Hispanic Groups Want ‘Saturday Night Live’ To Pull Donald Trump As Host

NBC is
enabling Donald Trump’s “hateful speech” about Hispanics by giving
him a platform as host of “Saturday Night Live” and should pull the
invitation, a coalition of Hispanic advocacy groups said.

In a
letter to NBC Universal CEO Stephen Burke and “SNL” executive
producer Lorne Michaels, the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda said it
applauded the company when it severed its beauty-pageant ties with Trump over
his remarks about Hispanic immigrants.

Trump hasn’t apologized for his “bigoted comments” that
included describing some Mexicans in the United States illegally as criminals
and rapists, the group said, and it is “flabbergasted” by NBC’s
decision to put Trump on “SNL” on Nov. 7.

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“We are appalled that you would enable Trump’s hateful speech
for nothing (more) than a ratings ploy and ask that you rescind the SNL
invitation,” the group said in a letter sent Thursday and released
publicly.

NBC Universal, “SNL” and Trump did not immediately
respond to requests for comment.

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In an interview earlier this week with Fox News Channel in which
he was asked about similar criticism, Trump said he had no reaction, then added
that polls show he’s “doing very well with Hispanics.”

Trump’s appearance on “Saturday Night Live” will end up
“sanitizing” his remarks with humor, said Felix Sanchez, who is
chairman and co-founder of the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts and
among those who signed the letter.

NBC Universal is being contradictory, Sanchez said, courting
Hispanic viewers with its Spanish-language platforms but giving them a
“slap in the face” by putting Trump on the air.

The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, which includes 40
national and regional civil rights and public policy groups, is reviewing
further action, Sanchez said, including such options as staging protests the
night of the telecast or calling for boycotts of the show or network.

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He also suggested that cast members consider their own boycott,
noting that in 1990 cast member Nora Dunn and pop singer Sinead O’Connor
refused to appear on the show with host Andrew Dice Clay, with Dunn calling his
comedy degrading to women.

Michaels’ response at the time was to laud Dunn and her stand but
insist that “the show will go on.”

In its letter, the Hispanic coalition said the issue ultimately is
Michaels’ responsibility and called it part of a pattern involving him and
“SNL.”

The group said it has been trying to meet with him since November
2013 to discuss the lack of Latino representation on the show and has yet to
receive a response.

Among the complaints: The long-running program has never had a
Latina cast member, and the use of non-Hispanic actors to play Latinas is
equivalent to white performers using makeup to portray African-Americans,
Sanchez said.