Jimmy Fallon and Addison Rae criticised for TikTok dances segment: ‘Where are the Black creators who made these?’

‘Give the Black people who CREATED the dances CREDIT’

New York City

Monday 29 March 2021 16:13 BST

Jimmy Fallon and Addison Rae on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (YouTube/The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon)

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Jimmy Fallon and Addison Rae have come under criticism for a segment in which Rae performed TikTok dances, which failed to credit the creators of the choreographies.

Rae appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Friday. The episode included a segment titled “Addison Rae Teaches Jimmy Eight TikTok Dances”, in which Fallon held up signs bearing the names of each dance. Rae, in turn, performed each choreography.

After Fallon shared the segment on Twitter, several people asked why the show did not mention the original creators of the dances, many of whom are Black, on the air.

“Give the Black people who CREATED the dances CREDIT and actual screen time... just ugh,” one person wrote.

“Why didn’t you invite the original Black creators to show you and highlight them?” someone else asked.

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“Jimmy, this was the perfect opportunity to invite the Black creator(s) of these dances and you missed it. You need to be better than this if you have a platform and show of this size,” another person told Fallon.

Someone else asked the host: “Where are the Black creators who made every single one of these dances at Jim??”

When sharing the segment on YouTube, the programme included a list of credits highlighting the creators of each dance as follows:

Do It Again: @noahschnapp

Savage Love: @jazlynebaybee

Corvette Corvette: @yvnggprince

Laffy Taffy: @flyboyfu

Savage: @kekejanjah

Blinding Lights: @macdaddyz

Up: @theemyanicole

Fergalicious: @thegilberttwins

The Independent has contacted representatives for Rae and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon for comment.

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