Welcome to FTW Explains: a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world.
This week the internet hordes turned their ire onto NBC late night host Jimmy Fallon, over an incident in which he appeared on television in blackface over 20 years ago. The Twitter hashtag #jimmyfallonisoverparty got some traction on Tuesday morning, and it was a whole thing.
How did we get here? How did the most inoffensive late night show host end up as the newest person to get called out en masse on the internet? We’ll break it down for you right now.
So, Fallon, huh?
Fallon.
What happened?
This week video surfaced of Fallon on Saturday Night Live in 2000, doing a bit in which he impersonated former SNL cast member Chris Rock.
Oh no. Did the impersonation go the full —
Yes. Yes it did. Full impersonation. Including blackface.
Oh no.
Oh no is right!
How is this just coming out 20 years later?
This video actually resurfaced two years ago as a response to Megyn Kelly losing her job on The Today Show.
Wait. What does Megyn Kelly have to do with any of this?
Good question! In 2018, Megyn Kelly was pushed out of a role on The Today Show after she argued on air that wearing blackface for a Halloween costume was appropriate.
In an effort to highlight hypocrisy, right wing internet users surfaced the footage of Fallon as a response. Basically: Kelly lost her job, but Fallon got to host The Tonight Show, and they both did the same-ish thing. Sort of.
But that was two years ago.
Yes.
So why is it back this week?
Unclear. It’s re-resurfaced, and I can’t begin to explain why.
Is Fallon as culpable as Kelly?
Eh, it depends on how you want to look at it. Fallon did not just paint his face black and run out on the set of SNL. Someone wrote a script, presumably it was approved by a host of people including showrunner Lorne Michaels, a makeup artist painted his face … a lot of people had to be involved to get Fallon out on that stage in blackface.
He of course could have refused, and should have. But to compare Fallon taking part in a tasteless sketch in the year 2000 and Kelly arguing blackface was appropriate in 2018 is tough to do. They’re just entirely different situations.
Fallon hasn’t tried the Chris Rock impression since, has he?
Unfortunately, he sure has! He wasn’t wearing blackface, but he tried it out while hosting the Golden Globes. It … did not go over super well then.
Well, now I understand this. I think. Thanks?
Can we understand anything now?
