Tom Hanks recently addressed offensive SNL skits just before presenting one of his own that stirred controversy among Republicans.
The 68-year-old seasoned actor stirred controversy during Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary celebration weekend.
On Sunday, February 16, numerous Hollywood stars gathered in New York to commemorate the show’s significant milestone, with attendees like Meryl Streep, Martin Short, Jack Nicholson, and Aubrey Plaza.
However, Hanks performed a sketch that provoked some controversy among Donald Trump supporters by seemingly depicting a Republican voter as a ‘racist redneck.’
Despite this, the Cast Away icon defended both this sketch and other historically cheeky SNL moments during his opening monologue.
The show, which has maintained its status in American comedy since debuting in 1975, is known for pushing comedic boundaries and occasionally touching on cultural sensitivities.
Hanks began his monologue with what appeared to be an ‘In Memoriam’ segment to ‘honor’ the ‘countless members of the SNL family that were taken from us too soon’.
In classic Hanks style, the speech shifted to humor when he clarified he was referring to ‘SNL characters and sketches that have aged horribly’.
Rather than criticizing some sketches considered outdated or offensive today, Hanks noted: “Even though these characters, accents, and… let’s just call them ‘ethnic’ wigs were unquestionably in poor taste, you all laughed at them.”
“So if anyone should be canceled, shouldn’t it be you, the audience?”
SNL has had numerous controversial moments, featuring sketches like ‘ethnic stereotypes’, ‘sexual harassment’, and ‘gay panic’, and hosting some contentious guests, including R.Kelly, Diddy, and O.J. Simpson.
These moments have not aged well, and it is noteworthy that Hanks pointed out these missteps before presenting his own controversial skit.
The Californian Golden Globes winner wore a red ‘MAGA’ (Make America Great Again) cap while portraying a religious ‘redneck’ named Doug in a parody game show called Black Jeopardy.
During the skit, Kenan Thompson, the parody show’s host, attempted to shake Doug’s hand, which Doug initially declined.
Doug eventually agreed to the handshake, commenting: “Don’t like that, whoa, whoa, whoa. Maybe I’ll start a show for you to come on and we’ll call it White Jeopardy.”
Some viewers were displeased with the skit, with many taking to Twitter to express that Hanks’ portrayal depicted Trump supporters as ‘dumb, racist, rednecks’.
Link Lauren, a former advisor to Robert F. Kennedy Jr, also commented on social media: “Tom Hanks just came out on SNL in a MAGA hat for a bit where he acted like he didn’t want to shake a black man’s hand.”
“This show wonders why their ratings are in the gutter,” he added.
Conversely, others praised his performance, stating it was ‘spot on’ and that he ‘deserves every award’.
Another commenter added: “I feel like some people are maybe just now discovering the Tom Hanks Black Jeopardy SNL skit lol this is not new to 2025. And it was funny. Lighten up.”