Tom Hanks’ surprise return to Saturday Night Live for its 50th anniversary special has quickly turned into a storm of controversy, leaving viewers divided and social media buzzing with anger.
In a recent docuseries on Peacock, SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, Hanks reflected on his long history with the iconic show, recalling his first hosting gig in 1985 and calling it “the single most exciting thing that has happened in my career.” Over the years, he’s returned to the stage multiple times, becoming a fixture of the show and earning a spot in its prestigious Five-Timers Club in 1990.
But Hanks’ recent appearance sparked a firestorm of criticism, especially from conservative viewers. The backlash was prompted by his portrayal of Doug, a Trump supporter, in a sketch that referenced his role in Black Jeopardy from 2016. In the sketch, Hanks wore a MAGA hat and hesitated to shake hands with the show’s host, Kenan Thompson, in a moment that many found offensive and divisive.
Joy Behar, co-host of The View, weighed in on the controversy, pointing out the frustration felt by many Trump supporters. She argued that the sketch unfairly painted all Trump voters as racists. “I don’t believe that any group is one thing,” she said, acknowledging that many voters were misled by promises that never came to fruition, such as lower grocery prices and safer social programs. “It’s not only racism that caused Trump to be in office. We have to remember that.”
Despite Behar’s more measured approach, some of her co-hosts, including Alyssa Farah Griffin, dismissed the outrage, suggesting that the backlash was overblown. Meanwhile, former SNL cast member Victoria Jackson expressed her own disappointment with Hanks’ portrayal, calling it “distasteful.”
The criticism didn’t stop there. Political commentator Link Lauren took to social media to slam the sketch as “disgusting,” accusing the show of perpetuating tired stereotypes. He also pointed out that the notion of MAGA supporters being racist was a tired trope, with many others joining in to express their frustrations online. “I don’t get why it’s ‘funny’ or even acceptable to directly insult and demean 77 million people,” one user wrote, while another lamented the repetition of a sketch that felt forced.
In the sketch, Hanks’ character, Doug, is again portrayed as a Trump supporter, hesitating to shake hands with the black game show host—a moment that some found problematic and insulting. The recurring joke, which had already been done in a previous sketch, left many viewers feeling that it had lost its comedic punch.
Although Hanks’ role was intended to celebrate SNL’s history, his portrayal of a MAGA supporter only reignited political tensions, sparking a heated debate about the boundaries of humor, politics, and respect.
