'Tonight Show' Dancing Segment With TikTok Star Sparks Backlash Across Social Media
The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon is facing serious backlash for a segment on Friday night's [...]
History
Stealing from black entertainers and having white "creators" regurgitate it to the masses is american history 101.
— ✨ Dracula Spectacular✨ (@fancycatxo) March 28, 2021
Many viewers pointed out the fraught history of art created by Black Americans falling into white Americans' hands and making them disproportionately famous. They also argued that institutions like The Tonight Show are often responsible for this kind of incongruent attention.
prevnextContribution
White privilege is not creating a single movement in these dances, but getting the opportunity to go on national TV to teach Jimmy Fallon instead of the actual creators. https://t.co/aPkvtK3fF9
— Abu Ronin (@StephMcNasty) March 27, 2021
Many critics questioned why Rae got to be the one to "teach" Fallon these dances since she did not create any of them and is not a choreographer. They wondered what she really contributes to the culture of dance where she makes her living.
prevnextComparison
the people in the video on the left are theemyanlcole and cchrvs!
— sk (@kirkxxs) March 29, 2021
Some users put the video of Rae's TV performance side-by-side with the originals, illustrating the differences in her dance moves.
prevnextNot Racist
This is what white privilege looks like—Black creators innovate dances and do them amazingly but Addison Rae gets invited on Fallon to perform them in a ho-hum way. She’s not racist, Fallon’s not racist, but somehow the Black dancers are erased. Even though they dance better. https://t.co/svgBu5JDxz
— Young Daddy (@Toure) March 29, 2021
Many culture critics argued that this is a perfect example of how someone can contribute to systemic racism without "being racist," but simply by ignoring their own privilege. They argued that neither Fallon nor Rae is overtly racist, yet they should still be held accountable for this lapse in programming judgement.
prevnextHigh Profile
This is a miss @jimmyfallon. Let’s give credit to the black creators...... https://t.co/4fy9p96J1G
— Sunny Hostin (@sunny) March 28, 2021
Some of Fallon and Rae's critics were high-profile stars in their own right, including The View co-host Sunny Hostin. Some fans hoped that this kind of attention might force Fallon to address the controversy, and maybe even make it right.
prevnextAuditions
Where was her jimmy fallon performance pic.twitter.com/Ka6H1lNTTx
— patootie (@thejoIIibee) March 28, 2021
Many users jokingly auditioned to take Rae's place on The Tonight Show, arguing that they or their friends and family were better dancers than Rae.
prevnextPredictions
Jimmy Fallon about to ask Adison back on his show to perform this dance in ripped jeans and distressed Air Force 1s https://t.co/FQl27bavst
— dino spumoni (@Shadynasty15) March 28, 2021
Rae's success had some viewers feeling apathetic about up-and-coming viral videos, believing that they would be co-opted and sanitized before they reached the masses.
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