SNL Perfectly Parodies The White Reaction to Beyoncé’s “Formation”

We all know where we were when Beyoncé released the video for her newest single “Formation”–and then utterly slayed her performance the following day during the Super Bowl halftime show. There’s definitely a lot to take in when it comes to the “Formation” video–from references to the Black Lives Matter movement to Beyoncé’s own unapologetic professions about being a black woman.

Shortly after the video’s release and the song’s subsequent performance, there were (ridiculously) haters coming out of the woodwork to criticize. Many of them, it seemed, couldn’t wrap their minds around the concept of a black woman proclaiming her identity loud and proud.

SNL couldn’t resist poking fun at those who seem to have missed the fact that Beyoncé is, well, black. In a skit from last night’s episode, you see the looks of confusion blossom over the faces of white people as they listen to the song for the first time. “Maybe this song isn’t for us,” one man (Bobby Moynihan) says, almost disbelievingly. “But usually everything is!” a distressed woman (Cecily Strong) wails.

As a white woman, “Formation” is not for me. But, to quote a Twitter friend, I love the song because it educates me–and I love it for what it teaches me.

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