This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at NYU chapter.
Behind every show there has to be a scandal, and this past week’s SNL host is not new to them. Kerry Washington, star of the hit television show, Scandal, may not have wanted to inherit the long-debated race issue when it comes to the SNL cast, but she sure adressed it on November 2, 2013.
The race debate comes after SNL cast member, Kenan Thompson, commented on the lack of diversity among the cast. He stated that although there are currently two black actors (himself and Jay Pharoah), it seems the lack of black female comics is a constant struggle that the sketches face. There just isn’t someone who can play Beyoncé or Michelle Obama; and Thompson refuses to do drag, according to an article written by TV Guide writer Sadie Gennis.
The bigger problem is that there are only 3 out of 16 cast members who identify as people of color (the third being Nasim Pedrad). Thompson explains that the lack of black female comics doesn’t necessarily fall on the casting team, but those auditioning. Some are not ready to be on SNL. Yet many disagree not knowing the process to be cast on SNL can be excruciating long and difficult process. To give an example of how hard it is: Jim Carrey was denied several times. The last black female comic among the cast was in 2007, but Maya Rudolph shouldn’t have to play all those roles by hersef.
Perhaps SNL should reconsider readiness over diversity. Or does quantity overpower quality? Then again, the quality of SNL has been going down in the recent seasons, so perhaps the quantity may influence positively on the quality. Either way, it may be necessary to open the pool of those being accepted. Not to prove an equality point, but to truly reflect the country’s population as minorities do make up the majority.
So, did Miss Washington leave an impact strong enough to prove to the casting team that it is time for a change? Or will the following Saturday simply go on without notice, when Lady Gaga is set to host on the 16th? What did you think of Kerry Washington’s performance on SNL? Let us know in the comments below.