After more than a year poking fun at Donald Trump and his candidacy for President of the United States, late night comedy shows had a challenging week as they struggled to find the humour in the election of a man they had widely mocked and ridiculed as unfit for office.
On Saturday Night Live, which has headlined with a series of devastating Trump impersonations by Alec Baldwin in recent weeks, the President-elect was conspicuously absent.
In his place, Clinton impersonator Kate McKinnon opened the show with a Leonard Cohen’s emotionally charged breakout hit, ‘Hallelujah’.
The host of the show was Dave Chappelle, who opened with a characteristically bold and racially charged monologue.
“I didn’t know that Donald Trump was going to win the election. I did suspect it. Seemed like Hillary was doing well in the polls and yet … I know the whites,” he said.
“You guys aren’t as full of surprises as you used to be.”
Riffing on the riots by anti-Trump protestors which have followed his victory, Chappelle said:
“I watched a white riot in Portland, Oregon, on television the other night…
“The news said they did one million dollars worth of damage. Every black person was watching it like – ‘Amateurs.’ ”
The comedian, with a reputation for politically incorrect humour, did finish on a conciliatory note though, recalling a recent event at the White House attended overwhelmingly by African Americans.
“I saw how happy everybody was – these people who had been historically disenfranchised – and it made me feel hopeful, and it made me feel proud to be an American, and it made me very happy about the prospects of our country,” Chappelle said.
“So in that spirit, I’m wishing Donald Trump luck, and I’m going to give him a chance, and we, the historically disenfranchised, demand that he give us one too.”
The show came after a week in which comedians and late night TV hosts – who’s content overwhelmingly ridiculed Trump’s campaign more than Clinton’s – struggled to find their footing.
“I genuinely cannot believe that this has happened,” Trevor Noah, host of the Daily Show said. "Even Trump can’t believe that this happened.”
“Trump was gracious. He was humble. He was compassionate,” he said.
“I’ll tell you now, if that guy ran for president – he also would have lost to Donald Trump.”
“Republicans hope he’ll keep his promise to build a wall,” said Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show.
“…and Democrats hope he’ll keep his promise not to accept the election result.”
