The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Eddie Murphy eventually wanted to stop playing Buckwheat because audiences kept asking him to do the character. That explanation comes from former Saturday Night Live executive producer Dick Ebersol, who recalled Murphy asking to end the role. It is not a verified direct interview matching the phrase “brutally honest thoughts.”
How Buckwheat became a recurring SNL character
Murphy debuted his Buckwheat impression on Saturday Night Live in 1981, according to the Buckwheat discussion in The Good Old Days: The Legacy of the Way We Were in Black and White, hosted on Scribd. In the sketches, Murphy used Buckwheat’s familiar costume and performed “Buh-Weet Sings,” garbling song titles for comic effect. He brought the character back several times over the next couple of years.
![Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Collection: Seasons One - Five [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41+XakhOIGL._SL160_.jpg)
The recurring performance became popular enough that viewers repeatedly asked Murphy to do Buckwheat. Ebersol recalled Murphy telling him: “I can’t stand it anymore. Everywhere I go people say, ‘Do Buckwheat, do this, do that.’ I want to kill him.” This is Ebersol’s recollection of Murphy’s words, as reported in the book excerpt and in Live from New York: The Complete, Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live; it is not a transcript of Murphy speaking in a direct interview.
Why the sketches killed off Buckwheat
After Murphy wanted to end the role, SNL made the character’s exit part of the comedy. “The Assassination of Buckwheat” and follow-up sketches satirized the way news outlets can fixate on a story. Murphy eventually retired the character.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →That distinction matters: the sketches’ stated satirical target was excessive media coverage, while the recurring Buckwheat impression itself remained open to criticism. The book excerpt records both the character’s popularity and the controversy around the portrayal.
Why the portrayal drew criticism
Some critics argued that Murphy’s performance repeated a demeaning racial stereotype rather than successfully mocking it. The book excerpt also says Murphy maintained that the portrayal was not intended as a personal offense, and that Ebersol apologized to Billie Thomas’s son. These are attributed positions and reactions, not evidence that viewers shared one settled interpretation.
Rank #2
- 12 DVDs of the best episodes from Seasons 1-5. Plus a 28-Page Collector’s Book telling the story of the show and cast
- 33 episodes with the original groundbreaking, irreverent, hilarious cast. Plus rare footage of the cast, including screen tests and interviews
- All-time classic sketches including “Land Shark,” “Word Association,” “The Killer Bees,” “Super Bass-o-Matic,” “Weekend Update,” and so many more
- Iconic characters including Coneheads, Samurai, Emily Litella, Chevy Chase as President Ford, Shower Mike, The Blues Brothers, Baba Wawa, and more! You'll also recieve special episodes including Chevy Chase's return to SNL with music icon Billy Joel, plus the historic 100th episode!
- Guest Hosts include George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Steve Martin, Candice Bergen, Paul Simon, and more
The tension is between intent, target, and effect: Murphy’s reported reason for stopping was audience demands; the “Buckwheat is dead” sketches aimed at media saturation; and critics questioned whether the character’s presentation reinforced the stereotype regardless of satirical intent.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What can be said about Murphy’s “brutally honest thoughts”
The available accounts support a specific answer: Murphy reportedly grew tired of repeated requests to perform Buckwheat and asked to end the character, according to Ebersol. They do not verify a direct Murphy interview using the headline’s “brutally honest” framing. The most precise way to describe his view is therefore as Ebersol’s recollection, not a quote newly confirmed by Murphy.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Sources: “Buckwheat” discussion in The Good Old Days: The Legacy of the Way We Were in Black and White, excerpt hosted on Scribd; Live from New York: The Complete, Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, hosted excerpt on Scribd.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
