After the controversy surrounding the lack of diversity in the current cast of “Saturday Night Live” (and one of the show’s featured players saying the problem was that black women weren’t funny), Lorne Michaels has ended his secret search to quiet the critics. Yesterday it was announced that Sasheer Zamata, a veteran of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater (an improv-and-sketch school/space that has proved to be a fertile minor league for future “SNL” actors), has been hired to join the (sorta) funny team up at 30 Rock, beginning immediately. She will be featured on the January 18 episode, hosted by musician Drake.
Zamata will be the first black female performer on the show in six years, since the departure of Maya Rudolph. Aside from her work with the Upright Citizens Brigade, she has made many hilarious videos, has appeared on “Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell” on FX and on the sketch show “Inside Amy Schumer” on Comedy Central, and was named one of the 50 funniest people in Brooklyn by Brooklyn Magazine.
The fact that Zamata was hired so quickly, and in such obvious response to the controversy, comes as something of a surprise. Michaels, the creator and longtime producer of “SNL,” is a notoriously quiet individual with a self-created aura of mysteriousness. He rarely talks to the press, and the hiring process for the show has become the stuff of legend (many of the cast members walk out of their initial meeting not knowing if they’ve been hired or rejected). Michaels has rarely responded to criticisms of the show in the past, and the fact that this one was widely reported on in the press signals a shift for the storied late night comedy show.
“SNL” will most likely get a boost of ratings later this month when Zamata makes her debut. She’s very funny, which is obvious by just a cursory glance at her previous work, and it’s unfair to view her hiring as a quick fix because the show needed diversity. All eyes will be on her and the show, but the only way for her to truly succeed is to step back and be a part of the group, and not be singled out for the context surrounding her hiring. The criticism has been answered. We should be happy. Now all we have to do is laugh.
