Leslie Jones' slave monologue on 'SNL' sparks backlash

theGRIO REPORT - A portion of Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update featuring Leslie Jones has generated backlash on social media.

carrieheals

May 4, 2014

A portion of Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update featuring Leslie Jones has generated backlash on social media.

During last night’s episode, the writer performed a monologue as an image expert, commenting on People naming Academy Award winning actress Lupita Nyong’o their most beautiful person.

She congratulated the actress, but what followed had Twitter abuzz.

The comedian mentioned she was currently single but that “back in the slave days, I woulda never been single.”

WATCH THE SNL SKIT BELOW

Jones contended that because of her six foot stature, “back in the slave days, my love life would of been way better.”

“I would be the number one slave draft pick,” said Jones. Saturday Night Live airs on NBC, which is owned by theGrio’s parent company NBCUniversal.

Here are some reactions via Twitter:

This Leslie Jones person is an embarrassment @msmarypryor. I'm so appalled right now.

— Jamilah Lemieux (@JamilahLemieux) May 4, 2014

https://twitter.com/AmanBrent/statuses/462810677531258881

https://twitter.com/elonjames/status/462968842550280192

https://twitter.com/tinymouthwash/status/462997754386853888

The Beygency skit on SNL was funny. But that Weekend Update slave joke one was…not.

— Carolyn Edgar (@carolynedgar) May 4, 2014

https://twitter.com/jcoonzie/status/462810910680420352

This is the "desirable #slave" segment from last night's #snl. How did this make it out of the writers room? http://t.co/ls3F0X1Mdk

— Jamal Simmons (@JamalSimmons) May 4, 2014

Follow Carrie Healey on Twitter @CarrieHeals.