Black Comedian Hit With Backlash After Elizabeth Holmes Parody On ‘SNL’ Leaves Viewers Furious

Comedian Druski

has once again found himself at the center of a heated debate after transforming into another white woman for a

Saturday Night Live

The 32-year-old internet personality, whose real name is

Drew Desbordes

, hosted the NBC sketch-comedy show on November 7. Emma Stone joined him during his opening monologue. 

During his appearance, he took part in a parody of

You Can See Everything

, a documentary by comedian Nathan Fielder and director Lance Oppenheimer.

Comedian Druski seems to have found his favorite kind of role: a white woman

The original documentary follows convicted fraudster Elizabeth Holmes during the 34 days before she was placed behind bars for fraud and conspiracy.

SNL

sketch, Jane Wickline portrayed Holmes, while Ben Marshall played the fraudster’s real-life partner, Billy Evans.

At one point in the parody, Druski underwent a transformation of his own and emerged as Holmes, the convicted Theranos founder.

With the blonde wig, blue eyes, pale complexion, and beige turtleneck, Druski left little doubt about which disgraced biotech boss he was channeling.

“So blackface is wrong, but Whiteface is okay???” one asked.

The comedian transformed into Elizabeth Holmes for an SNL parody

“This is racist cultural appropriation, and Druski should be canceled for this,” said another. 

“This guy seems WEIRDLY into dressing up as white women,” said one keen observer.

During the

SNL

episode last weekend, Druski said in his opening monologue that it was a “dream” to be hosting the show.

“Apparently, people are saying I’m the first internet-content-creator-social-media-influencer-only-make-you-laugh-on-your-phone-TikTok-and-YouTube-and-Instagram star to host this show,” he said.

He then spoke about how people say a lot of things about him, claiming he looks “like a lesbian” and is “on Oz**pic.”

“Could be lies, could be truth to that,” he said about people’s assumptions. 

“Some people say they only know me as a white woman,” he added.

The comedian made a cheeky whiteface joke in his opening monologue for SNL with Emma Stone 

The comedian went on to welcome Emma Stone to the stage, saying they just finished their first movie together,

The Catch.

Druski then began listing the warnings

SNL

gave him before he made his hosting debut, saying: “There's just a few rules we got to go over. They said number one, no cussing. I cannot promise that.”

“Number two, no whiteface. I also can't promise that,” he added. “That's about half the show right there!”

His Elizabeth Holmes makeover proved that he wasn’t exactly joking about that second warning after all.

This isn't the first time Druski has faced backlash for his whiteface transformations.

He wore prosthetics, a blonde wig, whiteface, and a cross necklace while seemingly mimicking Erika from some of her viral videos.

“Thought you were funny before. This is just disgusting,” a critic said at the time.

“What a cruel, cruel world we live in,” said another.

Druski previously sparked backlash for impersonating Erika Kirk

Blackface and whiteface are not necessarily equivalent, despite the comparisons being drawn by some viewers. Blackface has a long history rooted in racist minstrel shows, where white performers darkened their skin to caricature Black people, reinforcing deeply harmful stereotypes and racial hierarchies. Whiteface, on the other hand, does not carry the same historical legacy of systemic oppression or institutionalized racial mockery.

The performances reinforced racist stereotypes during a time when Black Americans were facing slavery, segregation, and severe legal discrimination,

” Wiredu wrote. 

Another important distinction is the historical power imbalance between the two groups. In the U.S., Black Americans have faced generations of institutional discrimination and systemic barriers, while white Americans have historically occupied positions of greater political and social power.

As a result, many believe satire aimed at a historically dominant group does not carry the same implications or consequences as ridicule directed at a marginalized community.

“People used to get canceled for doing this the other way around,” one commented on his whiteface performances 

Sporting a fake sunburn, a fake mullet and beard, the comedian was dressed in denim overalls and a cowboy hat, attending a NASCAR event without other attendees apparently realizing who he really was. 

“Listen, this is hilarious,” wrote another, “but people used to get canceled for doing this the other way around.”

“This skit is so much funnier if you actually saw the documentary,” one commented online  ...