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SNL’s Hu Jintao Is Angry, Wants His Money, and Doesn’t Look Asian

by Rachel Sklar | 12:48 am, November 14th, 2010

» 13 comments

Some of the best SNL impressions aren’t impressions at all, but rather spoofy exaggerations of characters that take the joke to the nth degree: Maya Rudolph‘s Donatella Versace; Phil Hartmann‘s Sinatra; Andy Samberg‘s Mark Wahlberg; Eddie Murphy‘s Gumby. Add to the list Will Forte‘s, and now Bill Hader‘s version of Chinese leader Hu Jintao, which has absolutely nothing to do with an impression of the actual Hu Jintao and everything with how the SNL writers imagine a very angry Chinese leader chasing down $800 billion from a slippery U.S. president might give a press conference.

It is a very funny conceit, and executed well, as expressed through Hader’s expressions and tone of voice contrasted with the clipped pseudo-professional tones of a translator. “Do you mind if I turn out the lights?” asks the translator, played by Nasim Pedrad, who skillfully walks the fine line between her CSPAN-translator persona and the escalating menace of her boss. “I like to have the lights off when someone is doing sex to me!” Then Hader bends over, and we are reminded that SNL has certain old standbys, and that is certainly one of them (dudes kissing is another).

I like this sketch and think it’s done well. I think it’s a funny way to do political commentary. But I also noticed that there were no Asians in it (just as there were no African-Americans, which is a common complaint about SNL’s choice of Fred Armisen to portray Obama). I didn’t notice anything untoward about Hader’s fake-Chinese (or Forte’s last year) but back then a blogger calling himself Angry Asian Man disagreed, saying: “Whatever joke they’re going for is completely sabotaged by the fact that everyone is thinking, ‘Hey, those two aren’t Asian.’” Until SNL has more diversity on its cast, it will continue to be dogged by these criticisms. Does that mean they shouldn’t run the sketch? No – and anyway Pedrad is Iranian-American and Armisen is part Japanese, and plays a Mexican in the next sketch – you can’t keep people in narrow silos on a show like SNL, they’ve got to be able to play anything, and spoof anything (I am thinking of Japanese Laverne & Shirley here, too). But it does mean that the audience will notice when no one on the cast looks like them.

Shout-out to Glenn Beck in the sketch as well (“He was right about buying gold”) and a Miss Universe joke I didn’t get. What do you think – is this sketch funny? Is it “racial mockery” per Angry Asian Man? Is SNL’s reliance on gay jokes more than a little tired? Should I lighten up? Feel free to opine in the comments. In the meantime, the actual video is below, followed by the Forte version from last year.

November 2009: Hu Jintao played by Will Forte

Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, Nasim Pedrad, Saturday Night Live, SNL, SNL Hu Jintao

Greg

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?xl=xl_blazer&v=IGYAhiMwd5E
Cactus

Recycled cold open was recycled. The Dominican talk show skit not long afterwards was pretty much par for its course. It was cute to see them go meta on it… which elicited zero laughs.

I can’t imagine someone actually complaining their race was poorly represented on this SNL episode. Might as well call a train wreck racist for not having enough Asian victims.
Harry Flashman

I liked the sketch but at the same time it gave me an uncomfortable feeling and reminded me of the hideous old Charlie Chan movies in which a white actor was made up to look something like an Oriental man, complete with phony slanted eyes, cliche’ accent, and cartoon body language.

I’m hardly a slave to political correctness, but in my mind skits like this are similar to putting an actor in blackface.

I don’t see it as “racial mockery”. I see it as a lame and thoughtless attempt at humor.

By the way, had these been conservatives who had done the same type of thing there would be a full throated chorus of liberal voices howling for their heads this morning, but since this particular burst of embarrassing thoughtlessnes comes from the mostly reliable liberals at SNL – meh.

Just sayin’.
http://www.armwood.com armwood

I thought the fake Chinese was rather degrading. They could have learned a few funny Chinese phrases. Chinese has some of the funniest idioms of any language “No money no talk” being one of my favorite. There really needs to be some Asians and Hispanics on SNL. America is a diverse nation. The sketches will be better with more diverse input. Chinese humor is wonderful. I hear it everyday from my wife.

SNL does need to diversify its cast though I have no problem with President Obama being played by a white guy. Obama is as white as he is black so whats the problem? They guy looks like him in the sketch.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Antony-Dupuy/1194612935 Antony Dupuy

This wasn’t funny the first time they did it.

SNL should have been canceled a decade ago.
skyfet

Funny, but could have hired more Chinese looking figure for this specific sketch. Both the Chinese PM and his translator, look nothing Chinese, maybe that’s what makes it more funny as I was laughing at its ridiculousness,
Thelonious Funk

There’s a name for people who look Chinese.

It’s ‘Chinese’.
timzank

Does anybody see anything anymore without it being scrutinized through the prism of race? For the love of god, it’s SNL, do we now need affirmative action for comedians?

Jesus people, get a grip.
g-ringy

It is funny BECAUSE Hader is not chinese. It may be a little racially tactless, but it was still hilarious is its absurdity. And as for Fred Armisen’s Obama, he is clearly one of the most talented actors and performers on the cast (as is Hader), and that is what qualifies them for the respective roles, not necesarily their race. I mean does anyone really want to see Keenan as Obama?
http://www.libertarianism.com/ Jack Burns

My daddy told me. Never tell a joke that isn’t that funny more then once… just sayin
hello11

I love this , So does My boyfriend.he is almost 11 years older than me.i met him on a hot place.
*Agelessbbw*.*com*. A’ ge is not a problem, It gives you a chance to meet your a’ ge g a’p matches. Maybe you wanna check it out or tell your friends
qedd
CAconservative

This skit would have been funnier had the China president been replaced by a person representing the working people of the United States who are already bent-over!
J Baustian

timzank said:
Does anybody see anything anymore without it being scrutinized through the prism of race? For the love of god, it’s SNL, do we now need affirmative action for comedians?.

Jonathan Winters used to do characters of all nationalities and genders. He was an equal opportunity comedian. And Don Rickles could make fun of the people of all nationalities.