Saturday Night Live's Skit "Strollin’" (video, information, lyrics, and comments)

Saturday Night Live, Oct. 31, 2020

A group of American voters (Kenan Thompson, Chris Redd, Ego Nwodim, Punkie Johnson) face a challenging road to the election polls.

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases the Oct. 31, 2020 Saturday Night Live (SNL) television skit "Strollin".  

This post also includes the lyrics to the song that was sung in that skit, background for that SNL skit as well as selected comment from that YouTube video's discussion thread.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and political purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those associated with this Saturday Night Live skit. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post. Also, thanks to all those who are active in voter outreach projects.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SNL ''STROLLIN'' SKIT
The Oct. 31, 2020 Saturday Night Live television skit "Strolling" focuses on two middle age African American women and two middle age Black men standing outside who decide to "stroll" down to a voting place and vote.  The group does a strut/stroll like dance while they sing about how they are trying to find a place to vote.

According to a number of commenters in the discussion thread for the YouTube video of that SNL skit, the song that is sung by the group of Black people in that skit is based on The Whispers' 1987 R&B song "Keep On Lovin' Me" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6aRvVTSC0I&ab_channel=UnidiscMusic. Adam Fairholm  writes in his 2013 article about this song https://imvdb.com/blog/2013/06/music-video-relapse-keep-on-lovin-me-by-the-whispers-1987 that "The idea behind [The Whispers' music video of "Keep On Lovin' Me"] is simple: five grown men reading newspapers on a street all notice a woman with nice gams (legs) and spend the rest of the video slowly strutting after her as a group. Somewhere along the line they go to a party."
-end of quote-

That SNL skit reflects the voter suppression actions taken in some Texas cities and in some other American cities such as closing many voting polls in communities where People of Color live, moving polling places in majority Black neighborhoods to  to distant locations, and having so few polling places that  people are forced to stand in line for hours in order to vote.

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INFORMATION ABOUT MEANING OF THE WORD "STROLL" AMONG MEMBERS OF HISTORICALLY BLACK GREEK LETTER FRATERNITIES AND SORORITIES
The word "stroll" has another meaning for members of historically Black Greek letter fraternities and sororities other than the standard meaning "to walk leisurely" and the referent to the 1958 R&B dance "The Stroll". For members of historically Black Greek letter organizations (BGLOs), "strollin'" is a competitive or non-competitive performance activity that is done instead of "steppin" at shows, parties, and other historically Black Greek letter events. "Strolls" are either performed by members of the same historically Black Greek letter organization or by members of various (usually) historically Black Greek letter organizations in the case of some "unity strolls". The performers form a vertical line and move in a circular, follow the leader manner to the accompaniment of one of a select group of Hip Hop/R&B records. While strolling, the members perform movements that are distinctive to their organization, including "throwing" their organization's hand sign. 

Because of that history and current culture, it's not surprising that a number of historically Black Greek letter organizations have named their voter outreach efforts "Stroll to the Polls" instead of using other names for those efforts such as "walk the vote" or "souls to the polls". 

Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWilCKWiH2A&ab_channel=11Alive for an Oct. 19, 2020 YouTube video entitled "Atlanta 'Stroll to the Polls' video, images go viral". The summary of that video that was published by 11Alive reads "Members of the four historically Black sororities came together for the project that grabbed the attention of celebrities and social media." Although at least one BGLO, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.. has held "Stroll to the Polls" voter outreach campaigns for eight years, I believe that the impetus for Saturday Night Live's Oct. 31, 2020 "Strollin" skit was the Atlanta Stroll to the Polls" video and/or other "Stroll to the Polls" videos. 

A number of the YouTube videos of "Stroll to the Polls" voter outreach initiatives indicate that those initiatives are led by members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate for Vice President, is a member of that sorority. 
-snip-
*Some information about Alpha Phi Alpha's "Stroll to the Polls" initiatives is included in the comment section of this post. 

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LYRICS TO SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE'S SKIT "STROLLIN'"

You know what time it is?

Yeah, get nasty.
Get nasty.

Oh yeah,
Un hun.

Let's do it. 

We've been waitin four years
And now it's time
To head down to the polls
and hit that voting line.

Been hopin for so long
for Nov. 3rd
It's time to march on down
and get our voices heard   

We're strollin to the polls
to the polls
We're strollin to the polls

Y'all don't have to ask
They need us.

And less
They gonna need the best
Un hun

[White man dressed with as sweater like Mr. Rogers tv. character] - "We're closed." 

Okay.

We're gettin __
We can vote here

[White man] -Sorry, This one's also closed.

Okay
Strollin to the polls
So is this where it is?

Strollin to the polls.

Oh, just a little bit further.

All the polls are closed
So we head to the one down south.

[White man] - "Sorry, that poll's closed.
It's a Walmart now.

Okay, damn
Tell us, man, where can we go vote then?

[White man] - "Go way up the road
Right up on Route 110."

That's the highway!

[Group shown walking in between cars driving on the highway.] 

We're strollin to the polls 
Just a little bit further, y'all.
Strollin to the polls.  

Not sure why we didn't drive.

We're strollin to the polls
Why the heck I wore church shoes y'all?
Strolling to the polls.
I regret livin in Texas.

