Adele and SNL face criticism after sketch about white women touring Africa

Adele is facing the music, and this time it’s not the music on her albums. Over the weekend, the singer guest hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time after years of being a musical guest, and a sketch she appeared in during the last moments of the show has set Twitter ablaze with commentary for landing on the wrong side of cringeworthy.In a skit with cast regulars Heidi Gartner and Kate McKinnon, Adele appeared as a white divorcee who encourages other western white women to travel to the African continent for what can only be described as “alone time” with local men. This being SNL, we’re sure this was supposed to be a satirization of women who do this, but many viewers felt that it didn’t quite land, leaving many uncomfortable.One viewer Tweeted, “If the idea was to make fun of white women treating Africa as a fetish, I get it, but...not laughing.” Watching the skit is a bit odd because the audience isn’t really vibing with the jokes until Adele breaks character and laughs her way through to the end—something many viewers noted was the only thing making the skit palatable.

Adele breaking character in one of her skits on #SNL pic.twitter.com/inlYOGnZEx

— Adele Now (@AdeleNowuk) October 25, 2020

That Africa sketch wasn’t super funny but having Adele completely break character made it SO MUCH BETTER. #SNL

— alyssa (@scandalyssa419) October 25, 2020

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

The timing for the skit wasn’t exactly ideal (if there ever was a time for this...), as just last week Beyoncé, Rihanna, Naomi Campbell, Nicki Minaj, and more took to social media to show their solidarity with the #EndSARS movement in Nigeria ; a peaceful protest to end police brutality that has led to many protestors shot and killed by police. The irony of that juxtaposition wasn’t lost on viewers either.

#SNL Adele breaking during a skit about the men in Africa then HER with her band mates wearing #EndSARS shirts = equal horny white women trying to go to Africa then finding out about SARS and wanting to do whatever they can to end it so they can get it

— Lucifer Himself (@H011yw00d_L) October 25, 2020

How in the entire f*** did #SNL go from Issa Rae last week, to Adele in a sketch about going to Africa? In the same show where H.E.R. sports an “End SARS” shirt? - Make it make sense.

— Marshay Nicole (@MarshayNicole) October 25, 2020

This isn’t the first time Adele has faced criticism this year for cultural insensitivity and appropriation. Back in August, she posted a picture of herself dressed up for London’s famous Notting Hill Carnival wearing a bikini top featuring the Jamaican flag and her hair tied in Bantu knots.[video_embed id='2002602']RELATED: Watch this makeup artist transform into Adele, Macaulay Culkin, Mark Zuckerberg and more [/video_embed]Apart from the insensitive sketch, Adele's hosting turn for the majority of the night garnered overall high praise, especially for the skit in which she appeared as herself on The Bachelor, coming on too strong and singing all of her melodramatic songs at the wrong time.

Adele on #SNL has been one of my favourite things this year...pic.twitter.com/1WtlqaSOyC

— Radio On ? (@nowismytime1) October 25, 2020

Belting out her hits like “Rolling in the Deep,” “Hello,” “When We Were Young,” and of course, “Someone Like You,” even the regular cast members got emosh. “I kinda wanted her to finish ‘Someone Like You,’” Beck Bennet said in character as the Bachelor, before she came back and sang her mega-tear-jerker, walking out of the set and into the audience.

Adele has the best songs for every moment on The Bachelor! ??? #SNL

— Ryan Bartholomee (@RyanBartholomee) October 25, 2020

Thank you to everyone involved in getting Adele to sing snippets of my favorite songs from her catalogue in this bachelor sketch #SNL #AdeleOnSNL

— Abby (@abbybertrand) October 25, 2020

Nope. Not crying after that Bachelor skit.

Gosh, I love Adele.#SNL— Mitch Simon | Wear A Mask (@MitchSSimon) October 25, 2020

Not every skit on SNL is going to land, some will be hits and others most definitely will not, but please, Adele (and SNL writers), next time we’re gonna need you to read the room.[video_embed id='-1']BEFORE YOU GO: Clever dog knows to collect the 'dishes' after dinner time [/video_embed]