SNL Sketch Has Snape Call Out Harry Potter as Racist in Satire on Fandom Backlash
The sketch mocked racist reactions to Paapa Essiedu’s casting and joked about the franchise’s treatment of Black characters.
- On Saturday, Saturday Night Live featured comedian Kam Patterson as "Black Snape," satirizing the discourse surrounding the upcoming HBO Harry Potter series and the casting of English actor Paapa Essiedu.
- Essiedu's casting sparked significant online backlash, with some detractors arguing the character was written as white; this choice is one of many controversies surrounding the upcoming adaptation.
- During Weekend Update, Patterson's Snape quipped, "And the number-one suspect is Black Snape?" while pointing to Professor Quirrell, adding, "They didn't even look at the white guy in the turban!"
- Essiedu recently revealed he has received death threats due to his casting, telling The Times, "I've been told, 'Quit, or I'll murder you.'"
- Patterson's character declared, "The whole Wizarding World is racist," while Jost reluctantly said, "I'm starting to think J.K. Rowling might be problematic," reflecting broader franchise scrutiny.
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'SNL' Points Out Problems With 'Harry Potter' Show's Black Snape: 'The School's Only Black Teacher Is Secretly Evil'
HBO’s upcoming “Harry Potter” TV series has attracted plenty of negative attention since it was announced in 2023. This weekend, “Saturday Night Live” addressed one of the more consistently discussed problems with the new series: that the only prominent Black character is also considered evil for much of the series. Paapa Essiedu’s casting as Professor Severus Snape has been equally celebrated and derided, and even those who support the casting …
Harry Potter reboot and ‘racist’ wizarding world roasted by ‘Black Snape’ on SNL
Kam Patterson as Snape joked that the franchise’s titular character was ‘racist as hell’
Snape calls Harry Potter 'racist as hell' in “SNL” sketch mocking new HBO series: 'The Proud Boy Who Lived'
"Somebody stole something… and the number-one suspect is Black Snape?"Kam Patterson as Professor Snape and Dominic McLaughlin as Harry PotterCredit: NBC; Aidan Monaghan/HBOSaturday Night Live is diving head first into the discourse surrounding one of Harry Potter's most controversial casting choices.During last night's Weekend Update segment, Kam Patterson stepped into the role of Professor Snape — a nod to the fact that the upcoming HBO series …
‘SNL’: Snape Calls Harry Potter ‘Racist’ and ‘The Proud Boy Who Lived’ for Telling People ‘The School’s Only Black Teacher Was Secretly Evil’
Kam Patterson played Severus Snape from 'Harry Potter' during 'SNL,' accusing the iconic character of being racist.
SNL Makes Fun of New Snape Casting, Calls Harry Potter ‘Racist’
Photo Credit: @SaturdayNightLive/ YouTube With the new Harry Potter series on the way on HBO, SNL sketched the controversial casting of Professor Snape in the series. In the new series, Paapa Essiedu has taken over the role once held by Alan Rickman. This is going to be a major switch. SNL joked about this “black Snape” in its latest sketch, even subtly calling out author J.K. Rowling, whose controversial views have been a point of discussion be…
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