The internet is not playing around. Well, specifically Saturday Night Live. Well – they kinda are playing around.
The show used to be a staple for me when I was a young buck who wasn’t off the porch yet. Every Saturday night, I was glued to the TV, and SNL was the move. These days, I don’t watch as much, but it still delivers some laughs when it hits.
This past weekend, they decided to have a little fun at Jack Harlow’s expense. Michael Che and the crew clearly enjoyed themselves, and the internet followed suit.
If you’ve been living under a rock, Jack Harlow recently released a neo-soul-inspired album titled Monica. Alongside the rollout, he made a comment suggesting he “got Blacker” with this project, which sparked plenty of debate online. Whether people took it seriously or not, the discourse quickly turned into content, and the content turned into comedy. Here’s the IG link.
The internet did what it does best: it ran with it.
Interestingly, Harlow doesn’t seem bothered. In fact, he appears to be leaning into the moment. There are quiet, little industry whispers suggesting this could all be part of a broader strategy. I mean, that hate is custom-made. Even though the album didn’t exactly land the way many expected, he’s riding the viral wave. And in today’s attention economy, that might be just as valuable as chart dominance. For real.
Let’s be real. He might be one of the most talked-about artists of the year. Put a dot after that. Even if the conversation is rooted more in jokes than the music itself. Attention is attention. Streams tend to follow…
His latest video adds more fuel to the viral fire. He’s rocking a strange hat that feels like a throwback to old-school rap fashion, but Mos Def would not rock this extended top. The visuals, the styling, and the overall vibe have once again pushed him right back into the light. Then there is SNL.
A former SNL host is now the subject of an SNL joke. Not the first time this has happened.
Credit to Jack Harlow for taking it in stride. He said he aunt thought it was HIM on the screen, not a parody.
Not everybody can laugh at that.
Wait: is that a bonnet?