SNL Transcripts: John C. Reilly: 10/21/06: Colonial Williamsburg

Gary: Well, as I told you when I first started here – I’ve always longed to harken back to an earlier time.

Mr. Morrison: Yeah. You know, once again, I’m impressed both with that sentiment, and with your.. use of the word “harken”, which.. you really came within a stone’s throw of using correctly once. The thing is, since you started here, Gary, uh, a number of people have come to me with some complaints about you.

Gary: Well, they should file them at Town Hall, like the rest of us!

Mr. Morrison: Right. You’re, of course, referring to the building with the “Town Hall” sign, which is.. actually the gift shop.

Gary: Oh, I get it! sort of like how the old — Ye Olde Apothecary’s really the bathrooms!

Mr. Morrison: No. No, actually, I wanted to talk to you about that, too. Uh – back to my original point. You know, it’s no secret that you’ve had some problems with some of the other employees – or, more accurately, it’s one particular group that’s had a problem with you. Uh – Gary, would you care to guess which one that is?

Gary: [ thinking ] Those dastardly British?

Mr. Morrison: Mmm-hmm. No, no. We don’t have any British employees. Why don’t you guess again?

Gary: [ thinking ] I hope you’re not gonna tell me it’s the Slaves.

Mr. Morrison: There’s no slaves here, Gary. Alright? There’s no slaves. There are, however, some very unhappy African-American employees.

Gary: I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mr. Morrison. Ugh! This johnny cake is so dry. [ looks offscreen ] Mammy!! Fetch me some water from the well!

Mr. Morrison: No, that’s —

[ an employee named Denise, dressed like a colonial slavegirl, exits from one of the colonial houses ]

Denise: [ to Gary ] As I’ve told you before.. my name is Denise. Not “Mammy.” Mr. Morrison, this is completely offensive —

Mr. Morrison: Alright —

Denise: Can you please talk to him while I go get ready for Aunt Bessie’s Honkytonk Jamboree. [ dons a Mammy headdress, gives Gary a dirty look, then exits ]

Mr. Morrison: Of course, Denise.

Gary: Mr. Morrison, I – I don’t understand. She’s playing a slave! I’m just treating her the way my character would have treated her in colonial times!

Mr. Morrison: Okay. Okay. Well, she’s not the only one, though, Gary. Lamar Paulsen, for example, is very upset.

Gary: Well, again – I’m just treating him as his character. You know, I always try to be as historically accurate as possible, while within these grounds!

Mr. Morrison: Okay. But Lamar works in the corporate office, which is about thirty miles away from “the grounds.” and, for someone who’s trying to be “historiclaly accurate”, you’ve sent a whole lot of offensive e-mails!

Gary: Well.. I-I do have to take some historical liberties just to live my life!

Mr. Morrison: Yeah. Well, you’ve also been extremely offensive towards out many Asian-American tour groups, which, aside from being horribly inappropriate, has absolutely no historical basis! Because there weren’t any Asian people around in colonial times!

Gary: Well.. as always, I’ve tried to put myself in the mind of a colonial person! And I truly believe that, had they been given the opportunity, they would have hated Asian people, too!

Mr. Morrison: Uh-huh.

Gary: That’s my favorite part about this place – using your imaginiation!

Mr. Morrison: I guess what I’m trying to say, Gary, is that I think your racist behavior has nothing,/i> to do with where you work.