Saved by the Bell's Most Racist Episode (1990) (Manic Episodes)

[@Blacknight8850]

And thus Zack gained a new understanding of his Native American heritage, deeply shaping his outlook on life in ways that totally lasted past the end of this episode.

[@KatKevaKelise]

Kirkhammer is my Waifu I

[@Ash_North_]

Zack Morris is trash.

[@subraxas]

Yeah, that's how it unfortunately often worked with the HIGHLY episodic TV shows back in the '80s and '90s. Status Quo got re-established at the beginning of each new outing. :-(

[@InTheMorningSnow]

The crazy part, is Mark is actually biracial. His mother is Indonesian. They could've easily used his actual heritage for this episode.

[@peterpeet4061]

No he's not, his mother is only part Indonesian

[@billyweed835]

They forced him to dye his hair blonde for some reason.

[@H81234]

@@peterpeet4061 his mother is full Indonesian.

[@nathansaintus9927]

True, they should've used his real heritage it just made the episode look racist smh.

[@Arigriphantua]

To his credit, he did apologize for this.

[@jaso4455]

I need more Manic Episodes of Saved By The Bell like yesterday

[@cbfall]

Agreed

[@JQXJQ]

Bell-watching! It needs to happen, this is solid gold.

[@planescaped]

I dunno... it wasn't fun bad like Baywatch... Saved by the Bell is just unpleasant bad.

[@jaso4455]

Eh I grew up watching reruns of this show and I would love to see Allison dissect some of the more well-known episodes

[@redfarmer1980]

As someone who reviewed every episode of the franchise, I concur with planescaped: when Baywatch was bad, it wasn't always fun bad, it could be unpleasant bad. "Jessie's Song" and "Pipe Dreams" were fun bad, but you ought to see the episode of The College Years where Slater gets interested in his Mexican heritage to impress a girl.

[@danhester4408]

Holy shit I can't believe Slater called Screech a twink.

[@charleshetrick3152]

I like that Lisa actually handled the other girl’s guilt perfectly.

[@Clambamthankyoumam]

Jessica Spano aka Jessie.

[@sageparra4956]

@7:45, your comedic editing/timing of this shot is perfect, well done.

[@anasnow6635]

I hate to be that douche, but Chief Henry knowing who Zack's ancestor is makes sense. Chief Joseph was a real person and a rather prominent figure in Native American history. I'm pretty sure Zack quotes Chief Joseph's surrender speech in his second presentation. This just makes the episode more insane because they basically wrote RPF fanfic.

[@mattsherlock9636]

Ah the nineties, when people knew it was bad to be racist but didn't know what that meant and didn't realize that their attempts at being respectful were racially insensitive because they still treated as stereotypes.

[@thomaslee2558]

best era ever

[@AquaLantern]

"We Native Americans are known for our great sense of humor!" Heh, funny thing is, according to my professor, several Native American tribes actually did and do have a firm grasp on sarcasm x)

[@Tareltonlives]

I know a lot of tribes with raunchy senses of humor

[@rubencanas4230]

Preach brother

[@kaleyallyssa]

Did? We DO!

[@AquaLantern]

@@kaleyallyssa my bad, changing the tense.

[@Librariansaysook]

I'm pretty sure the war paint and breast plate are also kinda things you're not supposed to wear outside of very specific contexts. I also don't think Nez Perce wore headdresses like that but I could be wrong

[@DeviantDork]

So what? The same could be said for Catholic clothes, or Jewish clothes. Who cares?

[@cineMADvocate]

*clears throat* Zack Morris is Traaaaaash....

[@ralphyetmore]

This episode was a doubleheader. Tacky treatment of both racism AND death! Thanks, SBTB!

[@TravisBierwagen]

I used to know the guy with the curly blonde hair & glasses that walks through the background at about 8:48. He was one of my high school drama coaches, before he moved back to do that he was one of the recuring nerds of Bayside.

[@AllisonPregler]

Nice!

