Saturday Night Live (SNL) was nothing less than fun on April 1st, 2023. During the night, Quinta Brunson was the special guest on the show. Brunson has been making headlines for her stellar ABC show, ‘Abbott Elementary.’ The cast and show created a considerable buzz during the awards season, winning the Golden Globe. It was a debut for her, and Quinta already won hearts with her monologue criticizing ‘Friends.’
The hit ’90s sitcom ‘Friends’ influenced a generation of millennials. Be it the styling, the writing, or the popular culture influence, the show did leave a mark. However, in the present times, many have come forward to criticize the show for being regressive. Even Jennifer Aniston, who played Rachel Green, has admitted that the humor of the series cannot be replicated in today’s world. But, Quinta has come forward and called it out for its all-white cast.
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Quinta Brunson Calls Out ‘Friends’ For Lack Of Black Representation On SNL
Television sitcoms during the ’90s and 2000s and before them lacked representation. Many of the hit shows had all-white ensembles. Shows like ‘Sex And The City,’ ‘Friends,’ and ‘Gossip Girl’ have come under fire due to their lack of Black representation. Marta Kaufman, the co-creator of ‘Friends’ extended $4 million to her alma mater, Brandeis University, to right the wrong!
Recently, the creator of the ABC hit show ‘Abbott Elementary’ took a dig at the lack of representation on ‘SNL.’ The show is about a group of teachers at a local Philadelphia school who navigate their lives while trying to provide the best for the children in the community. The show has a balanced representation of the Black, White, and queer communities. During her monologue, Quinta made a comparison between her show and ‘Friends.’
Quinta Brunson said, “I have a show called ‘Abbott Elementary,’ and it’s kind of unique. It’s a network show, like say ‘Friends.’ Except instead of being about a group of friends, it’s about a group of teachers. And instead of New York, it’s in Philadelphia. And instead of not having Black people, it does.”
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Twitteratis Has A Mixed Reaction On The Monologue
Jennifer Aniston recently discussed the sensitive nature of the comedy genre in an interview with Variety . She said, “Now it’s a little tricky because you have to be very careful, which makes it really hard for comedians, because the beauty of comedy is that we make fun of ourselves, make fun of life.”
Jennifer continued, “[In the past] you could joke about a bigot and have a laugh – that was hysterical. And it was about educating people on how ridiculous people were. And now we’re not allowed to do that.” She hinted that there is a generation who goes back to the show and finds it offensive.
Twitteratis had a mixed reaction to Quinta’s monologue, where some hailed her for the joke, but people also criticized her for an outdated joke and for being woke.
Friends creator watching Quinta Brunson cook the show. #SNL
pic.twitter.com/COnx8XnqP6 https://t.co/7vFr5Az8VT— I have so many questions? (@english_shamar) April 2, 2023
How I hollered when #quintabrunson called out on #SNL #Friends not having Black people! pic.twitter.com/5vLRmQ2mJB
— I Am Román-Joy (@RomanJoySays) April 2, 2023
It's hilarious how many people are upset over a "Friends" truth. I loved that show, but be honest people; it showed one of the most diverse cities as the exact opposite. #SNL #quintabrunson
— Adrienne N Hester (@AdrienneNHester) April 2, 2023
People also criticized Quinta for doing a done and dusted joke, and they asked her to target something contemporary.
Why we attacking an old ass show?!? Omg I swear we waste so much fkn platform time on useless crap.
— Karma Brewing 🇺🇸 🇺🇦 (@KarmaBrewing) April 2, 2023
Whites & Jews making a show about themselves 30 yrs ago. Normal and a little late to be complaining about it. If you don't like, don't watch.
— Brian Burrough (@tweeteru) April 2, 2023
There nothing more important to call out this days ? So attacking an old ass show that’s everyone love ?
— 𝓐𝓶𝒃𝒊⁷ (@MentheKook) April 2, 2023
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