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Monday, April 16, 2018

Complete Transcript Of Saturday Night Live's "Black Jeopardy" (April 7, 2018) with Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa (Black Panther)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a four part pancocojams series that showcases the April 7, 2018 "Black Jeopardy" sketch on the weekly national American televised series Saturday Night Live. Among others, this skit starred Chadwick Boseman in his role as T'Challa from the blockbuster Black Panther movie.

This post presents an excerpt from an online article about this "Black Jeopardy" sketch and a video of this sketch. My transcript of this sketch is also included in this post. This transcript differs slightly from the sub-titles that appear in that embedded video. This transcript differs slightly from the sub-titles that appear in that embedded video.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/04/tchalla-black-panther-karens-potato.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. Part II presents selected comments from this video's discussion thread about "T'Challa & Karen's potato salad".

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/04/comments-about-sprite-being-black-soda_18.html for Part III of this series. Part III of this series presents selected comments from the discussion thread of the YouTube video of April 7, 2018 Saturday Night Live's "Black Jeopardy". These comments focus on two of the "prizes" announced for the "Black Jeopardy" contestants: Sprite (which was described as "the Black soda" and "Useta Hold Margarine" containers.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/04/the-blackest-black-jeopardy-additional.html for Part IV of this series. That post presents additional selected comments about this April 7, 2018 "Black Jeopardy" sketch as well as comments comparing this sketch with other Black Jeopardy sketches and other sketches on the Saturday Night Live series.

Part IV also presents selected comments about whether or not the concept and content of Saturday Night Lives' "Black Jeopardy" is racist and/or stereotypical.

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The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural and entertainment purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Chadwick Boseman, Kenan Thompson, and all others who performed on that sketch and thanks to that sketch's writers. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.

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ARTICLES ABOUT THE "BLACK JEOPARDY" SKETCH WITH CHADWICK BOSEMAN AS T'CHALLA (April 7, 2018)
Excerpt #1:
From https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/04/chadwick-boseman-black-jeopardy-snl-tchalla
"Saturday Night Live’s “Black Jeopardy” sketches are always some of the show’s strongest. The format usually features two black contestants competing against a hapless white character who is way out of place. Tom Hanks’s Trump voter “Black Jeopardy” was one of the show’s best, but last night’s, featuring host Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther’s King T’Challa himself, might have usurped the throne.

The sketch starts off with Kenan Thompson’s Darnell Hayes saying how exciting it is to have Black Panther competing on the show: “This might be the blackest ‘Black Jeopardy’ yet!” But T’Challa, being from the utopian Wakanda, seems completely unaware of why someone would pretend to be dead to escape student loans, or the suspicion with which black people, for obvious reasons, must treat law enforcement. When T’Challa says the reason someone’s cable bill would be in their grandmother’s name is “to honor her, as the foundation of the family,” Hayes thinks for a second.

“Hmm,” he says, ” that’s really nice. It’s wrong. But that’s really nice.”

Fortunately for Black Panther, he finally starts to get it when he picks one of the clues in the “White People” category: “Your friend Karen brings her potato salad to your cookout.” In a burst of genius that rivals the code-cracking scene from A Beautiful Mind, the king of Wakanda works it out."...

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Excerpt #2:
From https://www.wmagazine.com/story/chadwick-boseman-saturday-night-live-black-jeopardy-black-panther
Chadwick Boseman Starred in an Incredible Saturday Night Live "Black Jeopardy" Sketch as the Black Panther
by Elizabeth Logan, April 8, 2018 11:26 am
"When people look back on this era of Saturday Night Live, they will definitely remember the recurring segment "Black Jeopardy," the often-brilliant analysis, satirization, and even explanation of black culture and American race relations couched in, of all things, a game show. The "Trump Voter" segment during Tom Hanks's episode two years ago was particularly smart, and last night's installment, with host Chadwick Boseman, proved just as cutting.

Boseman, as his Black Panther character T'Challa, king of Wakanda, faced off against Chris Redd as Rashad and Leslie Jones as Shanice in the only game show where "prize money is paid in installments," as Kenan Thompason, as host Darnell Hayes, explained. It was "the blackest 'Black Jeopardy' yet!" T'Challa didn't do super well in getting the actual answers, but his guesses were so respectful and nice that he won a few points anyway. Not that he needs the cash as the king of a country rich in vibranium and armed with the most technologically advanced science on Earth. And also the nation's greatest resource, Shuri. If all of his answers were correct, we should be able to help the police solve crimes without thinking twice, but alas, this is the American version of Black Jeopardy, not the Wakandan.”...

