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She has an ear for a note but seems Adele is a bit tone deaf.
The Grammy Award-winning singer is taking flak after a poorly executed satirical SNL skit, which appears to mock African people who are exploited for sex tourism.
The skit, Africa Tourism, also features comedians Kate McKinnon and Heidi Gardner as a trio of divorced women presenting an ad for the “Tourism Board of Africa” with plenty of sexual innuendo about “tribesmen” and “massive bamboo” as shirtless black actors are seen walking around in the background
After the show, which aired last weekend, viewers were “highly offended”, and accused SNL of “using black men as sex toys”.
One tweeted, “I was actually enjoying it until the comments and the black men carrying white women around. I actually felt a bit sick and couldn't enjoy the rest and I adore Adele but I wish she hadn’t taken part in this skit”.
Other commentators said the show was propagating stereotypes about the fetishisation of black men, and some said it was especially ill-timed, as it was aired as the #EndSARS protests, against police brutality in Nigeria.
“That Africa skit was tone def, insensitive and inappropriate,” tweeted Vibe.com journalist Shenequa Golding
“Men and women in Nigeria, Namibia, South Africa and The Democratic Republic of the Congo are fighting for their lives, and to reduce the continent as sexual destination for white women is shameful.”
I actually teach about the horrors of white people traveling the world and having sex with poor Black folks in the Caribbean and in Africa. #SNL just did a comedy sketch about it. pic.twitter.com/4b9GmJsCJx
— L E F T, PhD ?? (@LeftSentThis) October 25, 2020
In the same episode, singer H.E.R’s band wore #ENDSARS t-shirts, in solidarity with the Nigerian protesters, for their musical performance.
This is the second backlash Adele has face in the past two months.
She was accused of cultural appropriation after posting a photo of herself with Bantu knots and wearing a Jamaican flag-print bikini top.
Adele did not address the controversy at the time, nor has she spoken out about the SNL skit.
