This SNL Skit Nailed the Truth About Low-Income Americans
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A hilarious skit by NBC's "Saturday Night Live" reveals the truth about presumably low-income black Americans and low-income supporters of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump: the groups actually aren't that different despite their generally opposing political affiliations.
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has consistently received strong support from black voters, while Trump has polled as low as 0 percent with black Americans. Trump has consistently received support from white men, especially working class white men.
The skit features Keenan Thompson as Darnell Hayes, the host of "Black Jeopardy."
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Sasheer Zamata and Leslie Jones play stereotypical low-income black contestants, and Tom Hanks plays a Trump supporter. Hanks even wears the "Make America Great Again" hat.
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The skit starts out with Thompson's character questioning why the Trump supporter is a contestant on a show called "Black Jeaopardy." However, by the end, Hanks' character Doug surprises everyone and reveals some key similarities between low-income white and black Americans.
The host Darnell asks a question about Tyler Perry's "Boo! A Madea: Halloween."
Zamata's character Keeley answers it correctly but Doug has some surprising praise for the movie.
"You know I got to tell you I love those movies. I bought the box set at Wal-Mart. If I can laugh and pray in 90 minutes that is money well spent."
Darnell is so impressed by Doug's response that he walks over to shake his hand.
In another moment of mutual experience, Darnell asks a question about the neighborhood handy man. Doug responds with: "What is, you better go to that dude in my neighborhood that'll fix anything for $40."
Darnell responds with, "Wow you know Cecil?"
However, the "Black Jeopardy" skit comes to a halt with a reminder about the issues that deeply divide Trump supporters and many black Americans. The final question is about police brutality, and the show ends before Doug can can answer which "lives matter."
The skit touches two important common aspects among low-income Americans: religion and tight knit communities. Religion, particularly Christianity, remains a focal point of black families, a market that the Perry's "Madea" franchise capitalizes on. White Evangelical Christians have been a key group of Trump supporters.
Also black Americans are more likely than white Americans overall to keep strong connections to their childhood community. A 2012 study led by a New York University researcher found that 85 percent of black Americans born between 1952 and 1982 had not moved from their hometown communities. Black Americans are also more likely to live near their parents, according to The New York Times. Working class Trump supporters are more likely than Clinton supporters to live as adults in the same community they grew up in, as ATTN: has previously pointed out.