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Black Jeopardy with Chadwick Boseman – SNL



Saturday Night Live, Published on Apr 7, 2018

Shanice (Leslie Jones), Rashad (Chris Redd) and T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) compete on Black Jeopardy, hosted by Darnell Hayes (Kenan Thompson).
-snip-
Statistics (as of April 16, 2018 12:04 PM EST:

8,733,490 total views

170K total likes

5.5K total dislikes

12,266 total comments

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TRANSCRIPT: BLACK JEOPARDY (April 7, 2018) with Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa (Black Panther)
[Announcer] This is Black Jeopardy.

[Host] Yeah, All Right, What up What up.
Welcome to Black Jeopardy. The only Jeopardy where our prize money is paid in installments.
Alright, I’m your host , Darnell Hayes.
Today’s contestants are Shanice

-"Hey"

Rashad
-"What’s crackin"

And, oh, this is so excitin. All the way from Wakanda it’s T’Challa!

-"Greetings, Darnell. I’m a big fan of this program."

[Host] This might be the blackest “Black Jeopardy” yet.
Let’s take a look at our categories.
All right we got
“Grown Ass”
“Ah, Hell No”
“Fid’Na”
“Girl Bye”
“I Ain’t Got It”
And last, as always, “White people”.
All right, Shanice, you’re our returning champ. You pick.

[Shanice] -Okay, let’s go to “Aw Hell No” for a hundred.

[Host] Okay, the answer there is “Your barber has a two hour wait. But he says there’s an empty barber chair up front.“
Rashad.

[Rashad] “What is “Aw hell no. There’s a reason your chair empty.

[Host] You damn right. You damn right there. You can end up lookin like the weekend. Okay.
All right, Rashad, the board is yours.

[Rashad]-All right. Let’s go with “Fid’Na” for two hundred.

[Host] Alright, the answer “They fid’na to take prayer out of school”.
Shanice.

[Shanice]-What is “And they wonder why everybody pregnant.

[Host] Yes. Yes. Bad things happen when you kick Jesus out your house. That’s right.
All right, it’s your pick Shanice.

[Shanice]-Let’s stick with “Fid’Na” for four hundred.

[Host] All Right. This is the reason your cable bill is in your grandmama’s name.
Oh, T’Challa.

[T'Challa] -What is “to honor her as the foundation of family”.

[Host] Hmmm.
That’s real nice. It’s wrong. But’s it’s really nice.
Anybody else? The reason your cable bill is in your grandmama’s name.
Shanice.

[Shanice] -What is “’Cause I’m fid’na to get a car and I don’t need all that on my credit.”

[Host] I feel you. That’s right. I feel you. Yeah, your grandmama ain’t gonna need all that good credit too much longer. [chuckles]
All Right. Shanice. Your pick.

[Shanice] - Let’s go to “I ain’t got it for two hundred.

[Host] - All Right.
"The lady from Sally Mae says your student loan is past due."
Rashad.

[Rashad] - What is “I ain’t got it. I died. You are talkin to a ghost”.


[Host] - Yeah, that’s right. That’s right. Yeah, you can’t bill what’s not there.
Just ask Wesley Snipes, ain’t that right T’Challa?

[T-Challa] - I don’t know this one.

]Host] - That’s alright man. That’s alright. You’ll get there.
All Right, Rashad. It’s your pick.

[Rashad] -All right, let’s go with “Ah hell na” for $400.

[Host] All right. The answer “The airline says they wanna charge twenty-five dollars to check your bag.”
Shanice.

[Shanice] - What is “Aw hell na. Looks like I’m gonna fly to Jamaica with a fifty pound suitcase in my lap."

[Host] - Hey you damn right. You damn right. That’s right. And I dare your stewardess to say something.

[Shanice] “Damn right.”

[Host] -That’s right. All right. Let’s keep goin.

[Shanice] Let’s stay with “Grown Ass” for $600.

[Host] - All right. "You send your smart-ass child here ‘cause she thinks she grown”.
T’Challa.

[T-Challa] - What is “to one of our free universities where she can apply her intelligence and perhaps one day become a great scientist.”

