Today's Evil Beet Gossip

The Video That Has Hawaii Official’s Leis In A Twist

Hawaii Lieutenant Governor James “Duke” Aioni is none too happy with a Saturday Night Live skit that aired this past weekend.  He plans to send a letter of protest to SNL executive producer, Lorne Michaels.  Aioni states that the sketch, “went too far in its negative depiction of Hawaii’s native people and tourism industry,” and that he wouldn’t let “such distortions go unchecked” when the economy is doing so poorly.  And he’s not the only one upset about this.

The states tourism liason which is seriously the most made up job ever, said, “Anything that pokes fun, or puts us in a bad light, our culture, the (Native) Hawaiian culture, that affects all of us.  It’s distasteful, in my opinion. I find it very offensive.”

The clip features wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and SNL regular Fred Armisen portraying employees at a Hawaiian restaurant.  They complain about wages, hula skirts and, predictably, leis.

What does this story teach us?  We should eliminate all humor from our lives and make fun of no person, culture, state, or poi.  Oh, and you know what offends me?  Just how bad SNL really is.

29 CommentsLeave a comment

    • Ha ha ha OK I watched the sketch on Hulu, and it’s 100% right. I think probably Hawai’i got upset because it was a bit too true!

  • I can understand why their tourism industry is like so upset though. Its pretty much their major source of income.

  • Hahaha. Well, I laughed. But it doesn’t make me want to go to Hawaii any less. I don’t get what the big deal is.

  • i thought it was funny. it obviously was perpetuating stereotypes, which hello this show has always done! its called comedy. i have been to hawaii and would go back this second, this was just a comedy sketch! thats all

  • That sketch was hilarious. Of course I want to bang The Rock six ways to Sunday so I’m biased.

    Actually, I thought the whole episode was funny and am hoping SNL is returning to the level it was before Tina Fey left.

  • Hahaha!!! Lol, I’m born and raised in Hawaii and its hilarious how most of what they said is true. The tourist industry has raped the Hawaiian culture. Most of the locals I know hate main-landers and make fun of them behind their backs. Its amazing how many tourists actually believe that we live in grass shacks and wear grass skirts all the time. Like have you not seen Honolulu, its called the L.A. of the pacific for a reason. And is it great to live in Hawaii? Hmmm, well I go to school and work everyday so yah, life is just a sunny day at the beach.

  • How is it that two officials complain and all of a sudden the whole state is offended? I know he’s the Gov, that doesn’t mean his opinion speaks for everyone. The skit is pretty accurate, working in the service industry in Hawaii is pretty much exactly like that. Not offensive, just depressing.

  • That wasn’t even very funny, but it was totally worth it to watch The Rock do that ridiculous dance.

  • Having learned about the politics and realities behind what the tourist industry has done to Native Hawaiians, I think it’s about time that the little bits of information that Dwayne and Fred said actually made it into the air.

    Hawaii’s local indigenous people have been displaced all over the islands. They don’t even have “reservations” like Native American tribes here on the mainland. The coral reefs are deteriorating thanks to the tons of pollutants flowing into the fresh waters around them. Service work (custodial, entertainment, food, hotel services, etc.) are practically the ONLY prospects of labor that Native Hawaiians are likely to get after graduating high school.

    it’s really a depressing reality, and I think that bringing at least *some* light on it, through an SNL sketch, is something I never thought I’d see. Read Huanani-Kay Trask if you want to learn more.

    • Guess who advertises the tourism industry there using tax payer dollars, and welcomes fat white tourists and their wallets with open arms-Hawaii’s government. I’ll be the first to admit that the tourism industry has been bad for the natural beauty and health of the islands, but I compare the sentiment to a once beautiful woman who became a prostitute and complains and only blames others for how spent up and disease ridden she is. Perhaps don’t push the toursim industry (which is also the driving force of the economy there) so much if you would prefer the preservation of the island’s natural environment.

  • I don’t care how big of an age difference there is, I want to bang the Rock over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. Ohhhhhh

  • I liked it. Def not the funniest sketch EVER but quite humorous and not worth all the fuss. ALOHA HARD!

  • Whatever, anyone whos’ spent time on the north shore knows the skit was not over the top, the drugs, the localism, etc. The Aloha spirit left Oahu years ago.

  • It really wasn’t THAT funny, but I think what this skit depicted is partially true. There are a lot of rude locals in Hawaii that resent mainlanders or tourists and go out of their way to be rude to them. There are also a lot of nice locals as well. The rude ones give them a bad name. Rock went to school in Hawaii and got the rude local attitude down pat. It’s just a skit and if a stink was not made about it, then it really would not have gotten so much attention. Btw, spelling of our Lieutenant Gov is Aiona not Aioni.

    Stereotypes ppl have about Hawaii slightly bug me, but hey those ppl are just ignorant. Those educated in public schools in Hawaii may be at a disadvantage because the public school system sucks here. But it doesn’t mean that they aren’t intelligent. Barack went to Punahou, the best damn private school money or in his case as a scholarship student, brains can get you. I wonder if he’d be where he is today without that education he got.

  • It was a fairly funny skit. However, I don’t think it will have any impact on anybody’s image of Hawaii, though. The Gov’ needs to lighten up some.

  • I was born and raised in Hawai’i and I am native Hawawiian. Overall, I think the skit is pretty accurate. Many of us “locals,” who are Hawaiian, Japanese, Filipino, Puerto Rican, Chinese, Portugese and many other ethnicities, would like to say the things that were said to tourists. I think the Lt. Gov’s comments are pretty silly, but I didn’t vote for that guy anyway.

    In Hawai’i the “Aloha Spirit” is alive and well. I think what this skit was trying to point out is that no matter where you go, in Hawai’i or in Detroit, problems like drugs, exploitation and stereotypes are abound. In paradise people have to make a living, even at the cost of exploiting their own culture and traditions.

  • Wow, Dwayne is actually, like, a really good dancer! Lots of grace, and the ability to move his legs separately from his arms and keep both smooth.

    I’m really impressed.

    Although he really does suck at reading cue cards.

  • Yeah, I have been to Hawaii a few times, and this is exactly the attitude. Just one example, we went to the cultural center, and some guy working there was ranting to us about how awful tourists are, and how everything was better before. Strangely ironic that he took a job pimping himself out within the tourism industry.

    • ‘A’ole maupopo ia’u! Cause you no make sense! LOL Kou kukae nui! LMAO!!!
      Hauna kanapipiki ‘oe. LOL=P FUNNEY!!!!!
      Don’t criticize when you don’t know the facts bule!
      for your information you, yes you, ha’ole obviouslly don’t know the story. You probably heard the fake story that tour guides told you about the Kingdom of Hawai’i. Yeah, you illegally, yes you, overthrew the kingdom. You had to do it by force because the Kanaka Maoli were too strong for you, so you guys had to sneak around in a group that said you guys were going to help the Kanaka Maoli. You, yes you, lied. You practically snuck up on our Queen, Queen Lili’uokalani, and locked her up. Where she ended up dying cause you guys only wanted power. Pure power. sad huh the truth. you, yes you, were selfish. Now, locals like the guy you mentioned who said how awful tourists are have to work in places for tourism cause we got nowhere else to go. Cause we still have families to support and don’t have the time to go off to the “Minorland” for vacations. Cause we have aloha for the people OF Hawai’i. Don’t judge if you dont know the facts. Open your history textbook, if it even teaches the truth.

  • Hawaii should thank SNL at this point for the airtime… I live in Hawaii and they cry daily about the tourism industry. Well, there is your boost Hawaii via SNL… Now STFU. The government here drives me crazy.

  • I was born and raised in Hawaii and yes, A LOT of what they said was true. It’s funny. It’s meant to be funny. I understand that tourism drives my home state but be thankful that you’re relevant enough to garner air time on SNL! I will say this, The Rock did a damn good job of doing the Hula. Better then some that have tried or really not tried and totally made it look idiotic. Plus I LOVE when he said “You Know What!” to the blonde when she asked about the President being from Hawaii. LOVE IT! He had the accent down pat!

  • Hawaiins, give me a break. Go live in Youngstown, OH, Detroit, MI, or Gary, IN where unemployment is at 25% and crime is rampant. At least you guys have good weather and beautiful scenery. You think a few tourists visiting for a week is bad? Try having a crack house and a bordello as neighbors (quite common in any of the above 3 cities).