Parody causing anger? Since when?! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the moments when the legendary NBC sketch show landed itself in hot water.
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00:00Unfortunately, not right now, bro. You know the vibes, but I promise if anything changes, I'll pull up.
00:07Say less, bro.
00:10Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the moments when the legendary NBC sketch show Saturday Night Live landed itself in hot water.
00:18Take care of her.
00:21Death to America.
00:24Number 20. The rise and fall of Shane Gillis.
00:27Most of you probably have no idea who I am. I was actually, I was fired from this show a while ago, but if, you know, don't look that up, please.
00:39The stand-up comedian and podcaster definitely wasn't the first SNL cast member to be fired from the show, even before ever appearing in an episode.
00:47But it's safe to say that he's the most prominent.
00:49I probably shouldn't be up here, honestly. I should be home. I should be a high school football coach. That's what I should be.
00:57Slated to appear alongside Bowen Yang and Chloe Fineman ahead of SNL's 45th season premiere in 2019,
01:03Gillis was quickly ejected from the cast following accusations of making racist remarks on a podcast appearance a few years earlier.
01:10Gillis' comedy career didn't suffer permanent damage, and he was even invited to host SNL during its 49th season in 2024.
01:18You know how, like, uh, you know how, like, when a woman's biological clock is ticking, she sees, like, a baby in a stroller and is like,
01:25Oh, my God, your baby. Like, that's how I am if I see, like, like a big 15-year-old. I'm like, Oh, my God, look at the size of that kid.
01:31Number 19. Tim Tebow, Jesus, and everything in between.
01:35Hey, everybody. Oh, Jesus, he has risen!
01:39No, no, no, not really. Just a quick visit. So, uh, hey, everybody take a seat. Go ahead, take a seat, chill out.
01:44If you'll recall, the former Denver Broncos superstar's signature move is literally kneeling in prayer.
01:50This made him a ripe target for SNL, which poked fun at the quarterback's devout Christianity in 2011.
01:56The sketch itself was fairly tame, with cast member Jason Sudeikis portraying a version of Jesus visiting the Broncos' dressing room.
02:03Yes, I, Jesus Christ, am indeed the reason you've won your past six football games.
02:08I knew it!
02:09Oh, Tim, easy, easy.
02:10However, the response from the Christian community was far from gracious.
02:14Veteran televangelist Pat Robertson and Fox News analyst Bob Beckel were among those who criticized the comedy show for its perceived blasphemy.
02:22Expanding on the issue, Beckel opined that, quote,
02:28I'm serious, man. Matt Prater, I pray to you, brother.
02:31Wow, you pray to me? I didn't know that.
02:34Well, yeah, you know, uh, that's because I'm not in everyone's face about it.
02:39Woody Harrelson uses SNL as a soapbox.
02:42Leaned against a tree and started to read the craziest script.
02:47Okay, full disclosure, I smoked a joint first.
02:51The outspoken multiple Oscar nominee is no stranger to controversy.
02:55Once arrested in Kentucky for planting hemp seeds,
02:58it might not come as a total surprise that Harrelson found himself the subject of backlash following remarks made during his 2022 SNL monologue.
03:06The biggest drug cartels in the world get together and buy up all the media and all the politicians
03:13and force all the people in the world to stay locked in their homes.
03:17The actor and former Cheers star quickly veered into conspiracy theory territory,
03:21metaphorically referring to the American government as a, quote,
03:24cartel forcing, quote, drugs, in this case, the COVID-19 vaccine, onto an unsuspecting public.
03:31Having previously been criticized for promoting such conspiracies on his social media accounts,
03:36Harrelson was roundly reprimanded for spreading disinformation.
03:39I threw the script away.
03:41I mean, who is going to believe that crazy idea being forced to do drugs?
03:47I do that voluntarily all day long.
03:50Number 17, trying to tackle the Try Guys.
03:53First off, Eugene Zach Keith, it's an honor.