[Host] - Okay. Well, the answer we was lookin for was “Out my damn house”. But, you know what? I’m gonna give it to you T’Challa. Y’ll must not have no mean streets in Wakanda. [says something indecipherable]
All right. The board is yours.

[T'Challa] - Very well. Let’s go to “Ah hell na” for $800.

[Host] - Okay. The policeman says that there’s been some robberies in your neighborhood and asks if you have “any information.”

[T-Challa] - What is “not only do I tell this man what I know, but I also assist him in tracking down the offender.
After all, our ministers of law enforcement are only here to protect us.
Is this correct?"

[Host] - I mean. It should be.
But, I’m thinkin that you haven’t spend much time in America. [brief chuckle]

Let’s just hear about today’s prizes.
Johnny!

[Announcer] Thanks, Darnell. Today’s Black Jeopardy winner will receive
“Uesta Hold Margarine” versatile plastic containers that useta hold margarine. Put whatever you want in them.
And, “Well done steaks”. If I see a speck of red it’s goin back. You betta cook MY food with “well done steak”
And by “Sprite”, How did we become the Black soda? We don’t know. Sprite.”
Back to you, Darnell.”

[Host] Ooh. I do love Sprite.
All right, T’Challa. The board is yours.

[T-Challa] I am ready.

Let’s go to “White people”. For $400.

[Host] - Okay, let’s try it.
"Your friend Karen brings her potato salad to your cookout."
Uh-oh, T’Challa.

[T-Challa] - I think I’m getting the hang of this. But, before I answer, a few questions.
This woman, Karen, she is Caucasian, eh?

[Host] Yes.

[T-Challa] - And she has her own recipe for potato salad, yes?

[Host] - Yep. Yep.

[T-Challa] -Ah, I understand.
It is noble that she would volunteer to cook for everyone. And, although I have never had potato salad...

[Host] - Yeah, of course.

[T-Challa] - I sense that this White woman does not season her food.

[Host] - That’s right.

[T-Challa] - And if she does, it is only with a tiny bit of salt....

[Host] - “That’s exactly right.”

[T-Challa] - And no paprika...

[Host] - “No paprika. No.

[T-Challa] -And she will probably add something unnecessary like ‘raisins’.

[Host] - I know, right.

[T-Challa] - So, so, something tells me that I should say....

[Host] “Say it!”

[T-Challa] - -Aw, hell, na Karen. Keep your bland ass potato salad to yourself.

[Host] Yes!! Yes!!
You got it T’Challa.

[T’Challa smiles and says] - In your face!

[Host] -Yeah, Black Panther welcome to Black Jeopardy. Woo!

[Recorded White woman’s voice] - How many square feet is that?

[Recorded White man’s voice] - For three bedrooms?

[Recorded White woman’s voice] - Oh, what a deal!

[Host] Oh, well the sound of White people shoppin nearby for real estate means the fun is over.
So ah, let’s take a break. We’ll be right back with more “Black Jeopardy”.

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This concludes Part I of this multi-part pancocojams series on the April 7, 2018 "Black Jeopardy" sketch.

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Visitor comments are welcome.

5 comments:

  1. Here's my response to a commenter's question in that discussion thread about the meaning of the term "fid'na":

    "Fid'na" is a form of the African American Vernacular English term "finna", meaning "gettin[g] ready" (to do something). "Finna" probably comes from the Southern Black pronunciation for "fixin to".

    In the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where I live, I've heard some Black folks say "fixin to" more often than "finna".

    Of course, not all African Americans use "finna" or "fixin to" when we want to say "gettin[g] ready to". For what it's worth, I've never used those terms and I've never heard or seen "fid'na" used before this "Black Jeopardy" sketch.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I always figured that finna/fitna/fid'na was shortened 'fitting to' or 'fit to' which is also Southern as hell.
      Same way as gonna is 'going to' and wanna is 'want to.'

      But I live in Baltimore and we missed the text letting us know that slang and dialects became racial and not geographical.

      Delete
    2. pineysathome, thanks for that correction.

      I agree with you that "finna"/"fitna"/"fid'na" are geographical slang [Southern American] and not racial slang.

      Also, I agree that "gonna" and "wanna" are vernacular English and not racial. I believe "gonna" and "wanna" are used throughout the USA and not just mostly in any one region of this country.

      Delete
  2. Do you know who wrote this brilliant script?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous. I'm sorry I don't know who wrote the script for that Black Jeopardy skit.

      Whoever it was, thanks for that masterpiece!

      Delete