[@fatimagic1365]

when i saw the thumbnail for this video, i figured zack wore the appropriative costume in the beginning of the episode, before he learns 'the error of his ways.' but no. somehow his second attempt is arguably even more racist than the first. who wrote this?!

[@Nickman826]

the fatimagic starts with white ends with people

[@fatimagic1365]

so...what does this have to do with the racism on display in this episode? unless you're trying to negate what i'm saying and you support the racism...

[@Nickman826]

What! no I was saying White People wrote it! You asked "Who wrote this?" I said that white people wrote it.

[@fatimagic1365]

ooohhh gotcha. i thought you were referring to me, and while i am in fact white, i thought you meant you say that my whiteness somehow made my comment pointless or something. you're totally right, i'm just used to expecting the worst from youtube comments. *shudders* my bad.

[@winterlynn9012]

@2manynegativewaves You pretty much said exactly what I was thinking. Thank you. 👏

[@TheCinemaBizarro]

Tangentially related, but I've always wanted to see paranormal type shows include more Native American folklore. I'm not talking about the feel-good stuff either. I'm talking all the monsters. Cannibalistic wendigoes, Stikini (Seminole owl-women), demonic floating heads, all sadly unexplored in larger pop culture. You want to get kids interested in someone's history and culture? I say start with the nightmare fuel!

[@HauntFreak13]

The Cinema Bizarro I like the way you think.

[@Tareltonlives]

I'd just be happy to have a skinwalker that isn't just a Hollywood werewolf

[@U014B]

Imagine The Real Ghostbusters doing that. We could see Coulier-Venkman get eaten by a Wendigo!

[@fran_k_spectacular]

Pointing out the darker side or anything except the genocide and slavery that was done to them by ALL white people is racist... right?

[@vgtrp]

Yeah, even Mark Paul Gosseler apologized for this episode. I'm sure their hearts we're in the right place, the execution was kinda disrespectful. Anyway, I enjoyed the video and hope you do more Saved by the Bell episodes in the future.

[@joshua7426]

There was nothing to apologize for

[@computerjosh22]

The execution wasn't "kinda if disrespectful". It was very disrespectful. No need to sugar coat it.

[@capheind]

I googled around, the actor is descended from holocaust survivors... why wasn't this about that? it'd have made more sense.

[@IsaacMayerCreativeWorks]

Because it would alienate the anti-Semitic Nielsen audience. How many white southern dipshits say “I’m 1/16 Jewish princess”

[@FitnessByMatt]

@@IsaacMayerCreativeWorks Isaac Mayer, how about you own up to your Jewish ancestors and their involvement in communism. Particular the ones who engineered the Ukrainian Famine. So don't you fucking dare suggest that Jews were victims in the 20th century, any more than they were creating victims.

[@TemmiePlays]

2 years later - I think having a light hearted sitcom episode about the Holocaust would've ended everyone's careers about 5 years too early.

[@KetwunsGamingPad]

That’s interesting because there was an episode that featured a Jewish teacher. That was when he made the excuse he would take off for Rosh Hashanah by pretending to be Jewish. That would have been a perfect breakout episode where Zack actually finds out he’s really Jewish and it would have been better taste because for once it would be based on real life background and rediscovering true roots!

[@Sahoniwaya]

This episode is one of those I tend to bring up in "bad native representation in the 90's"" conversations. One of these days I need to take a look through Walker Texas Ranger because I promise you there is probably at least one example a season given Chuck Norris' weird masturbatory obsession with the Magic Indian archetype.

[@xdarkwing104x]

Lupa... you'll have YEARS of content if you give saved by the bell the Baywatch treatment. I love you!!!💘💞💘💝 Also, consider California Dreams and City Guys. My subscription bell is always on. We love your videos!

[@AllisonPregler]

Thanks!

[@angelmarie2]

Nimbus Yosh California Dreams had a similar episode to the pill popping song except with steroids and Kelly Packard.

