"SNL" Celebrates White People Being on Top While They Still Can

Culture

Now in its 40th year, Saturday Night Live has seen and been a part of American culture for a long time, constantly commenting on our culture and society. And this week's show was no exception. 

In a short but pretty perfect digital short simply called "Whites," SNL celebrated white people and all their "accomplishments." Take a look:

"We're whites, and for now we're on top. We've had a great run, from presidents to senators, hundreds of years. But we know it won't last forever, so for these final years of white dominance, we're going to soak it all in."

The commercial is absurd and hilarious but also strikingly biting. Of course, unlike the fake ad's "intended" message about the decline of white people, the real message is clear: America is changing, and it's time to accept that. Over the past decade, there's been a marked increase in the number of Hispanic, Asian and black Americans holding major roles in politics and business, as well as a huge increase in the number of Hispanic people in America; they now constitute the country's largest minority at roughly 17% of the nation's total population. 

And politically speaking, while Hispanics have historically had lower voter turnout rates than white people in America (in the 2010 elections, Hispanic turnout was just 31.2% of eligible voters, compared with 44% for blacks and 48.6% for whites ), that voter base is growing significantly. This poses serious "problems" for certain political parties

So while the SNL ad is just a silly satirical look at the United States, its message is a smart one: America is changing, and it's time for everyone (white people included) to recognize the contributions people of other races can, have and will continue to make to the nation. 

Of course, in the meantime, whites are "still calling the shots until around 2050 ... 2060 tops."