In this Saturday Night Live sketch from the 1980’s, Eddie Murphy goes undercover using makeup to see what it is like to be white. The satirical skit follows Murphy as he goes through a number of everyday experiences as a white man. He is shocked to see the many privileges and benefits he receives from other white New Yorkers – from a cocktail party in a city bus to free money at the bank.

discussion

This sketch was produced in the 1980s. Do you think it still has any relevance today?

How does humor function to make a comment on race relations? Can it play a positive role in promoting discussion and understanding? Can it have the reverse effect? Both? Why or why not?