There’s an old saying that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Well, NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” served up a heaping helping of flattery on last night’s show.
It featured a skit built on the old “black folks don’t know hockey” premise with Chance the Rapper playing an unhappily cold black New York Knicks sideline reporter filling in for the regular New York Rangers rink side reporter on MSG Networks and not knowing a lick about the sport.
The bit reminded of Tony X, a black man who became a social media sensation in 2016 when he stumbled upon a hockey game on television and delivered his own play-by-play of a sport that he never really watched before.
Even Tony thought the SNL skit had a little him in it.
i need my check @nbcsnl https://t.co/YWi1S0uD70
— Tony X. (@soIoucity) November 19, 2017
I hope @soIoucity got some royalties for this #snl hockey skit.
— FreeCandy #1 Super Guy! (@FreeCandy4_4) November 19, 2017
The skit got rave reviews on social media.
THIS HOCKEY SKIT ON SNL WITH @chancetherapper IM DYING 😂😂 #ChanceOnSNL
— Amanda Adams (@AmandaKA00) November 19, 2017
The hockey skit was hilarious #SNL #ChanceOnSNL
— Blame the Internet ♎ (@indiana85) November 19, 2017
OHMYGOD @chancetherapper's hockey skit on #SNL is KILLINGGGG me "that's wassup" 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😂😂😂😂😂
— ✨pamela nicole. (@pamelaa_nicolee) November 19, 2017
Within 72 hours, every kid who plays the game will be saying, “Let’s do that hockey.” https://t.co/7WlqGWkPT6
— Al Muir (@almuirSI) November 19, 2017
Let’s laugh, by all means, but let’s not forget – or fall into stereotypes.
There there are several great and knowledgeable black hockey broadcasters in the booth and at ice level. There’s MSG’s own Anson Carter, not a hockey newbie having scored 202 goals in a 10-season National Hockey League career: NHL Network’s Kevin Weekes, a former goaltender who appeared in 348 NHL Games; David Amber, co-host of “Hockey Night in Canada’s” Saturday late game; Tarik el Bashir who appears on Washington Capitals broadcasts on NBC Sports Washington; and Trevor Thompson, who works Detroit Red Wings games for Fox Sports Detroit.
And, oh yeah, even black rappers know a thing or two about ice hockey.
SNL also had a musical skit with Chance the Rapper and cast members Kenan Thompson and Chris Redd crooning “Come Back Barack,” a homage to former President Barack Obama.
I thought the Second City comedy troupe’s “We’re Going to Miss You Barack” skit from its “Black Side of the Moon” show last year was better.
So come back Barack.
We didn’t know just what we had.
Now things are looking bad.
Like really bad.
Like World War bad.
Like nuclear bad#ComebackBarack#ChanceOnSNL#SNL pic.twitter.com/YQ9KG6ZNJa— Khary Penebaker (@kharyp) November 19, 2017
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