[@xdarkwing104x]

Angel Young exactly! I miss that show. Allison would have a field day

[@angelmarie2]

Nimbus Yosh I use to come home from school everyday and watch it on TBS. They never released the final season but I viewed the final episode on KZbin. A very realistic ending to the series.

[@xdarkwing104x]

Angel Young correct. I loved it

[@FaeQueenCory]

Whatsherface's friend was part of the Indian tribe of Indians. Because, like Asians and Latinos, we Native Americans are all the same to white people. It's a constant fight to educate people on how each region's aboriginals all are *vastly* different from each other. Also that we're not elves. White people, *we are not elves*. (And while I'm a Mohawk, not.... a Nezpers? Nes Purs? Niezpurs? .... His costume is very... generically vaguely racist. It's that paint on the leather. People tended not to paint their clothes with random designs.)

[@christopherhazell1856]

FaeQueenCory Nez Perce. Given that Nez Perce live in my home state of Oregon, I feel like I ought to know if that costume is accurate, but... I suspect not.

[@FaeQueenCory]

+Christopher Hazell Thank you for the spelling!! There's so many of us, that it's easy to overlook a tribe if you're not near them. (As I am not. Being of the NE US/Canada.) And I agree. It's the paint on the leather. That pushes it (along with the headdress) from being clothing into being costume. The bone chestplate doesn't help either. But seeing as how similar things are in other groups... I can't say it's not in the Nez Perce.

[@onlymehalo9665]

FaeQueenCory All African/Indigenous tribes and cultures: Black. All Native Hispanic Indian and eastern cultures: Brown. All Modern European cultures: European. Wow cause that's fair. If you look it up this thinking is by default empathy is just much harder. Look up front love empathy and white people please.

[@FaeQueenCory]

+ONLYmeHALO I'mma need you to use.... English. Or at the very least punctuation. Cause it seems like you're trying to say that we're all the same because of our skin color. Which is straight up racist. (More so when talking about aboriginal people, which African Americans are not part of. As there is such varied skin tones with us First Nations peoples.... I can't even.) There is *so* much difference between all of us, that your attempts at equating all of us is minorly offensive. If you didn't mean to be racist (all aboriginals are the same), then I apologize and ask you to use better punctuation next time.

[@onlymehalo9665]

FaeQueenCory No am I saying this is how a racist thinks, gosh read the comment.

[@themanwiththecrystaleyes464]

The amount of awkward unintentionally intentional offensive jokes in this episode actually make me laugh, not because the jokes are funny but by how the creators failed at being genuine and instead made it ...well.. unintentionally intentionally offensive.

[@arklestudios]

And yet still less offensive to Native Americans than the Voyager episode "Tattoo." Granted, that's a pretty low bar...

[@chabololdayh7106]

Manic episodes

[@CountessChuchoteur]

Chabol Oldayh Same! I've never watched Charmed, but I watched every single Manic Episode on Charmed!

[@patrickdix772]

7:55 Yeah, those head dresses were mainly from the great plains tribes, and not from the northwestern tribes. So he might be in an accurate Native American outfit, but its just accurate for some of the tribes, not all of them.

[@Pensive_Scarlet]

I remember when I was a kid and this episode opened I totally thought they were chanting "Sex! Sex! Sex!" :D I think the idea with Screech's character is that he was supposed to just fill whatever "nerd archetype" role the scene needed, so altogether he ended up unintentionally being this amalgamated savant of the nerd-o-sphere. A little autism, some neglected attention-seeking, the occasional work of super-science. It just depends on whether the writers were thinking of Real Genius, Weird Science, Revenge of The Nerds, The Goonies, or [insert any other retro nerd film], at any given moment. Sometimes this show was ahead of its time. Lisa's reaction to Jessie was perfect. You know, I always wondered if that episode about Jessie's "caffeine problem" was a tongue in cheek, subtle parody of all the drug scare media at the time.... "We are finally gonna cream Valley, Zack!" The look on Zack's face is all like "please don't be talking about hotdogging, please don't be talking about hotdogging". XD

[@thenightrider2121]

Man, I remember when I used to watch this show. And I think this was one I probably saw a lot more than others. Hopefully you can cover more episodes in the future.

