[VIDEO] I might have been too young for SNL back then, but it's possible I saw this sketch just about 30 years ago. Rob Lowe satirized Arsenio Hall with this Arsenio Beckman character. My view of this sketch is that it's very funny and satirizes the phenomenon of the Arsenio Hall Show.
On the other hand in this more serious PC society we got people calling this sketch blackface. One way to look at that is Arsenio Beckman is the white version of Arsenio Hall. Lowe is doing his best Arsenio Hall impersonation. However, this whole sketch was over the top which makes it funny.
Just Beckman's imitation of Arsenio Hall's mannerisms. The over the top reaction of the audience. A general portrayal of the hip party vibe of the Arsenio Hall Show. It brings back memories and this sketch is funny, I think just viewing this as nothing more than a blackface sketch is really missing the point of the satire of a pop culture moment.
BTW, I hear that Arsenio Hall back then thought this sketch was funny and even had Rob Lowe on his show one or twice after this.
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