CNN (Opinion)
By Felix Sanchez
October 15, 2015
"Jane, you ignorant slut."
So
ran the famed catch phrase by Dan Aykroyd to Jane Curtin in their
weekly comedy bit on NBC's "Saturday Night Live." Somewhere rattling
around in my brain is a similar
phrase I'd like to use with Lorne Michaels, the creator and executive
producer of the four-decade comedy show on NBCUniversal (NBCU).
This
week it was reported that Donald Trump would guest-host "SNL" on
November 7. The same Donald Trump who defamed millions of Latinos with
his anti-immigrant comments
has been offered a comedy satire platform that would de facto laugh
away his bigoted comments.
Many
Latinos thought that when NBCU said it was severing its ties with Trump
over the Miss Universe Pageant and the "Apprentice" that it meant
cutting all ties with him.
But apparently Trump is too much of a potential ratings bonanza for
"SNL" to pass up, particularly since the show's ratings have suffered in
recent years.
U.S.
Latinos expressed chagrin on social media that Trump had been given an
opportunity to host "SNL." The Trump invitation is tantamount to
validating his comments that
Mexican immigrants are "rapists and murderers."
The
National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA), which is comprised of 40 of
the nation's preeminent Latino organizations, sent a letter to Steve
Burke, NBCU's chief executive
officer, and Comcast's senior vice president, and Lorne Michaels,
asking them to rescind the Trump invitation. The NHLA letter in part
said:
How
can SNL justify casting zero Latinas over 41 seasons and only 2 Latinos
over the same period, while promoting Trump's divisive speech toward
Latinos? How does Comcast
justify with one hand reaching out to Latino viewers on its English
language platforms and on Telemundo, its Spanish-language network, while
using the other hand to face slap us with this unconscionable
invitation to Trump? How can a major U.S. corporation--
who needs and wants Latino viewers-- act so clueless?
Over
the last few years, the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts
(NHFA) and NHLA have lodged complaint after complaint with NBCUniversal
and Comcast over the fact
that in 41 years, "SNL" has never hired a Latina cast member, yet they
have used brown-faced actors to play Latinas in skits. As far as I know,
only two Latinos have ever been cast on the show: Horatio Sanz and Fred
Armisen.
That
is the kind of mentality that keeps Latinos locked out of casting,
while having no qualms at casting a person who spews bigoted speech
toward Latinos. We are welcomed
to be part of the audience, but not part of the show.
Would
Lorne Michaels welcome Bill Cosby to also host "SNL" despite a barrage
of sexual assault allegations from women? In 1990, when Andrew Dice Clay
hosted after protests
by women's rights groups over his explicit and sexist humor, then-cast
member Nora Dunn and guest Sinead O'Connor boycotted his appearance,
refusing to appear on the same show. Will the current cast and musical
guest stand with the Latino community and protest
Trump or will they cave?
Latino
talent gets side-swiped because we as viewers do not demand more of
these programmers and networks. Last year, NBCU and Comcast celebrated
Lorne Michael's 40 seasons
of "SNL." During its 41st season, let's send a message and turn the
channel off. The Latino voter isn't just exercising its clout at the
ballot box, but on the small and big screens, too.
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
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