Jimmy Fallon comes under fire as blackface SNL sketch from 20 years ago resurfaces and outraged Twitter users call for his show to be cancelled
Twitter users are calling for Jimmy Fallon to be cancelled after a Chris Rock impression he did in 2000 resurfaced showing him wearing dark makeup.
It’s the second time the clip has emerged in recent years and has reignited the debate on blackface and cancel culture. It surfaced in 2018 when Megyn Kelly was let go from The Today Show after debating that wearing blackface on Halloween was acceptable.
The video shared on Twitter by @chefboyohdear, had a caption that read: ‘NBC fired Megan Kelly for mentioning blackface. Jimmy Fallon performed on NBC in blackface.’
Cancel culture: Twitter users are calling for Jimmy Fallon to be cancelled after a Chris Rock impression he did in 2000 resurfaced
The video shared on Twitter by @chefboyohdear, had a caption that read: ‘NBC fired Megan Kelly for mentioning blackface. Jimmy Fallon performed on NBC in blackface.’
Another tweet read: ‘Megyn Kelly was dismissed for being insensitive in merely DISCUSSING kids wearing blackface on Halloween. Jimmy Fallon actually WORE blackface while impersonating Chris Rock. He’s still working for NBC’
Soon after the hashtag #jimmyfallonisoverparty started trending as people discussed the matter.
Some lashed out at cancel culture, pointing out that 20 years is a long time to hold someone responsible for actions that were more accepted at the time.
‘I wish, they do realize they have a 0% chance of even canceling him right? This was 20 years ago and nowhere close to career ending,’ a user wrote in response to someone who tweeted the hashtag #cancelcultureisoverparty.
Blackface: The SNL clip featuring Darrell Hammond showed Fallon doing a Chris Rock impression in dark makeup
Important to bring up: Some lashed out at cancel culture, pointing out that 20 years is a long time to hold someone responsible for actions that were more accepted at the time
‘this is unacceptable but it was also AGES ago I mean like, what? 2 or 3 DECADES? while it’s important to bring it up because it’s something that happened and ISNT AT ALL okay, he shouldn’t be cancelled for it. BUT he needs to address it for what it is and apologise.’
Another person chimed in, ‘Y’all whack. How long ago was this? Was this snl? No one can be famous anymore bc we’ve all done something the society of 20years from now doesn’t like can we stop with trying to cancel people on their ost and focus on the present?’
Others demanded an apology from Fallon and asked for the immediate cancellation of his show The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
‘[Unfortunately] this gets mentioned/tweeted about once a year without a peep of an apology from @jimmyfallon,’ tweeted @thatchelseagirl,
Lighten up people: Some Twitter users like this one think it is a big fuss over nothing
Some Twitter users pointed out that other TV personalities and actors such as Robert Downey Jr., Jimmy Kimmel, and Sarah Silverman had also done blackface but never been held accountable.
‘Well since Jimmy Fallon is cancelled for wearing blackface, are we going to cancel Robert Downey, Jr. also? Just sayin, y’all are a bunch of hypocrites,’ wrote one person.
‘So jimmy fallon is canceled for this but justin trudeau does it dozens of times throughout his youth and is still re-elected as PM. I don’t understand this planet,’ said @kyriehugsloth.
‘I know I did not just open Twitter and see that Jimmy Fallon did blackface in 2000. Nobody is safe from Twitter when we got this much time in our hand. First Lana, then Doja Cat, and now Jimmy Fallon. Please let me catch my [breath].’ another wrote.
The cancel Fallon Twitter trend comes just days after singers Lana Del Rey and Doja Cat came under fire for using racially insensitive words.