03:58Thank you. This is, yeah, it's just surreal.
04:02There's a lot of anger on this couch.
04:06You guys remember this, right? It was all over the Internet in September 2022.
04:10The Try Guys, a group of four male YouTubers, were rocked by scandal when it was revealed that Ned Fulmer,
04:16one of their members, had had an affair with one of their production company's employees.
04:20Was this affair non-consensual?
04:22No, worse.
04:24He committed the heinous act of having a consensual kiss and not telling us, his friends.
04:32The fallout sent shockwaves across the web as fans tried to reconcile their squeaky clean image with Fulmer's betrayal.
04:39Of course, SNL had to cover it in some way, but still caught serious flack for it.
04:43Writing for Mashable, Elizabeth DeLuna chastised the show for, quote,
04:47condoning brazen workplace misconduct and, quote, misunderstanding the Try Guys brand and fandom.
04:53What now?
04:55Well, we've conducted an internal review with a team of H.R. professionals
04:59and are no longer working with white guy, white guy, Try Guy Ned.
05:07Early in my career, I learned that there are two words in the English language
05:11that you should never say together in sequence.
05:14And those words are the and juice.
05:18Ever the provocateur, Chappelle on SNL is always must-see TV.
05:23Having previously hosted two episodes following major U.S. electoral events,
05:27both admirers and detractors eagerly awaited his takes.
05:30However, his November 2022 hosting appearance took a slightly different turn,
05:35focusing on other recent news.
05:37Kanye's gotten into some scrapes before. Normally when he's in trouble, I pull up, I pull up immediately.
05:43But this time I was like, you know what? Let me see what's gonna happen first.
05:46In his somewhat bizarre and disjointed monologue,
05:49the notorious comedian addressed then-recent accusations of anti-Semitism
05:53directed at Kanye West and NBA player Kyrie Irving.
05:56Chappelle faced criticism from Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt
06:01for lacking sensitivity and nuance, as well as for not strongly disavowing the men's remarks.
06:06I had so many questions. Why do some of your people dress like Run-D.M.C.?
06:13At Safelite, we know how busy life can be.
06:16This girl was heading to play in the state championship when their windshield got a crack.
06:20For the uninitiated, Safelite was probably the last company anyone would expect the show to poke fun at,
06:25considering their main business is selling and fixing car windshields.
06:29The premise of a 2017 sketch parodied Safelite's previous commercials,
06:33with Beck Bennett portraying a Safelite technician
06:36who uncomfortably hits on a customer's underage daughter in progressively creepier ways.
06:40How did the game go?
06:41We won!
06:42Wow, the windshield looks brand new. Thanks for your help. Bye!
06:46Wait, how close was the game?
06:48We demolished them.
06:49Good job!
06:50Safelite responded negatively on Twitter,
06:52expressing disappointment at the show's portrayal of its employees and calling it, quote,
06:57In response, NBC swiftly but quietly removed the clip from all of its official platforms.
07:03A brand new windshield.
07:05You know, I came out at halftime and it was cracked again.
07:08No worries. So, who won the game this time?
07:11We destroyed them.
07:16I yield my time back to Miss Stefanik.
07:18Dammit!
07:20I am here today because hate speech has no place on college campuses.
07:25When a show tackles hot-button issues on a weekly basis, it's bound to rile some people up.
07:30On December 5th, 2023, the United States Congress held a hearing
07:34about anti-Semitism on American college campuses
07:36in the wake of the October 7th Hamas-led attack on Israel and subsequent related protests.
07:41Hate speech belongs in Congress, on Elon Musk's Twitter,
07:47in private dinners with my donors,
07:50and in public speeches by my work husband, Donald Trump.
07:54On December 9th, SNL began a parody of this hearing,
07:57with cast member Chloe Trost portraying U.S. Representative Elise Stefanik.
