SNL Fails Again: Now It’s Non-Latino Kenan Thompson Mocking Dominicano Legend David Ortiz

Apr 13, 2014
1:45 PM

UPDATE, November 23, 2015: Thompson revisited Big Papi again. And we haven’t changed our opinion.

Now we REALLY know that NBC’s Saturday Night Live does not give a crap when it comes to mocking Latinos. A few weeks back, we saw a non-Latina (Cecily Strong) fail with perhaps one of the most unfunny loud Latina stereotypes. Last night, it happened again with non-Latino Kenan Thompson doing a heavily accented and over-the-top Dominicano version of Red Sox slugger David “Big Papi” Ortiz.

Here’s the clip:

Where do we start? How about the fact that Thompson and his writers spent most of the skit getting belly laughs out of Spanish words. Look, everyone, I am saying funny things with a Dominican accent! Also, once again this is just another Latino caricature looking stupid. We would challenge Thompson to do the same with say, a Jewish character or an Asian one. Come on, we dare you.

Yeah, we know that some comedians have started a #StillNoLatinas (SNL) thing online and others have come up with brilliant responses to SNL’s “Latino problem.” No matter how much pressure Latino organizations are putting on Lorne Michaels, SNL does not care one bit. How do we know? Because it continues to produce these “FU”-type skits that play to the most ignorant stereotypes when it comes to Latinos. And the mainstream world LOVES it: Ha, ha, ha, see the guy with the funny accent saying Spanish words like tostones! (By the way, SNL, if you are going to do these skits more, at least get a bit more authentic with “Dominican” foods?)

Looks like Chico Escuela is back. But that doesn’t surprise us. It’s SNL. Privileged comedy for the privileged few.

Now, what would have been REALLY edgy would be to get an ACTUAL Afro-Latino Dominican comic do an Big Papi impression. Thompson might have filled one part of the piece, but the writing (and its lack of cultural knowledge) failed Thompson’s final delivery. But what are we thinking? That would be too hard, in the eyes of SNL.

Besides, Papi approved: