Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon has apologised for wearing blackface in an episode of "Saturday Night Live" 20 years ago, saying that "there is no excuse for this".
His apology triggered even more discussion, with users saying it was not his fault but that of SNL for letting him appear on TV with a darkened face, while other users suggested there is no reason to discuss something that happened years ago when there are plenty of real problems that need addressing.
"I guess nobody understands jokes anymore. Comedians do blackface, whiteface, nativeamericanface, they impersonate french accents, german accents, chinese accents, etc....it's just comedy", one user tweeted. "The snowflakes in this world will request anyone to be canceled for any reason."
Others said it was just a sketch in which Fallon was impersonating Rock and had no intention to offend anybody, blaming the so-called "cancel culture" for attacks against him on Twitter.
"It was a comedy skit Twenty Years ago. Get a life", one user tweeted.
However, a lot of netizens remained unsatisfied, with some openly calling Fallon a racist and even recalling his other "failures" on SNL. Some even claimed white people have no right to speak out on this issue and accept Fallon's apology.
"If you're white you are not allowed to forgive/dismiss this, it's not up to you, you're opinion on the matter is irrelevant. it's up to individuals in the black community to decide personally whether they forgive the offense or not because THEY were racially discriminated against", a user wrote.
She went on to say that the fact Chris Rock himself said he was okay with the skit doesn't matter since he "doesn't speak for the entire black community".
There have been some users that have pointed out the distinction made when an opinion is voiced by a politically right or a left-leaning person, referring to those who consider Fallon's apology to be insufficient, or, instead, accepted it due to his adherence to a leftwing agenda.
"Liberals say ‘sorry’ and the world moves on. A conservative says ‘sorry’ and liberals show up with pitchforks and torches", a user replied.
Backlash over the 2000 SNL episode resembled the scandal in September 2019, when images of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wearing blackface and brownface many years ago were revealed to the public. Despite the controversy, Trudeau, who has been a strong advocate of political correctness, managed to win the parliamentary election, keeping him in power for another four-year term.