Quinta Brunson may have won an Emmy for her hilarious comedy “Abbott Elementary,” but her latest stint on “Saturday Night Live” was no laughing matter thanks to one particular skit. And now, her fans and followers are going off on her about it.
For context, the skit that has everyone online in a tizzy stems from the viral social media debate that took over the timelines last week where one user asked who would win in a fight between 100 men and one gorilla. As you can imagine and as we previously told you, the tweet spawned a myriad of hilarious responses from folks on the internet to celebs to the White House (booo) and more.
But the bit was taken a bit too far when it appeared as a one of the jokes on “SNL” over the wekeend. And why is that, you may ask? Well, that’s because instead of playing off of the actual tweet, the show decided to do a slightly different version titled “two b*tches vs. a gorilla” in, in which Brunson was joined by staffer Ego Nwodim.
And let’s just say the result was...interesting.
Whether you found the skit amusing or not, once the clip went viral—it became abundantly clear that folks on social media weren’t here the jokes citing covert racist undertones and it promoting minstrel-like stereotypes. Some folks also felt like this was her “second strike” against her, docking off cool points for her being previously married to a white man.
“Yall might as well go ahead and say ‘two black bitches vs a gorilla,’” wrote one user on X/Twitter.
“Never in SNL history ( that I’m aware ) Has they referred to women as Bitches until it was Black Women… Even if Quinta Brunson or the co-actress didn’t write the caption…how long will they be silent about it? When your community is upset/ you respond- point blank,” said another.
“EVERYONE involved in that SNL skit ought to be ashamed of themselves. How a gorilla vs. 100 men turned into two black women stereotypes spewing antiblack rhetoric is BEYOND me. Very disappointed in BOTH Black Women who did the skit,” one other user wrote.
Added another: “Quinta got too much money & sense for that. Idk what she was thinking.”
Still, there were some people who came to Brunson’s defense.
“Quinta definitely misstepped with that skit but what yall not gonna do is act like she don’t rock with the Black community. The cast of Abbott alone debunks that bs,” one other user wrote.
Said another: “quinta once again seamlessly fits right in to snl! really jumped between either leading or supporting a sketch with versatile roles. tonight felt particularly the most ensemble with each cast member having a moment.”