Well, Maybe Not An Elephant

This has been bothering me for months: SNL's Fred Armisen as Barack Obama.





Is this blackface? What is it?


In fact, why in 2009 is there one African-American actor in SNL's cast list?

I'm no credentialed cultural critic. I went to college - drove there five days a week for twenty-three years, in fact - but I don't have a theory about why this is or isn't flying, except that the cast keeps growing in size, the women are starting to look very similar and and they keep adding white guys. So what's happening here? Why am I increasingly uncomfortable with what I see?



This is a very respectful treatment of our President's character - affectionate, even. But someday it won't be. Sometime, Mr. Obama will do something the writers don't like. When this bit goes south, it'll be a disaster.

Updated to reflect Siobhan might be right about a few things. Like.