SNL Pokes Fun at LL Cool J and Brad Paisley's Poor Attempt At 'Ending Racism'

LL Cool J and Brad Paisley are stubbornly refusing to admit their song “Accidental Racist” was less than a good idea so Saturday Night Live took  it upon themselves to  do so.

‘Racism’s over y’all. Gone!’ said Kenan Thompson as LL Cool J in the opening scene. Jason Sudeikis as Brad Paisley added, ‘Country music is about stories. So what I wanted to do was show folks the gritty racial reality of a man in Starbucks talkin’ to his barista.’ Later the duo openly admitted, ‘We know the song’s not perfect,’ before Kenan adds, ‘It’s not even good!

Host Seth Meyers further poked fun at what appeared to be a rushed attempt at tackling a serious issue. Kenan cynically explained, it took nearly 11 minutes to compose the tune! Watch the SNL skit below:

During one of their many late night stops to further explain what the heck they were thinking, LL again retorted to the “starting a conversation” line,

‘You can’t fit 300 or 400 years of history into a three- to four-minute song. As long as people are having a conversation, then the art has done its job. America, as a whole, we need to come together. We don’t need to be talking about tearing the fabric of society apart. We need to be connecting with each other and becoming closer as human beings and loving one another.’

Unlike, showbiz where any publicity is good publicity – LL and Brad should know every conversation is not a productive one.

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top