Last night, many who tuned in to watch Saturday Night Live were curious if anybody would accept the challenge to call Donald Trump a racist. One person did just that, but it wasn’t impromptu:
“Saturday Night Live” didn’t waste any time defusing the Deport Racism challenge, which offered $5,000 to anyone who managed to disrupt the broadcast by shouting, “Trump is a racist!”
Larry David, who had just wrapped up a sketch playing Bernie Sanders, decided to claim the bounty by shouting the line from offstage.
Here’s how it happened:
@realDonaldTrump SNL opening monologue with Larry David calling him a racist pic.twitter.com/j3VyxDlNQM
— Hugh Jidette (@reverse_thecall) November 8, 2015
Even though it was part of a scripted gag, David still supposedly “won” the $5,000:
#LarryDavid wins $5K "bounty" from https://t.co/PcIfWXCmnT for calling Trump RACIST on #SNL. Joke or not, it's true pic.twitter.com/qHFJ3cYmQQ
— Deport Racism (@DeportRacism) November 8, 2015
However, not everybody saw the humor in that bit:
https://twitter.com/mcmoynihan/status/663378533067132928
Larry David sure did manage to curb some enthusiasm:
https://twitter.com/gslay707/status/663384201308168193
https://twitter.com/KimiG33/status/663240383053234176
https://twitter.com/jaunty_julie/status/663368152672296960
https://twitter.com/SSuperPPickle/status/663352926211981312
Fuck off NBC and Larry David. Patronizing and diminishing the legitimate concerns of Latinos is bush league https://t.co/tbz5I7Umfe
— NoM'anches: El Brown Panther (@GregorioEats) November 8, 2015
@Salon @DoubtingTomFYI Larry David was hilarious as @SenSanders. BUT mocking legitimate protest of NBC hypocrisy isn't funny. It's wrong
— Mike (@MeritNotParty) November 8, 2015
https://twitter.com/EinsteinChloe/status/663326837012058113
The reason the sketch of Larry David calling Donald Trump a racist isn't funny is because it's true & RACISM ISN'T FUNNY. @NBCSNL #TrumpSNL
— Bill Madden (@maddenifico) November 8, 2015
Larry David on #SNL was the opposite of funny. Thanks for kissing Trump's ass and mocking Latinos. Stick to nothing
— Popular Unity (@RBedore) November 8, 2015
Fuck you, Larry David. https://t.co/aneGlImVae
— Molly Woodlawn (@Bristy) November 8, 2015
Some of the biggest criticism for David came from a writer for Grist:
So… Larry David is some kind of hero now? Because no. He's deeply invested in white supremacy, too.
— Aura Bogado (@aurabogado) November 8, 2015
Larry David was SCRIPTED into that Donald Trump bit. His mic was turned on. The camera turned to him. This wasn't an action, people!
— Aura Bogado (@aurabogado) November 8, 2015
By mentioning $5000, David was shouting out the Deport Trump thing run by a very problematic white dude—making latinos even more invisible.
— Aura Bogado (@aurabogado) November 8, 2015
Larry David could have boycotted SNL, made a statement. Or he could have ACTUALLY interrupted the show. Come on, dude. Don't you see this?
— Aura Bogado (@aurabogado) November 8, 2015
I'm disappointed in this level of naïveté. If Larry David is your hero today, you've got a lot growing up to do. Fast.
— Aura Bogado (@aurabogado) November 8, 2015
I stayed quiet about on SNL because I saw a lot of folks who don't understand culture OR politics. Celebrating David seals that for me.
— Aura Bogado (@aurabogado) November 8, 2015
Enthusiasm = Curbed!