Comedian Kam Patterson brought a subversive, high-energy reimagining of one of fiction’s most brooding professors to “Saturday Night Live,” turning the halls of Hogwarts into a venue for sharp social commentary. In a recent “Weekend Update” segment, Patterson portrayed a version of Severus Snape who views the events of the original series through a lens of systemic bias, leading to the moment where Black Snape calls Harry Potter a racist Proud Boy.
The sketch, anchored by Colin Jost, served as both a comedic critique of the Wizarding World and a nod to the ongoing evolution of the franchise. Patterson’s Snape abandoned the character’s traditional monotone delivery in favor of a dynamic performance centered on “code-switching,” oscillating between a stiff, formal academic persona and a candid, contemporary voice.
This comedic pivot reflects a broader cultural conversation regarding the HBO Harry Potter series currently in development. The upcoming series, which aims to be a faithful adaptation of the original seven books, has sparked significant discussion following reports that the role of Professor Snape will be played by Black actor Paapa Essiedu. By casting Essiedu, the production is shifting the visual identity of a character traditionally portrayed as white, providing the catalyst for “Saturday Night Live” to explore the racial dynamics of a magical society.
The ‘Proud Boy Who Lived’ and Hogwarts Bias
During the segment, Patterson’s Snape recounted his experience at Hogwarts not as a tale of secret guardianship and bitterness, but as a struggle against prejudice. When asked about his year at the school, Snape described Harry Potter as “racist as hell,” referring to the protagonist as “the Proud Boy Who Lived.”
The joke targeted the plot of the first novel, The Sorcerer’s Stone, in which Harry and his friends suspect Snape of attempting to steal the stone. Patterson’s Snape questioned why he was the primary suspect even as the actual culprit—Professor Quirrell—was overlooked. “So somebody stole something, and the number one suspect is Black Snape? They didn’t even look at the white guy in the turban,” Snape remarked, referencing the twist ending where the villain Voldemort is revealed to be living on the back of Quirrell’s head.
The performance extended this critique to the very curriculum of the school. Snape joked that upon arriving at Hogwarts, he was immediately assigned to the “Dark Arts,” despite claiming he “majored in African Muggle Studies.” This play on words highlighted the stereotype of Black characters being associated with “darkness” or “danger” within narrative structures.
Critiquing the Wizarding World’s Social Hierarchy
Beyond the central conflict with Harry, the sketch took aim at the broader representation of Black characters in J.K. Rowling’s universe. Snape specifically called out Kingsley Shacklebolt, one of the few prominent Black wizards in the series, suggesting his name sounded like it came from a “Wu-Tang name generator.”
Patterson’s Snape further criticized the aesthetic choices for Shacklebolt, claiming he was dressed “like he was selling cocoa butter incense out of a barbershop” rather than wearing the dignified robes of his peers. He specifically questioned the etymology of the name “Shacklebolt,” noting the irony of the word “shackle” in the name of a free wizard.
The most pointed commentary arrived when the sketch addressed the existence of house-elves. While Colin Jost attempted to clarify that the creatures were “house elves,” Patterson’s Snape countered with a sharp historical parallel, asking, “I bet you didn’t know they got field elves too. They didn’t place that in the book, huh, Colin?” This line explicitly linked the magical servitude of the books to the history of chattel slavery in the United States.
Comparing the Traditional and Reimagined Snape
| Attribute | Traditional Snape | SNL ‘Black Snape’ |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | Cold, monotone, formal | Dynamic, uses code-switching |
| View of Harry | Resents Harry’s resemblance to James | Views Harry as a “Proud Boy” |
| Academic Focus | Potions and Dark Arts | African Muggle Studies |
| Perspective | Internalized bitterness | External systemic critique |
The Broader Context of the Franchise
The sketch concludes with a meta-commentary on the author of the series. After the string of accusations regarding the racism of the magical world, Jost remarked, “Well, for the very first time, I’m starting to think J.K. Rowling might be problematic.” This is a direct reference to the real-world controversies surrounding J.K. Rowling and her public statements regarding gender identity, which have alienated a portion of the fanbase and led to widespread debate over the separation of the art from the artist.
The humor in the segment relies on the tension between the nostalgic, childhood innocence of the Harry Potter stories and the modern, critical lens through which audiences now view diversity, and representation. By having Black Snape call Harry Potter a racist Proud Boy, the writers used a beloved character to mirror current American political and social frictions.
The cameo ended on a characteristically irreverent note, with Snape sending a final message to Harry about his mother, Lily Potter, stating, “Your mama was thick as hell, dog. I miss her so much.”
As the Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO collaboration moves closer to production, the industry will be watching how the series handles the balance between strict book fidelity and the need for a more inclusive, modern casting approach. The next major milestone for the project will be the announcement of the full primary cast and the official release of the first teaser trailer, which are expected to further define the visual direction of the reboot.
What do you think about the reimagining of Snape for the HBO series? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
