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SNL: Eddie Murphy Reflects on "Racist" David Spade Joke: "Cheap Shot"

During a NYT interview, Eddie Murphy explains why he took issue with a joke David Spade made at his expense during a 1995 SNL segment.

It was during NBC's Saturday Night Live Season 21 (December 9, 1995) when then-cast member David Spade dropped a joke about Eddie Murphy that the former SNL star, comedian, and actor didn't appreciate. Spade's "Hollywood Minute" was one of the most vicious – and often times, one of the funniest – sketches that SNL had going, with Spade taking snarky shots at pretty much anything and anyone. That included Murphy – as an image of him appeared behind Spade before Spade joked, "Look, children. It's a falling star. Make a wish" – doubling down after the audience responded with a mix of laughter and groans. It was a joke that Murphy didn't appreciate at the time – especially coming off the box office failure of Vampire in Brooklyn – and one that Murphy addressed during his recent one-on-one with The New York Times.

"Most people that get off that show, they don't go on and have these amazing careers. It was personal. It was like, 'Yo, how could you do that?' My career? Really? A joke about my career? So, I thought that was a cheap shot. And it was kind of, I thought — I felt it was racist," Murphy shared (with the segment availble to check out above). In addition to feeling their was a racial aspect, Murphy also took exception with being mocked by the same late-night show he was a member of from 1980 to 1984 – and many say he helped keep on the air during some a rough transitional time for SNL.

"The show would have been off the air if I didn't go back on the show, and now you got somebody from the cast making a crack about my career? And I know that he can't just say that," he explained. "A joke has to go through these channels. So the producers thought it was OK to say that. And all the people that have been on that show, you've never heard nobody make no joke about anybody's career." Spade and Murphy would go on to have a conversation about the joke shortly after it aired – and though he hasn't forgotten, Murphy added that everything's good between him, Spade, and SNL (with Murphy returning during to host during Season 45, on December 21, 2019). "In the long run, it's all good. Worked out great. I'm cool with David Spade. Cool with Lorne Michaels. I went back to 'SNL.' I'm cool with everybody. It's all love," he shared.

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