[@cloudstrife532220]

01:49 in other words... Zack Morris is Trash.

[@oliviaisgod]

9:16 he literally just called him a twink? I thought this was family viewing!

[@maugos]

Geesh, why did I like this show when I was young again? All the dumb racism aside the show just isn't funny.

[@lunayoshi]

Neither is the incessant insults at nerdy/"dumb" Screech. It just reinforces the idea that picking on someone for not being "cool" is okay. And it happens. Every. Dang. Episode. No wonder Dustin Diamond has so much pent-up hostility. If you want to call it "pent-up," I guess.

[@lunayoshi]

Yep! Though I have to give them credit for making a black character not be defined by their blackness. Lisa's not a sexy gangsta diva or anything, and the nerd has a crush on her. I think that's the ONLY credit I can give them, though.

[@Tareltonlives]

I never liked this show TBH.

[@Crazy56U]

I just realized a way the Jessie/Lisa subplot could've been a touch more fucked up: if Jessie learned that her ancestors were the slave owners of Lisa's ancestors.

[@jonathanwashington6083]

They actually did that on The Facts of Life

[@Daydreamer_3322]

Great episode, Allison. Loved your jabs at the show. Maybe if they had tackled Zach having Asian heritage, it would've made more sense. The actor is half Indonesian.

[@Daydreamer_3322]

Malchik Blue lol, that's probably the German on his dad's side. But now that he's older you can notice it a bit in his eyes

[@cineMADvocate]

Angelisa Hassan no one was shocked by it he made a statement no different from your statement about how your aunt looks white even though she’s half and half. You said LITERALLY the exact same thing that the OP did. Get over yourself.

[@ONLYFOOLSNVIDEOS]

the actor who played chief henry died a year after the episode aired and presumably after he watched it for the first time.

[@danstiver9135]

The 80s and 90s really did love the Magic Native American trope.

[@meamishere1166]

Baby Hitler Yeah, The-X-Files went down this road more than once and Star Trek: TNG as well.

[@RainBird88x]

Zack later scalped Ms.Wentworth for giving him a B.

[@culwin]

You didn't start with Good Morning, Miss Bliss? That's cheating!

[@michaelfragoso6572]

It’s was nice that Mark Paul Gossler apologized but really the person who wrote the episode that should apologize the most and is the most a fault

[@cyrusmallison6157]

I met Mark-Paul just a few weeks ago, he told us he is half- Asian as is mother is from Indonesia.

[@mdc3148]

I doubt his mom wasn’t already mixed

[@jamcalx]

is this going to be a thing? because baywatch doesn't last forever and I would be totally cool with this being the new thing! this or Renegade.

[@JQXJQ]

I've never heard of Renegade but IMdB makes it sound amazing. It would make a perfect sequel to the Baywatching series.

[@kimifw58]

"baywatch doesn't last forever" *Challenge accepted.*

[@MrParkerman6]

Zack Morris is traaassshhhh!

[@DrGregoryHouseIT]

The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions, The TV Episode. Good God, is it ever.

[@quinnzykir]

When I wake up in the morning! I realize it's Saturday and I go back to sleep

[@DaEdRoFl]

"Just as the slaves" killed me great episode

[@collectingmythoughts991]

This one is going to be a fun ride. It would be cool to see you cover the Snow White And The Seven Dorks episode and the one where Screech creates the pimple cream that turns everyone's faces maroon.

[@LaDracul]

The whole 'white guilt' subplot....I agree with Lisa in this scenario.

[@AutoRockinRacing94]

1:13 😂 brings me back to when I would do this on those DJ apps

[@goodcommunitylife]

Please make a video of the “Rockumentary” episode of Saved By The Bell!

[@ragantate3995]

“You made a robot!”

