‘SNL’ Cast Evaluation: Sasheer Zamata Should Consider Another Showcase For Her Many Talents

Keeley was a small role that Zamata played twice. But given her lack of memorable characters, Keeley is notable for producing some of Zamata’s first big laughs on the show, and also demonstrating a promise that, at present, has not been fulfilled.

The first “Black Jeopardy” sketch featured Zamata’s funniest line – funniest word, actually – in her entire time on the show. Answering a question with the name “Alizé,” host Thompson informs her she needs to answer in the form of a question. Instead of the expected, “Who is Alizé?” Zamata turns a statement into a question through sheer attitude, replacing a friendly smile with a look of wide-eyed frustration, and answering “Alizé?” by bringing the final syllable up an octave. The line-reading generated not only a huge laugh, but an authentic applause break, and was as close to a perfect comedy moment as one could hope for.

Zamata has made two appearances at the Weekend Update desk as herself, one recently, with both addressing issues of race and diversity.

The first time, in December 2014, she appeared in order to discuss how, with over 800 emojis available, there was not one emoji of a black person. The piece called out the tech industry for this ridiculous omission, noting that the only way for a black person to represent themselves through emoji was to use an emoji of the moon, as it’s the only one dark enough to fit the bill.

While black people went unrepresented in the emoji world, Zamata pointed out that there were “two different kinds of dragons, nine different cat faces, three generations of a white family, and all the hands are white, too. Even the black power fist is white. But on the plus side, they do have a KKK member that got punched in the face,” she notes, with the black-eyed ghost emoji appearing on screen.

She then brought Michael Che and Colin Jost into the conversation, using available emoji to discuss other aspects of the black experience, and brilliantly reinforcing with Che how police harassments that shock white people are regarded as everyday occurrences in the black community.

The bit was solid, and calls into question why Zamata hasn’t mined this line of thought more frequently on the show. It had everything you want from a Weekend Update desk piece – it was smart and tightly-written, with lines that got the laughs and made their point, delivered by a poised Zamata in full command of her subject.

Zamata didn’t return to the desk for commentary for a year-and-a-half, until this month, when she addressed Larry Wilmore’s controversial use of the N-word during the recent White House Correspondents Dinner.

The bit delved into her own dealings with racists and the black community’s relationship to that word. But while it was well-written, Zamata’s delivery faltered. It was a powerful bit about an important topic, but Zamata came down with a case of the giggles, and after ending by using a version of the word, she laughed and apologized, undermining her commitment to her own perspective. It was a shame, not only because the piece was strong, but because given the rarity of not only her desk appearances throughout her tenure on the show, but her overall screen time this season, one would think she’d have taken the stage determined to nail it. Instead, she allowed the bit to weaken as it progressed, making it appear she did not have the courage of her convictions.

Janelle is Zamata’s only recurring character who is, purportedly, the star of her sketch. But even here, Zamata is overshadowed each time, in this case by the host playing her parent.

Janelle is a naive 15-year-old who has begun to mature physically, but is not yet able to understand the significance of this maturity, or the effect it has on boys (and men). Each time, Kyle Mooney plays the platonic best friend who clearly aches to be more.

She hosts a webcam show that allows her to show off her dance moves, but is really, unbeknownst to her, an attraction for perverted older men, including one who started a clock that counts down to her 18th birthday.

The sketch mines Teddy’s frustration, Janelle’s youthful ignorance, and the shock of the parent (first Chris Rock, then Taraji P. Henson) at realizing what Janelle is doing, and who she’s attracting. They both feature a well-acted physical performance from Zamata, but she gets almost none of the laugh lines. By the second time it ran, the laughs were so minimal, it would have been a shock if it had been given a third go.

The portrayal of Michelle Obama was such an important reason for the need for a black, female cast member at the time, that the Washington Post article announcing Zamata’s hiring was titled, “SNL finally has someone to play Michelle Obama.” For that reason, this is the most disappointing entry here. Despite this anticipation, Zamata portrayed the First Lady only three times, and she was a lead actor in the sketch only once.

Her first time out, with Vanessa Bayer as Hillary Clinton, showed the two First Ladies uniting for a Mother’s Day message, but with each unable to curb her competitive instincts. The sketch dragged, and its few big laughs were all Bayer’s. Zamata gave Obama a clipped, mannered, undistinguished impression that had no impact.

Her last time out as the First Lady, in a sketch where Jay Pharoah’s Barack Obama shared a few drinks with Taran Killam’s Mitch McConnell, Zamata appeared briefly to admonish him in more of a cameo than a full-on role.

The only other time Zamata played Michelle Obama, after Pharoah’s Obama turned into The Rock Obama, played by host Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Michelle transformed into She-Rock Obama, played by Leslie Jones. So, out of three times portraying the character that played a major role in her hiring, she was replaced by another cast member in mid-sketch one of those times. Given the failure of Zamata’s Michelle Obama to make an impact, it’s hard not to marvel at the symbolism.

Larry Getlen is the author of the book Conversations with Carlin. His greatest wish is to see Stefon enjoy a cheeseburger at John Belushi’s diner. Follow him on Twitter at @larrygetlen.