08:01The sketch took aim at Stefanik and the Republican Party at large for being vocal about this issue,
08:06but choosing to remain silent about other similar topics.
08:09SNL took heat on social media from the Anti-Defamation League, New York Post,
08:14and Republican politicians about their handling of the issue.
08:17This is personal for me. While I am not Jewish, I'm Roman Catholic.
08:25Well, this is it.
08:27You need any help with your bag?
08:29No, it's alright, I got it.
08:31How about some walking around money?
08:33Dad, it's okay.
08:34Did anyone see where this one was going when they first saw it?
08:37Host Dakota Johnson and SNL cast member Taryn Killam play a dad-daughter duo.
08:41Killam is seemingly dropping Johnson's character off at college
08:44in a parody of a 2015 Super Bowl ad for Toyota.
08:47You be careful, okay?
08:49Dad, it's just ISIS.
08:52When a truck full of arms-toting ISIS militants pulls up,
08:55it's pretty clear that Johnson's not going to college.
08:58SNL audiences didn't quite warm up to this absurd heightened spoof
09:01that leans heavily into dark comedy.
09:03The sketch was roundly criticized by social media users,
09:06with one person writing on Twitter, now ex,
09:09quote, I say this as a lifelong SNL fan,
09:12the ISIS commercial was in poor taste.
09:14Scratch that, horrible taste.
09:16Take care of her.
09:19Death to America.
09:23Doctor, please tell us what's up with our bestie.
09:26You all might want to sit down.
09:28What I have to say right now might be a little cringe.
09:30Just give us a tea.
09:32Billionaire businessman Elon Musk
09:34is a divisive public figure, to say the least.
09:36His SNL hosting gig on May 8, 2021
09:39was no less polarizing than one would expect.
09:42While Musk's comedic chops received predictably mixed reviews,
09:46one sketch in particular stood out with regard to the controversy it raised.
09:49Your bestie took a major L while driving her Hellcat.
09:52Yeah, we saw.
09:54We tried everything, we couldn't.
09:56Viewers were critical of Gen Z Hospital
09:58for its attempt to satirize contemporary trends.
10:01Beyond that, the sketch came under fire
10:03for its perceived attacks on African-American vernacular English.
10:06Michael Che, who claimed credit for writing Gen Z Hospital,
10:09responded via social media,
10:11stating that he was unaware of the term's existence
10:14and insisting he meant no offense.
10:16Unfortunately, not right now, bro.
10:18You know the vibes.
10:20But I promise, if anything changes, I'll pull up.
10:25Say less, bro.
10:2611. Pete Davidson vs. Dan Crenshaw
10:29As we said, the midterm elections are next week.
10:32Here with his first impressions of some of the candidates is Pete Davidson.
10:35Whoever said SNL never had an effect on American politics?
10:39Okay, maybe no one ever said that,
10:41but it is slightly amusing to think that this weekend update segment
10:44is likely what got Congressman Dan Crenshaw elected.
10:47So the midterm elections are obviously a huge deal.
10:50And after I had to move back in with my mom,
10:52I started paying attention to them.
10:59She's loving it.
11:00As part of a bit in which Davidson roasted GOP hopefuls
11:03who were up for 2018's midterm elections,
11:05the King of Staten Island star referred to the then-candidate Crenshaw as, well...
11:10Hold on.
11:12You may be surprised to hear he's a congressional candidate from Texas
11:16and not a hitman in a porno movie.
11:19Left- and right-wing publications alike criticized Davidson
11:22for mocking not only a military veteran but a person with a disability.
11:26Crenshaw later appeared on the show to roast Davidson right back,
11:29after which the comedian apologized.
11:4110. President Trump airs his grievances via Twitter
11:49It's a never-ending cycle.
11:51SNL and Alec Baldwin mock Donald Trump during a skit,
11:54prompting the president to rage on Twitter.
11:57In turn, this provides SNL material for a future sketch,
12:00ensuring they never run out of jokes to make at Donald Trump's expense.
