WATCH: ‘Saturday Night Live’ Parodies the ‘First Thanksgiving’

By N. Jamiyla Chisholm Nov 25, 2019

Saturday Night Live” (“SNL”) tried to bring some funny to a holiday skit called “First Thanksgiving” on Saturday (November 23) by placing the 17th century Pocahontas (real names Amonute and Matoaka), her family and colonizer John Smith at the center of a narrative that was very much about 2019. In the sketch, the young native girl brings her boyfriend, John, to meet her parents (played by former cast members Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen) and her grandfather (Will Ferrell), who complains that “the pale faces are taking over,” spreading diseases and guns. What’s more, the grandfather wants to build a wall to keep them out and gets his news from “a fox.” They eventually find common ground.

Before the skit ends, Ferrell addresses the audience directly: “You know there’s a lot of problems in this crazy, crazy sketch. I mean, White actors playing Native Americans? What is this, 2014?” Watch the skit below, courtesy of SNL: