Hollywood’s contempt for Middle America was on full display during NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” 50th anniversary special, where actor Tom Hanks reprised his role as “Doug,” a Trump-supporting, blue-collar character that liberal elites love to mock. The skit, a rehash of the tired “Black Jeopardy” bit, portrayed Hanks’ character as a bumbling, racist stereotype wearing a MAGA hat — an offensive trope that many conservatives rightfully condemned.
The sketch opened with “Doug” refusing to shake hands with the host, Darnell Hayes (played by Kenan Thompson), reinforcing the baseless accusation that Trump supporters are inherently racist. “Don’t like that, whoa, whoa, whoa,” Hanks’ character exclaimed, before reluctantly extending his hand. Later in the segment, he quipped, “Maybe I’ll start a show for you to come on and we’ll call it ‘White Jeopardy,’” further pushing the lazy narrative that working-class Americans are backward and prejudiced.
Conservatives didn’t let the insult slide. Former Robert F. Kennedy Jr. aide Link Lauren took to X (formerly Twitter), slamming the sketch as a “tired trope” that proves why SNL’s ratings are in freefall. “Trump won the popular vote. This tired trope that MAGA is racist is disgusting. SNL is an unfunny show for snobbish liberal elites,” Lauren posted. Conservative commentator Benny Johnson echoed the sentiment, writing, “SNL decided it was a good idea to depict Tom Hanks as a ‘Racist Trump Supporter’ afraid to shake a black man’s hand. Donald Trump just won a landslide election and has never been more popular with Americans. They’ve learned nothing.”
Popular conservative account Libs of TikTok bluntly called the skit “propaganda” and “dumb,” sentiments that resonated with many Americans who are tired of Hollywood’s never-ending attacks on their values.
The three-and-a-half-hour special didn’t stop at bashing Trump supporters. It was packed with cheap shots at President Trump himself and the millions of Americans who stand behind his bold, America-first policies. In a cringe-worthy opening monologue, SNL veteran Steve Martin took a jab at Trump’s proposed renaming of the Gulf of Mexico, quipping that he’d just returned from the “Gulf of Steve Martin.” Canadian comic Martin Short piled on with an immigration joke that involved being theatrically dragged off stage by actors dressed as ICE agents. “Do you have your passport on you? ICE, get him!” Martin yelled as Short was carted off, sarcastically naming fellow Canadian celebrities in a desperate attempt at humor.
This tone-deaf spectacle highlights what many Americans already know: Hollywood and its media mouthpieces are out of touch with everyday citizens who love their country, value hard work, and aren’t buying into the left’s identity politics. Rather than uniting the nation, shows like SNL double down on division, alienating half of their potential audience with condescending jokes and smug virtue-signaling.
As mainstream media outlets continue to pander to their coastal elite audiences, more Americans are turning away from late-night “comedy” that punches down on the very people who keep this country running. Perhaps if SNL focused less on mocking Middle America and more on genuine humor, their ratings wouldn’t be in the gutter.