12:12Eventually, this cycle went meta,
12:14resulting in Donald Trump blasting SNL on Twitter
12:17about a skit making fun of how Trump uses the platform.
12:20Apparently, the joke went over the president's head.
12:23Baldwin would play the role until 2020,
12:26at which point incoming cast member and viral Trump impressionist
12:29James Austin Johnson filled his shoes.
12:32Actually, that's not why I do what I do,
12:34because my brain is bad.
12:38But I promise I'm done retweeting,
12:40I'm ready to buckle down and get to work.
12:429. Adrian Brody goes Jamaican
12:45After winning an Oscar for his fantastic turn
12:48in Roman Polanski's The Pianist,
12:50Adrian Brody seemed to try everything in his power
12:53to squander that momentum.
12:55Besides giving Halle Berry an impromptu kiss at the Oscars,
12:58the talented actor's improv skills were called into question
13:01on Saturday Night Live.
13:03While hosting a 2003 episode,
13:05Brody donned fake dreadlocks and tried out a Jamaican accent
13:08before introducing reggae musician Sean Paul.
13:11Brody has yet to re-host SNL,
13:14suggesting that Lorne Michaels was far from impressed.
13:228. When Down Syndrome was the punchline
13:28Humor works best when it's at the expense of someone else.
13:31So, over the years,
13:32Saturday Night Live has poked fun at nearly everyone.
13:35Still, why Down Syndrome?
13:40The Danny's Song skit
13:42centers around a group of friends sitting at a bar
13:44fondly reminiscing about a few unsavory memories.
13:47It's the first day I ever thought to myself,
13:49just, I have a dad,
13:51and not, I have a dad with Down Syndrome.
13:54John Coleman, the CEO of the National Down Syndrome Society,
13:58wrote a scathing letter to Lorne Michaels,
14:01criticizing the sketch as insensitive and derogatory.
14:05NBC replied with an apology
14:07and thanked Coleman for sharing his concerns with them.
14:147. Martin Lawrence
14:16Nowadays, it might be hard to believe,
14:18but there was a time when Martin Lawrence owned Hollywood.
14:24The Martin series was hugely popular,
14:26and he even made the jump to the big screen
14:28with Bad Boys and Nothing to Lose.
14:31Despite being one of the hottest comedians of the 90s,
14:34Lawrence was banned from SNL due to an offensive monologue
14:37delivered while hosting a 1994 episode.
14:40The rambling intro spends an absurd amount of time
14:43lambasting women for not taking proper care of themselves,
14:46prompting SNL to ban the comedian.
14:576. Tiger Woods sketch mocking domestic violence
15:01I offer my profound apology for these multiple transgressions.
15:06Multiple? So it happened more than once?
15:10Did I say multiple?
15:11Mocking Tiger Woods is perfectly fine.
15:14Saturday Night Live would have been crazy
15:16to not write a skit after the infidelity scandal broke out.
15:19During 2009's Thanksgiving weekend,
15:22Ellen Nordegren chased her husband with a golf club
15:24before Woods crashed his car and was temporarily knocked out.
15:28I was disoriented from the fall,
15:30so I stumbled to the other side of our house
15:32and I launched myself through a plate glass window.
15:36Yeah, this is what happened.
15:37While Florida Highway Patrol found no evidence of domestic violence,
15:41SNL turned it into the punchline,
15:43with Kenan Thompson's Tiger Woods
15:45trying to excuse his progressively worsening injuries.
15:48This is all my fault.
15:50Believe it or not, I actually ran over myself.
15:54The sketch was criticized for suggesting
15:56that domestic violence is funny when the husband is the victim.
16:00So, uh, this time I have a prepared written statement
16:02which I shall stick to.
16:11Celebrities and politicians are fair game,
16:13but you should never throw one of your own under the bus.
