SNL Skit About Consent Could Point one way Forward

Last Saturday, Saturday Night Live addressed the “elephant” in the music business room: Consent.

SNL cast members Chris Redd and Kenan Thompson featured their parody video ‘The Booty Kings.” In the video, Redd, Thompson — and Pete Davidson as “Uncle Butt” — play corny, awkward rappers trying to pick up women while respecting their right to consent. Future and Lil Wayne make cameos in the video, rounding out the parody and almost making it sound like a legitimate single.

The video opens like many other rap videos: a crowded club full of women wearing tight clothes and flashy jewelry, with booze to go around. The sketch takes a turn, however, when Redd raps: “I’m on a mission for that a**/but I need permission.”

In their cameos, Future and Lil Wayne re-iterate the message of consent with lines like: “On the hunt for consent/ like a bounty,” and “Respect the lady/ so I treat you like a equal.”

While the video garnered laugh after laugh from the audience, it simultaneously shed light on a legitimate movement to respect women and their right to consent.

After the start of the #MeToo movement, several rappers were called out for their insensitive lyrics and derogatory portrayals of women in their videos. Major musicians including R. Kelly and Russell Simmons were accused of numerous sexual assault charges, without facing serious consequences.

There was uproar in response to Rick Ross’s lyric emphasizing the use of date rape drugs in his recent song, “U.O.E.N.O” — “Put molly in her champagne/she ain’t even know it/I took her home and I enjoyed that/she ain’t even know it.”

With Future and Lil Wayne using their fame as a platform to spread awareness about such a pertinent issue, the sketch serves as a template for talking about real issues in an upbeat, creative way.