[@meghanobrien3045]

Mark Paul Gosselaar was part Asian this seems like a missed oppurtunity

[@MeganKoumori]

When I was like five my Mom didn't want me watching this show because she thought it was too adult for me. Bwahahaha...

[@dareal1956]

I never thought of this being racist when I was a kid but now looking at it yeah it definitely is

[@lettylunasical4766]

I hated this show as a kid because it wasn't funny. Screech in particular really irritated me.

[@fran_k_spectacular]

You didn't like screech? You anti semite!

[@WordUnheard]

Saved By The Bell? More like Enslaved By The Belle. I'll see myself out.

[@TheMellowFilmmaker]

This episode is so funny. I was talking about Allison's manic episode, not the Saved by the Bell episode. The Saved by the Bell episode was probably made with good intentions, but the writers didn't put enough effort to make it work.

[@mackdebruin999]

I thought there was a copyright claim on this video, so glad it's back!!!

[@mastermarkus5307]

Wait - What did "twink" mean to 90s kids!?

[@mdc3148]

Was just looking it up and the closest I could find was a ditz or dummy, but still connected to the sexual, young guy meaning

[@TotesCoolBeans]

Great video, as always Allison. (:

[@bigbearkat2010]

Perhaps they figured the audience would just take for granted that they beat Valley. I'm pretty sure that's what happened every other time they competed against them.

[@lillolita237]

I don't know if you'll see this comment but I just want to say that your show is absolutely amazing and every upload makes my day ! :-)

[@AllisonPregler]

Thanks!

[@beckyhop13]

Did...did the writers even know what "twink" means?!

[@whyyoulittle4537]

Nobody knew what the word meant back in 1991. It was an extremely different time back then you'll have to understand

[@whyyoulittle4537]

Nothing was offensive back then.

[@bds0706]

Fuckin' Hell, he's supposed to be Nez Pierce? Im pretty damn sure that's a plains people bonnet.

[@zmbdog]

You should do an episode on the theory that the "real" Zack (from the Indianapolis-set _Good Morning Miss Bliss_ ) is in a hospital due to a fire (or shooting) at his school, and _Saved by the Bell_ is nothing more than his comatose dreams where he changes the setting to California and imagines replacements for the now-dead Miss Bliss, Nikki and Mikey. It actually fits fairly well, explaining Zack's change in character; the unlikelihood of Zack, Screech, Lisa _and_ Mr. Belding all moving to The Palisades; his ability to freeze time in several episodes; the never-acknowledged switch from Kelly to Tori to Kelly in the cast; the "Behind the Music" episode, etc.

[@thomaslee2558]

this is actually one of my favorite episodes I love the speech at the end

[@morlockmaster109]

[The awkward collar-tugging intensifies]

[@aliciagreen5411]

07:13 30 years after this episode aired and SNL still runs with that line of thinking lol

[@guyincognito8043]

"Who wrote this?" I'll give you a hint: "it was the best of times, it was the BLURST of times!"

[@MCeili]

OMG!!! I so love your commentary!!! Keep it up please! Bayside Nurse to Worse episode next?

[@DigiDestined558]

I sincerly hope you'll do Jessie's Song some time in the future. It cannot be ignored! 😜🤓😍

[@desmondscalaro3669]

Another thing about your statement is true, native Americans do have a great sense of humor and they are hilarious

[@phantomdragon3893]

Wow freaking wishbone was more respectful than this.

[@HauntFreak13]

What’s the story, Wishbone?

[@Tareltonlives]

The native episode was stereotypical but at least it was respectful.....

[@sleazyfellow]

Wishbone was a dog, could probably do anything it wanted. Zack was clearly a white man riddled with guilt.

[@deskish3930]

oh shit i keep forgetting there are other adults besides Belding in this school

[@quinnzykir]

Zack is secretly a decendent of DIO Brando and uses his stand " the world" to stop time at wacky moments.

[@twiztidsidfreak13]

i grew up on this show!

[@StarlightPrism]

This was great! Hope you review more SBTB episodes!

