debates and interactions between Hilary Clinton (Kate McKinnon) and Donald Trump (Alec Baldwin). The latest episode was to be the first one without this now cherished segment, and the writers behind the magic orchestrated a perfect way to bring it all to an end. The center of the cold open was Hilary Clinton playing Leonard Cohen’s classic, “Hallelujah.” A song that can already bring anyone to their knees by itself, but when you examine the lyrics as a defeated but still hopeful Clinton sings them to a nation she fears she let down, the tune becomes heartbreaking. The ballad ends with Clinton promising that she will not give up on us and that we should not give up on this seemingly damned situation. It was a voice that we had heard repeatedly on social media and on television, but coming from the persona of Clinton sparked a beakon of hope.
The rest of the show was a series of traditional skits, most starring Dave Chappelle and some featuring a homage to the recent political mess. Anyone in the Black community knows that Chappelle is near genius, but it’s easy to forget how skillfull his comedy is when he has been on quite a lengthy break. At least for one night, Chappelle was back and just as funny as ever. Where as some comedians would have artfully dodged the elephant in the room, Chappelle shook its hand. In his monolouge, he reminised an event at the White House where the West Wing was filled with Black faces (and Bradley Cooper), reflecting on how in the past Black people were practically barricaded from entering a house that their ancestors built. Chappelle touched on politics, on racism, on gentrification, on the recent protests, and of course, the beauty that is Barack Obama.
He dived head first into uncharted waters, and by tackling these issues with his refreshing comedy, it made the grieving process of dealing with recent events so much easier. In a skit with Chris Rock, Chappelle touched on the feeling of hopelessness and disbelief that so many (White) people are faced with at the moment, and reminded them that this is what Black people have been feeling for years, that this is actually not the worst thing that White people have done to us- an important message that is often forgotten. The comedian even brought back characters from Chappelle’s Show in one skit, a sweet reminiscent of a beloved show that does not deserve to be forgotten.
If nothing else, Dave Chappelle’s episode of SNL was dignified and well-needed. It celebrated Black comedians and musicians, featuring a profound performance from A Tribe Called Quest that was sure to make their late member Phife Dawg proud. It was clear that this particular episode of Saturday Night Live was for the Black Community and anyone else struggling with the terms of Donald Trump’s presidency. As Chappelle put it: “On behalf of the disenfranchined, we will give you a chance if you promise to do the same.”
