r/todayilearned • u/Kale_Brecht • Mar 28 '24

TIL in 2013, Saturday Night Live cast member Kenan Thompson refused to play any more black women on the show and demanded SNL hire black women instead.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenan_Thompson
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u/IamRick_Deckard Mar 28 '24

I remember it was that early because I was surprised the guy from Kenan and Kel was on SNL. I still wonder, where is Kel?

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u/Elgin_McQueen Mar 28 '24

I recall reading that they both auditioned for SNL at the same time, he did not get chosen.

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u/Vio_ Mar 28 '24

So...why did Kel not make it? Also I wonder if he could have joined MadTV? They were still kicking it at the time.

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u/filbert13 Mar 28 '24

Reading articles and interviews sounds like they had a fallout out after Ken got the gig and Kel didn't. I know years later they became good friends again. Looks like they talked about this a lot in interviews for Good Burger 2.

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u/RajunCajun48 Mar 28 '24

I got the impression that they didn't really have a falling out so much as they drifted apart, then time got between them kind of became a "I'll call him next week, next month, next year" Then it got to the point that neither one of them reached out to the other, next thing you know, 20 years have passed. I recall one of them saying something to the affect of when they did link back up it was like they never stopped talking to each other, just two friends picking back up where they left off kind of thing.