Most Controversial 'SNL' Skits of All Time

Either you patiently wait for Saturday night to see the newest episode of Saturday Night Live, laughing at the sketches with glee, or you hate it; there’s no in-between. Just kidding; a lot of people adore SNL for its witty, relevant skits and its surprising celebrity guest stars. Ever since its inception in 1975, people have wanted to see what the crazy, ever-changing cast will do next. Most skits are a hit, but those that aren’t, are so dang controversial.

You can’t have a bunch of hits without a few misses; it happens. But sometimes, SNL doesn’t know when to read the room and not cover something for the sake of laughter. We’ve seen them cover highly-controversial court trials and public breakups, making everyone feel anything other than joy.

When you look back, a lot of sketches didn’t age well: like the Tiger Woods cheating skit, the Chippendales sketch, and so many more. It’s awkward, and it gets offensive really quickly.

Most recently, SNL tried (and failed) to make light of singer Chappel Roan’s mental health struggles. Safe to say, SNL’s take on it was not nearly as well-received as they may have hoped.

And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Check out the most controversial SNL skits of all time below.

‘Moo Deng’ News Skit (2024)

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On Sept 28, 2024, Bowen Yang impersonated the popular baby hippo Moo Deng, but in the skit, he was playing the hippo like singer Chappell Roan. Roan has been in the news for putting up boundaries with fans and paparazzi, and has been quite vulnerable about her mental health struggles that have come with superstardom. Yang’s impersonation has sparked a lot of backlash on the internet, with many fans calling him out for making fun of a young singer going through mental health struggles.
‘Try Guys’ (2022)

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Bowen Yang, Mikey Day, and Andrew Dismukes starred in a sketch on Oct 8, 2022, which poked fun of the YouTube group Try Guys’ reaction video. The original video was posted once word came out that their former fourth member Ned was caught cheating on his wife with an employee. The video addressed a lot of fans’ concerns, but people were outraged at SNL’s take on making light of a life-altering event.
‘Johnny Depp and Amber Heard Trial Cold Open’ (2022)

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We all remember the twists and turns that came with the Johnny Depp/ Amber Heard trial, and how triggering it was for so many domestic abuse survivors. While the trial was still going, most of the cast members acted out a skit poking fun at the trial, including the infamous poop situation. Safe to say, Twitter was beyond angry with how they joked about this serious trial.
Chevy Chase & Richard Pryor (1975)

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One of the most controversial skits of all time was when Chevy Chase said the N-word to Richard Pryor back in 1975. In the skit, Chase is interviewing Pryor for a janitorial position; within it is a word association game that seems innocent by quickly turns into a string of racial slurs. Not much more need to be said.
Fallon Impersonating Chris Rock (2000)

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Back in 2000, Jimmy Fallon impersonated Chris Rock. He ended up doing blackface, and when the clip resurfaced in 2020, Fallon released a statement via Twitter. He said, “In 2000, while on SNL, I made a terrible decision to do an impersonation of Chris Rock while in blackface. There is no excuse for this. I am very sorry for making this unquestionably offensive decision, and thank all of you for holding me accountable.”
‘The Situation Room: Tiger Woods’ Accidents’ (2009)

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You’d think a skit with Blake lively and Kenan Thompson would be one of the best ever, but it’s definitely one of the most controversial. Back in 2009, when Tiger Woods was revealed to be having a string of affairs behind his wife’s back, SNL filmed a skit where Thompson, who played Woods, was making a statement, and then his wife took them off camera. When he came back, he looked battered, insinuating that his wife was beating him up. This sketch mocked domestic abuse survivors and caused quite a stir amongst many.
‘Nude Beach’ (1988)

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Matthew Broderick and the 1988 SNL cast did a skit that caused so much anger; it’s kinda insane. The sketch was based on men at a nude beach, but they uttered the word “penis” over 40 times, leading to thousands of angry calls to SNL.
Louis C.K’s Opening Monologue (2015)

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Back in 2015, Louis C.K. opened his episode of SNL with a monologue about child molestation. Yes, you read that right. Throughout the monologue, he talked about how he was “disappointed“ that the child molester in his neighborhood wasn’t interested in him, sympathized with child molesters’ motivations, and more. It doesn’t get any worse than that.
‘Father Daughter Ad’ (2015)

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SNL commercial sketches are rather hit or miss to the general public, but with this one, we’re truly wondering why they thought this was a good idea. Back in 2015, SNL did a commercial where actor Taran Killam dropped off his daughter, who was played by Dakota Johnson, at the airport so she could join ISIS. The entire skit made fun of the terrorist organization, and it really angered the internet.
‘Gen Z Hospital’ (2021)

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Along with being an extremely controversial host, Elon Musk’s main skit called “Gen Z hospital” did not sit well with most people. It was an awkward sketch that made fun of generation Z, saying a lot of quotes like “Bestie” and “the tea.”
‘Danny’s Song’ (2007)

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While everyone loves Rainn Wilson for his character in The Office, he caused quite a stir in 2007 with his one sketch called “Danny Song.” This highly controversial sketch basically makes fun of people with Down Syndrome, and it deeply upset the community.
‘Mendndez Trial’ (1993)

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If you know true crime, then you know the case of the Menendez brothers. It was a much-discussed case back in the 90s, when two brothers killed their rich parents. It split people into thinking one of two things: that they were psychopaths or, according to one brother, they were abused. But no matter what side you were on, the skit that SNL shot in 1993 with Mike Myers got people upset. He just made fun of the brothers’ reactions in court, and it further stigmatized talking about abuse.
‘Chippendales’ (1990)

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If you watched SNL for years, then chances are you remember the Chippendale sketch back in 1990. You know, the one with Patrick Swayze dancing around. It was a star-studded sketch that was about the Chippendale’s (which is also quite dark when you look into what happened to its owner and creator). That aside, the entire punch line was based on body shaming and it really did not age well.
‘Starbucks Verismo’ (2013)

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We all know Starbucks baristas get our names wrong; it’s a common joke. However, SNL made a sketch called “Starbucks Verissimo,” and it was accused of racism. In the sketch, you see a woman using a Starbucks machine at home and the Twitter was quick to call out the racist undertones within the commercial.