SNL’s Callback to Tom Hanks’ ‘Black Jeopardy!’ Handshake is Offensive but Hints at Progress

Warren Squire | 2:05 AM on February 17, 2025

Saturday Night Live is celebrating its 50th year and doing it in big style. The show invited back some of its biggest stars and guest stars to recreate and update some of the show’s best skits. That brings us to actor Tom Hanks playing a MAGA voter appearing on Black Jeopardy! The original skit appeared eight years ago. Both skits are funny and show that Trump supporters and black people have a lot in common.

But, one joke featured in both skits is insulting and unfunny. In both, Hanks is approached by the black host offering a handshake, and his character is startled and backs away - the ‘joke’ being that MAGA voters are racists and afraid of black people. Most commenters are greatly upset to see this unfunny insult resurface on SNL, but we would like to focus on how the audience’s reaction to this ‘joke’ actually shows progress.

Here’s the new version and the commenters' reactions. (WATCH)

Tom Hanks in a MAGA hat, horrified at the idea of shaking a black man’s hand, tells you everything you need to know about what the left has learned since November and why they will thankfully continue to lose landslide election after landslide election for the foreseeable future pic.twitter.com/igcPmKhKTM
— Kevin Dalton (@TheKevinDalton) February 17, 2025

For shame @tomhanks over half the country that disagrees with you politically is not racist and was just insulted. You owe people an apology.
— Constance Crane (@TrackingFires) February 17, 2025

Even the crowd is offended what a weird cringe thing to do. All they’re doing is trying to divide America and create narratives that just are not true because they’re lunatics sick in the head. Mind virus is real for these cats that don’t live in the real world like us.
— His Grace GOAT targaryen (@JasonJDaniel) February 17, 2025

Ya. This was definitely off side. Kinda pissed me off… as I think it’s just wrong to be attacking voters. And it was even a bit cringe, as I think everyone in that studio realized as it happened that this wasn’t that funny.
— Toronto Dave (@TorontoDave99) February 17, 2025

You’ll notice the audience’s reaction to the original was loud laughter. The reaction to the new version was mostly subdued and a bit offended. We're not saying that all Democrats are suddenly abandoning their ignorant beliefs that Trump and his voters are racist, fascist Nazis. But, it looks like some are waking up. That’s progress.