Hey, while we strollin,
Come on, everybody
Introduce yourselves.
Me, I'm crazy legs Jimmy. 
Watch my crazy legs.
I'm off and running.

I'm rubberband Ryan.

I'm pitty pat Patricia.

And I'm Michelle.
Just Michelle.

I think we almost there.
So fit to go.

[White man dressed as school crossing guard] - "Sorry everyone. The road is closed."

It's not though.

We're strollin to the polls.
I'm crampin up.
Strollin to the polls.

It's almost five o clock
Let's do double time. [Group moves faster.]

Strollin to the polls
Strolling to the  polls

We're here!
Yeah, we finally made it.

[White man with suit on] -"Congratulations, this one is open."
 
[The group stands in back of a line full of voters. A White man walks passed with wearing  camo shirts and pants and holding an automatic weapon. Speaking about that man, one of the women in the group says]

Hold up! Does he work here?

I don't think so. [Group looks at each other with concerned expressions.]

Strollin to the polls.

I don't know. 

Strollin to the polls.

This line's so big.

Hey we in line.

[The group realizes that the voting line that they are standing in is really loooooooong.]

Ooh, this line.

[One member of the group asks a White woman standing in front of him in the line.]

Hey, lady. How long have you been here?

[White woman takes her face mask down and replies]

"Three hours."

Damn!

[Voice from the person in charge of the voting place.] - "Next!"

We're strollin
to the- [Group stops singing because the line didn't move far.]

[Voice from the person in charge of the voting place.] - "Next!" 
   

We're stroll- [Group stops singing because the line didn't move far.]

[After some time in the line[

Oh! Finally!

This is where we go in to vote, right?

[White man in suit seated behind a table] - "Yep. You all brought masks. right?"

Damn!

We walked all this way?

[One of the men in the group covers up his mouth with his hand and says]
How bout if I use my hand?

[White man in suit seated behind a table shakes his head no and says] -"Well, that's a hand." 

We're strollin to the polls.

[Skit ends.]
-snip-
This is my transcription which differs slightly from the closed caption words on the screen. Additions and corrections are welcome.

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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS YOUTUBE VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD
(All of these comments are from Oct. 31, 2020 or Nov. 1, 2020. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.
1. woah11ify
"This is SNL gold"

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2. angelica
"Brilliant. The mask, the message, the choreography, the cast, the song, the styling. Perfection👌🏾🙌🏾👏🏾"

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3. James Ricker
"SNL doing what comedy does best, social commentary"

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4. achilleshoplite
"Christ this was fun at first but then it got depressing real quick"

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REPLY
5. Doug Lowe
"Brilliantly conceived and executed. Exactly whats happening in Houston right now. I laughed...then got really angry."

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6. Jerry Booth
"This is terrific, tackling a serious problem without being heavy-handed, and as a bonus, some great music (glad SNL is moving away from the interchangeable rap songs). Also perfect use of Mulaney. The team of Kenan, Chris, Ego and Punkie has so much to offer the show and viewers."

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REPLY
7. Language Lab
"Yes. All while ignoring CoVid through the shi--y* modeling of a lack of social distance.

 And "terrific" My dear sir, you are not a day under the age of 70"
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in this comment.

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REPLY
8. emily Reid
"@Language Lab i think these people know what they are doing. WAY TO DROWN EVERYTHING IN UNNECESSARY NEGATIVITY. No ones looking for a role model at snl. They watch it to laugh. Heard of it."

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9. ZZ-Talk
"Bruh. Gotta laugh to keep from crying."

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10. Tyler Hackner
"I have that song in my head now"

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REPLY
11. YouTubeName
"It’s based on this Whispers song:

https://youtu.be/d6aRvVTSC0I "

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REPLY
12. Shareatha Coleman
"Ikr, now I want to stroll to the polls 🤣🤣🤣. But, I already voted."

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13. hagar2025
"The US should try how  the rest of the world is voting: in and out in 10 minutes. Oh wait... republicans."

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REPLY
14. James Ricker
"Republicans are scared of people voting because they don't think their policies are popular"

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REPLY
15. dafttool
"It took me only 10 minutes, but I live in a very white, Republican district 🤔 It’s probably a coincidence. 🤪"

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16. kawaiiafangirl
"I lost it when they started strollin' on the highway. Lmao."

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REPLY
17. E. Von
"Genius Stuff"

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REPLY
18. Al Mack
"I LITERALLY SCREAMED"

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REPLY
19. Ken Williams
" "Why didn't we drive"?..I fell out when Just Michelle said that!🤣🤣🤣"

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20. G De Los Muertos

"I love their shuffle walk."

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21.  Manu Ginobilis Bald Spot
"This looks like a Black R&B super group of an Isley Brother, one of the twins from The Whispers, and the women from Midnight and Atlantic Starr lmao."

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22. Cinny
"So many of us are experiencing this sh-t* right now, it’s sadly very relatable😅"
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in this comment.

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23. itgetter9
"For real, though: MAD GRATITUDE to everyone who has been standing in LONG lines and going through other kinds of ordeals to cast a vote.  You're heroes, and I hope that we can get good outcomes to allow us to roll back voter suppression."
-snip-
"Mad gratitude" = a lot of gratitude

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24. beresponsibleplease

"This would be funny if it wasn’t true! Please vote !"

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