Back in 2004, Snoop Dogg made a surprising cameo on The L Word, the groundbreaking Showtime series centered around a close-knit group of queer women in Los Angeles.
Appearing as a fictional rapper named Slim Daddy, Snoop joined Kit Porter (Pam Grier) for a music video shoot in Season 1. At the same time, Kit’s sister, Bette (Jennifer Beals), and her partner, Tina (Laurel Holloman), were just beginning their journey toward starting a family together—an arc that would continue across multiple seasons.
Cut to 2025, and the rapper’s tune has changed dramatically. During a July appearance on the It’s Giving podcast, Snoop vented about watching Lightyear, a children’s film that featured a brief kiss between two female characters, with his grandson.
“Aw s**t, I didn't come here for this s**t,” he said. “I just came here to watch the goddamn movie.” He then asked: “Do we have to show that at that age? They're going to ask questions. I don't have the answer.”
The moment sparked immediate backlash—not just for the comments themselves, but for their timing. Just a week prior, the Australian Football League (AFL) announced Snoop Dogg as the headliner for this year’s Grand Final entertainment. The league had already been under fire for lenient disciplinary action following a player’s anti-gay slur. AFL CEO Andrew Dillon attempted to defend the decision to keep Snoop, describing him as “the person he is today,” and praising his supposed personal growth.
But if this is growth, what does regression look like?
Snoop’s comments are far from isolated. A quick look at his public history reveals a pattern: a 2013 Guardian interview where he claimed homosexuality and rap “don’t mix;” a 2014 Instagram post mocking two men in bed with the caption “go suck ya man;” and a 2015 lawsuit after he posted a photo of a fan and encouraged followers to guess their gender show his true colors. In 2017, his Moment I Feared music video drew ire for its depiction of a pink-handbag-wearing, high-heel-clad rapper—a clear parody of gender-nonconforming artist Young Thug.
Yet somehow, this same artist once appeared in The L Word—not just any show, but a show deeply focused on queer love, queer joy, and, yes, queer parenting. And he did so with apparent comfort, embracing the space as Slim Daddy while Bette and Tina were plotting baby names just a few scenes away. The above instances also occurred after he told TMZ that “love is love” and he’s “not trying to change anybody.”
The disconnect is jarring, but not uncommon. It’s a well-worn pattern: artists, athletes, and public figures enjoy the visibility and cultural cache of queer proximity—until the moment it becomes “too much,” or too close to their personal lives.
So when Snoop complains about same-sex kisses in animated films, it’s not just out of touch—it’s hypocritical. Because he’s not new to this conversation. He’s been inside it. He’s rapped through it. He’s literally been on The L Word.
Maybe what we’re seeing isn’t confusion, but clarity. When the cameras roll, the allyship performs. But off-script, the mask slips.