16:16Look, children, it's a falling star. Make a wish.
16:19David Spade and Lorne Michaels learned that the hard way
16:21when a brief Hollywood Minute segment
16:23ruined the show's relationship with Eddie Murphy.
16:26SNL owes a lot to the legendary comedian,
16:29which explains why Murphy was shocked and hurt
16:31when Spade joked that his career was on the downturn.
16:35After two commercial misses,
16:37the last thing Eddie Murphy needed was for his ex-employer
16:39to kick him while he was down.
16:41When you make a Hollywood Minute omelet, you break some eggs.
16:44Twenty years later, they finally put their bad blood to bed.
16:48This show is such a big part of who I am in my life
16:51and I'm so happy to be back here.
16:53And it's just a magical feeling.
16:56It actually feels like going back to my old high school, kind of.
17:06Christoph Waltz is Jesus H. Christ in Jesus Uncrossed.
17:10The trailer spoofs Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained
17:13and Inglourious Bastards by portraying a renegade version of Jesus
17:17who's out for revenge against the Romans who killed him.
17:22The H is silent.
17:24In the twist of the decade, a few religious groups
17:27did not take kindly to this over-the-top depiction of their Lord and Savior.
17:31When you get to heaven, say hi to my dad.
17:34SNL angered both Muslims and Christians,
17:37prompting the Council on American-Islamic Relations
17:39to publicly lambaste Jesus Uncrossed as distasteful and disrespectful.
17:44We doubt anyone involved was surprised by the outrage.
17:49No more Mr. Nice Jesus.
17:57Here to publicly address the issue is New York Governor David Patterson.
18:05Over the decades, Saturday Night Live has supplied great satire on America's political system,
18:10but their Governor Patterson sketch is not one of them.
18:13Since the politician is legally blind,
18:16Patterson does require assistance with some tasks,
18:19but otherwise is self-sufficient.
18:21SNL portrayed the Governor as a Mr. Magoo-type character,
18:24stumbling into and ruining a few different skits.
18:27If you don't believe me, take a look at this graph that I got here.
18:33The Governor was not pleased with the gag,
18:35explaining that it perpetuates the stereotype
18:38that the visually impaired cannot carry out even the most basic of functions.
18:42Whoever is appointed Senator must, like me,
18:44be caught totally off guard and be comically unprepared to take office.
18:53There are two things that I've never done,
18:55is beat a woman and bury all my money in the backyard.
18:58Lorne Michaels tends to have complete control over the comings and goings of SNL's cast,
19:02but there was a time when it was taken away from him.
19:05During the O.J. Simpson trial,
19:07SNL was known for portraying the naked gun actor as guilty,
19:10including remarks leveled by Norm MacDonald during his Weekend Update segment.
19:20Rumors suggest that these jokes annoyed Don Ulmeier,
19:23NBC's West Coast Division President and Simpson's friend,
19:26leading to the comedian's dismissal.
19:29MacDonald definitely believed this was the case,
19:31but it was never outright confirmed.
19:34It's just a matter of opinion. He also thinks that O.J. is innocent.
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19:54Number 1
19:55Sinead O'Connor takes on the Pope
19:58Everywhere is war
20:01Even after all these years,
20:03this still easily stands out as Saturday Night Live's most infamous moment.
20:08Sinead O'Connor had already garnered a reputation as a musician who's willing to rock the boat,
20:13but that was taken into overdrive in 1992.
20:16After performing a cover of Bob Marley's War,
20:19the singer tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II
20:22while demanding that people fight the real enemy.
20:27Fight the real enemy!
20:28The moment did not help O'Connor's career,
20:31and Joe Pesci jokingly threatened physical violence during the next SNL episode.
20:36I would have grabbed it by her eyebrows.
20:40Has SNL ever pissed you off? Let us know in the comments below.
20:44This is all my fault. Believe it or not, I actually ran over myself.
20:49Did you enjoy this video?
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