[@Clambamthankyoumam]

It’s amazing how even in the 90’s we had some episodes of shows that were problematic but ultimately proved to not be very effective or impactful whatsoever.

[@jlassh]

You should go back and watch South Park from the 90s. I bet you would cry.

[@animefan25]

The college sequel to Saved by the Bell had an episode that dealt with race.

[@kmaru80]

Why has KZbin been hiding this from me?

[@TheDreamerExtreme]

"I'm ready to 'Jotin in the Conversation' too!" *claps furiously*

[@quinnzykir]

Zack: ZA WARUDO!!! *Stops time*

[@IllinYanaRasputin]

God, I hated this show when I was a kid. My sisters loved it, of course.

[@ZyxthePest]

Fun Fact: Pepper Ann did the same episode years later and it was 1000000x more effective because it didn't have a laugh track under the racism and actually showed Native American's being offended by the shit she was pulling.

[@borednow5838]

Movie Nights and Saved by the Bell? Like a marriage made in heaven!

[@hanswurst-re7df]

i want one of those tracksuits from the begining

[@bayviewbud1539]

I fuckin pissed my pants laughing at some of this narration

[@Alucard-A-La-Carte]

"Hey preppy, you solve racism yet??" has me rolling. Every time.

[@michaelmarquez6133]

This was very good, ill give you an A!

[@sillygrl23]

Wasn't there some thing in the 90s where at least SOME characters or another who were totally white-bread claimed to have been part Native American at some point? I just remember it being a running trope in most 90s Kids shows and Family Sitcoms.

[@BigAmericanGirlFan]

Like in Power Rangers Zeo with Tommy, except that one's confusing. Because it's more like his brother got adopted by Native Americans and was raised on the rez, but he was still white. So, it's more like what happened to Roy Harper (Arsenal/Speedy). But, the show claims that it extends to Tommy somehow.

[@beckyginger3432]

Ahhhhh ahhhhh this is so horrible!!! It's awful Oh God it gets worse!!!!

[@lotus-prince]

I've never watched this show before, but good lord, this episode is not good for anyone.

[@Mike0908]

you know i suppose it's a good thing his time stopping powers are for selfish reasons and never explained that i can remember. if this was the charmed universe he'd be like the long lost half brother complaining along with piper & phoebe about how having to fight demons and save people is getting in the way of his dates.

[@zionengine]

WOWWWWW. I've been goth since 1996, and 1:13 to 1:20 is the most hardcore black candles-and-incense thing I've heard in...hell, EVER.

[@patrickdukart3298]

A little late to the party but, MORE Saved by the Bell content PLEASE!!! The Spaghetti Sauce episode and the chess episode also rank up there with great racist episodes. Maybe great is the wrong word but...

[@tord4336]

slavery still exists today inn parts of Africa and Asia. :(

[@dunes8817]

I'm pretty sure she knows that.

[@1000huzzahs]

Also in the U.S., in the form of human trafficking and mass incarceration.

[@twiztidsidfreak13]

You should do a video on the ep where Zack talks to his dad about not being there

[@TemmiePlays]

what an odd trope, having a Native American character or discovering they're Native American was a thing in the 80's to 90's.

[@Alucard-A-La-Carte]

They wanted to look "deep" and "woke" without actually "hiring a Native actor in a recurring role" or "doing any actual research into history."

[@brunog5522]

"Funny racism one" lmao

[@221b]

I'd just like to thank you for keeping the SBtB clips in this episode as short as possible. I saw this episode as a kid and I know that there's a hell of a lot more cringe in it than what was shown here.

[@MikePhalin]

1:07 She's just remember that time she had with the entire football team. The cleanup. The shame.

[@onlymehalo9665]

1 Native ancestor- I'm Cherokee

[@meamishere1166]

Please do more *Saved By The Bell* reviews.

[@timberwolf0122]

that episode aged like a fine milk

[@quinnzykir]

6:41. My ancestor built trains. *Chugs his flash*