Marie Claire UK Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Women in Sport 2026
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Spring Summer 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    • Digital Issues
    • Women Who Win
    1. Celebrity News

    'The Day Beyoncé Turned Black' SNL Sketch Is Hilarious (And Eye-Opening)

    The SNL Beyoncé's skit mocks the hysteria surrounding her new formation video...

    By Marie Claire
    Published 16 February 2016 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    beyonce-superbowl L
    beyonce-superbowl L
    (Image credit: Rex Features (Shutterstock))
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    The SNL Beyoncé's skit mocks the hysteria surrounding her new formation video...

    Unless you've been buried inside a cave these past couple of weeks, you won't have failed to notice the general furore and outrage from a lot of people who are hella-upset with Beyoncé's latest single Formation which premiered at the 2016 Superbowl.

    And now SNL have released a sketch which parodies the reaction from some very angry former fans and called it 'The Day Beyoncé Turned Black.'

    In the vid, America turns into a post-apocalyptic nightmare as Beyoncé's white fans go into full on melt-down over the realisation (after listening to Formation and watching the Superbowl, presumably) that the singer, is in fact, a black woman.

    Watch the vid below:

    You may like
    • Ata-Owaji Victor on Black Hair My Black Hair Doesn’t Need to Be a Political Manifesto—Why I’m Opting Out of the Trauma-or-Triumph Narrative
    • Madonna's Confessions II: Madonna performs at TSX Stage in Times Square on June 4, 2026 in New York City. Madonna's Confessions II Deserves to Be the Album of the Summer, But the Response Proves We Still Punish Women for Ageing
    • Andy Burnham and Marie-France van Heel entering 10 Downing Street “Are We Just Jealous?” Victoria Moss Unpacks the Sexist, Ageist Commentary Around Marie-France van Heel’s Victoria Beckham Dress

    The SNL Beyoncé sketch is mainly a LOL-filled satire of white sensibilities in the US and perfectly highlights just how crazy some reactions to Bey's new music have been. But we're thinking it also kind of undermines Bey, because SNL are suggesting that the singer has previously denied her own blackness before she followed this new, politically-charged musical direction. Being black isn't something you can shake-off and shrug on when it's convenient, and er, last time we checked, Bey has always been a black singer.

    But yeah, we can admit, her latest political statements are quite the departure from her one-size-fits-all pop-star days, where she kept pretty schtum over race issues. But then again, we reckon she did what the had to do in order to sell records in an industry where white artists continue to pick up more awards for their videos than black singers, and cultural appropriation is rife.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    Now she's got to a point in her career where she can release music that unapologetically references the modern-day civil rights movement in the US (her Superbowl performance paid homage to the Black Panthers and was performed on what would have been Trayvon Martin's 21st birthday, the murdered teenager who became the focal point for the Black Lives Matter group in 2013) - and we're totally in support of her new musical/political direction.

    Marie Claire
    Social Links Navigation

    The leading destination for fashion, beauty, shopping and finger-on-the-pulse views on the latest issues. Marie Claire's travel content helps you delight in discovering new destinations around the globe, offering a unique – and sometimes unchartered – travel experience. From new hotel openings to the destinations tipped to take over our travel calendars, this iconic name has it covered.

    Read more
    Ata-Owaji Victor on Black Hair
    Hair My Black Hair Doesn’t Need to Be a Political Manifesto—Why I’m Opting Out of the Trauma-or-Triumph Narrative
    Madonna's Confessions II: Madonna performs at TSX Stage in Times Square on June 4, 2026 in New York City.
    Culture Madonna's Confessions II Deserves to Be the Album of the Summer, But the Response Proves We Still Punish Women for Ageing
     
     
    Andy Burnham and Marie-France van Heel entering 10 Downing Street
    Fashion “Are We Just Jealous?” Victoria Moss Unpacks the Sexist, Ageist Commentary Around Marie-France van Heel’s Victoria Beckham Dress
    Naomi Osaka Sport Walk On Fashion Moment
    Fashion Forget the Front Row—The Most Exciting Fashion Moments Are Happening at Tournament Walk-Ins
     
     
    Latest in Celebrity News
    Olivia Rodrigo performing on stage in a babydoll dress that sparked online debate, later prompting the singer to speak out about the sexualisation of girlhood and double standards facing young women.
    Celebrity News “We Really Normalise Pedophilia in Our Culture”: What Olivia Rodrigo's Babydoll Dress Backlash Reveals About Girlhood
    Meghan Markle in 'With Love, Meghan'
    Celebrity News Meghan Markle’s Sweet Glimpse Into Sussex Family Life Is Going Viral
     
     
    Anne Hathaway attends the premiere of The Devil Wears Prada 2
    Celebrity News Anne Hathaway Has Spoken Out About Her 10-Year Health Battle
    The Prince and Princess of Wales visit the Isles of Mull and Iona
    Royal News Royal Experts Predict a Major Milestone From Princess Kate This Autumn
     
     
    Latest in Features
    Autumn Nail Trends 2026
    Nails From Fawn Print to Milky Matcha—These Are Autumn 2026’s Defining Nail Trends
    Fenty Beauty Pro Filtr Fluid Flex Foundation Review
    Make Up Fenty Beauty Just Replaced Its Most Iconic Foundation—3 Editors Put Its “Flexible” Full Coverage to the Test
     
     
    Charlotte Mensah Afro Hair
    Hair Charlotte Mensah Has Spent 40 Years Changing the Conversation Around Afro Hair—Now, Her Legacy Is Going on Display
    Dangers of sharing photos of children online
    Life I Used to Share Photos of My Daughter Online. Horrifying New AI Data Has Made Me Stop
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.