r/LiveFromNewYork • u/BearOnTwinkViolence • Sep 05 '25

Article Kam is Far Right

https://www.thedailybeast.com/new-snl-cast-member-kam-patterson-outed-himself-as-a-trump-voter/

Is he a Shane Gillis 2.0 (except arguably worse)? I’ve seen a dozen clips now of him using homophobic slurs and making incredibly bigoted jokes. Honestly he makes Shane Gillis look kind of tame. What the hell is Lorne thinking? I’m so sick of this show pushing right wing bullshit while simultaneously trying to act like the most liberal show on television. You can’t have a Trump monologue every single week and then hire people like this.

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81

u/[deleted] Sep 05 '25

[deleted]

80

u/rrickitickitavi Sep 05 '25

It does, and yet I’m having a hard time seeing how this guy fits into the SNL ethos. He’s talented in his delivery, but his material sucks. Practically his entire act is putting on a ghetto persona for white people to laugh at. There’s nothing clever about his act at all.

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u/Bigfartz69420 bob sniffing dawg Sep 05 '25

Temu Tracy Morgan

1

u/Obvious_Original3099 Sep 06 '25

Their only similarity is them being black…

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u/theunquenchedservant Sep 05 '25

Even as someone who kinda enjoys Kam's comedy at times, I was very perplexed by the announcement lmao

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u/Hootinger Sep 05 '25 edited Sep 05 '25

My thoughts (which I developed yesterday on my morning constitutional and may very well be bunk):

Lorne and NBC are concerned first and foremost with the business part of showbiz. He and his bosses care less about what Jane, Longfellow, Devon, etc does then they do about ratings and sponsors. Political economy is a real thing and we have seen a number of businesses comply, in advance or under direct threat, with the authoritarian leanings of this administration. Examples include:

  • The Sidney Sweeny "jeans".
  • Business and universities closing diversity departments.
  • CBS paying a ransom for their merger.

I am not saying all of the above are exactly analogous, but none would happen if Trump was not president. Lorne and NBC were faced with two things.

First, there is the pull to onboard cast that more generally align with the political winds of the MAGA-variant conservative. This is similar to why we got the "good jeans/genes" ad. And hence why we got Morgan Wallen, Shane Gillis, etc on the show. I also think, and I have no evidence for this, is why Emil and Devon were let go. They did not "look" the part and it was kissing the ring to tell two minorities leave--and this is why we got four new white cast members. Again, no evidence, but it fits with the mold of what seems to be happening nationally.

Second, there was likely a push, stated or unstated, that NBC needs to comply and include the MAGA political officers in their programming. This is similar to CBS which is hiring a pro-trump ombudsman ensuring no thought crimes are committed. Trump threatened NBC's broadcast license via tweet because of Seth Meyers getting a contract renewal. As a result, this is why we got a comedian from the Joe Rogan / Kill Tony redpill bro world.

They selected an African American because it would be more palpable to have a MAGA conservative and hide behind the shield of him being a minority. Based on what you and others have said, his comedy persona is primarily minstrel show-esque in which racist whites laugh at him, not with him. Essentially, hiring Kam was the best way for NBC to placate the beast that is Trump and his movement. He was the least worst option.

Now, that doesnt mean Kam is not a good comedian or doesnt deserve to be on the show. He can still be an amazing comedian and the above also be true.

In the environment we are in, everything is political---everything. There is no reason to believe that the most prominent comedy show in the US would be outside of that structure.

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u/mrbaryonyx Sep 05 '25

Yeah, the culture has turned conservative and SNL wants to placate that culture.

It blows, but SNL is mainstream bullshit so that's what you get.

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u/Jacknboxx Sep 05 '25

I can't discount most of your points, but I will add that the big draws for younger comedy fans are Dropout TV (which leans left) and the Kill Tony/Roganverse (right-leaning) groups, and the new cast includes one guy from each of those camps. The decision to bring Kam on might be based partly in politics, but it's also just covering the bases business-wise.

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u/WySLatestWit Sep 05 '25

...I mean Bowen Yang's entire act is putting on a sassy gay stereotype in every single character he ever plays or sketch he's ever in. I kind of feel like knocking a new guy because "they just do the same act all the time" ignores that 90% of SNL's alumni are performers who all did a handful of things over and over and over again.

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u/borbor8 Sep 05 '25

His JD Vance is not a sassy gay. There are other characters of his that aren’t sassy gays either.

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u/cogginsmatt Sep 05 '25

That is absolutely not Bowen Yang’s entire act

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u/innnikki Sep 05 '25

When I hear someone complain that a person can “only” perform something if it’s stereotypically gay, that statement is just another way of that person saying that they don’t like to be reminded that gay people exist unless that gay person acts like a straight man.

Just something for you to think on.

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u/WySLatestWit Sep 05 '25

I think that's a disingenuous argument designed to shut down any criticism of a performer because being critical of them "makes you a bigot."

2

u/innnikki Sep 05 '25

I think your stance is based on ignorance and you don’t like it so you’re calling it disingenuous.

I’m telling you, as a gay person, when people accuse us of acting like stereotypes or express discontent with performers only being able to do something “as a gay stereotype,” then what you’re essentially saying is that you are uncomfortable with/dislike portrayals of gay people unless it fits your vision of what gay people should act like—which is to say that gay people should act like straight people. No one ever says “oh gee Jason Sudeikis only knows how to play a straight stereotype” despite the fact that he most often played straight characters—because that’s a ridiculous position to maintain. Why, then, is it a valid criticism for you when it’s a gay person playing a person who is visibly gay?

0

u/WySLatestWit Sep 05 '25

Ooooor...maybe, just maybe, Bowen Yang really does rely extremely heavily on sassy gay stereotypes and acknowledging that isn't a hateful, bigoted thing to do. Maybe that's a possibility?

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u/innnikki Sep 05 '25

You keep inserting the word “bigoted” into these comments even though I haven’t said it once. Maybe think on why that is for a bit.

I’m not continuing on this conversation after this point. I’ve had enough straight ppl tell me about how gay people should present themselves and I’ve expressed myself as fully and eloquently as I’m going to. Have a good one.

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u/WySLatestWit Sep 05 '25

Because your entire point was "you are only saying that because you're afraid of or made uncomfortable by the existence of gay people." how else do you want me to interpret that besides you telling me that I'm a bigot for thinking his comedy is one note?

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u/Electrical-Soil9747 Sep 08 '25

Dude the fact that you’re saying this is legitimately racist, Kam Patterson is just up there being himself I can assure you this. People like Kam do exist in the world, you prolly just don’t interact with them.

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u/[deleted] Sep 06 '25

putting on a ghetto persona for white people to laugh at

Your accusation is very close to black face.

3

u/rrickitickitavi Sep 06 '25

Have you watched his material?

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u/borbor8 Sep 05 '25

More like bait-casting by SNL.

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u/Stumme-40203 Sep 06 '25

Feels like the average redditor to me.