Jimmy Fallon's Addison Rae TikTok dance segment called out for not crediting black creators

29 March 2021, 12:33

Addison Rae teaches Jimmy Fallon TikTok dances

By Katie Louise Smith

Addison and Jimmy's TikTok dance segment received backlash after the show failed to credit the original creators behind each dance.

Addison Rae made her debut on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon last week (March 26), and people are now calling out the TikTok dance segment that she took part in.

While promoting her new single 'Obsessed', Addison stopped by The Tonight Show to take part in a lil' segment where she "teaches" Jimmy 8 iconic and popular dances from TikTok.

However, that segment has now been criticised by some because neither Addison nor Jimmy acknowledged the original creators of the dances.

Jimmy Fallon's TikTok dance segment with Addison Rae is getting backlash. Picture: Amy Sussman/KCA2021/Getty Images for Nickelodeon, Andrew Lipovsky/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Many viewers called out the show for failing to either promote the originators of the dances (the majority of whom are black creators), or invite them on the show to perform their own dances themselves.

While you can provide 'dance credit' (or 'dc', as it's known on the app) to the original creator on TikTok, which Addison always does in her captions, the segment didn't credit any of the creators on screen.

The View's Sunny Hostin called The Tonight Show's lack of credit "a miss", adding: "Let's give credit to the black creators". Others also called out the show, with one Twitter user writing: “So I’m guessing all of the black creators who made these dances up were busy huh?”

This is a miss @jimmyfallon. Let’s give credit to the black creators...... https://t.co/4fy9p96J1G
— Sunny Hostin (@sunny) March 28, 2021

So I’m guessing all of the black creators who made these dances up were busy huh? https://t.co/RS6boMNZH8
— Ryan Forever (@KoolestKidOut) March 28, 2021

This is why I bang on EVERYBODY about the economics and race of social media

“Tik tok dances”

the names of the artists not there

The actual choreographers not there

She’s on national television but where are the Black kids who actually made these https://t.co/jSdMMBbQu0
— 🇬🇾🗽Sydette Dread Gorgon 🇬🇾 🗽 (@Blackamazon) March 28, 2021

Why didn’t you invite the original Black creators to show you and highlight them?
— Britt Yvonne (@bitty_boop) March 27, 2021

On a platform as big as The Tonight Show with millions of viewers and even more on YouTube, the exposure would have been priceless to those creators who don't have as big of a following as Addison.

It's not the first time this has happened either. Back in early 2020, Addison and Charli D'Amelio went viral for popularising the 'Renegade' dance and performing it on multiple occasions. The original creator, Jalaiah Harmon (who was 14 years old a the time), didn't receive any credit at all.

Eventually, Jalaiah got the credit, performed at the NBA All-Star game and even appeared on The Ellen Show. In an interview with The New York Times, Jalaiah said: “I think I could have gotten money for it, promos for it, I could have gotten famous off it, get noticed. I don’t think any of that stuff has happened for me because no one knows I made the dance.”

The dance creator credits can be seen in the YouTube video's description, although it's not known if they have been added in response to the backlash or if they were there at the point of upload. For reference, here's who created each of the dances featured in the segment.

Do It Again - dc: @noahschnapp

Savage Love - dc: @jazlynebaybee

Corvette Corvette - dc: @yvnggprince

Laffy Taffy - dc: @2flyymy (Remix by @flyboyfu)

Savage - dc: @kekejanjah

Blinding Lights - dc: @macdaddyz

Up - dc: @theemyanicole

Fergalicious - dc: @thegilberttwins