Top 10 Controversial SNL Sketches We Can't Believe Made It to Air
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Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Saturday Night Live skits that managed to get through censors despite dealing with taboo subject matter.
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#10: “Bambi 2002”
It’s a good thing that satire is protected under the First Amendment. Otherwise, we’re not sure Disney would’ve been so lenient about this TV Funhouse segment. Even if “SNL” avoided any legal action, “Bambi 2002” still pushed the envelope of how far you can go in satirizing a beloved Disney classic. Giving Bambi a 21st-century makeover, this faux direct-to-video sequel is hilariously relentless in its sendup of corporate greed, shamelessly succumbing to the latest trends, and the essence of childhood. Robert Smigel wasn’t a huge Disney fan growing up, although he developed a love for their movies upon becoming a parent. That didn’t stop him from depicting Bambi’s mom with head trauma or an adult film version of “Pocahontas.” What’s next? A pre-scandal Jared?
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#9: Rosetta Stone
This commercial parody starts off innocently enough with some happy Rosetta Stone users showing off their newfound skills. In a rapid escalation of events, things take a turn for the creepy when we cut to some men who purchased the Thai version of the software for a rather perverse purpose. While most language programs teach simple conversational phrases, the Thai vocabulary seems to be tailored for very specific ends. The show received backlash from the Thai government, with the cultural minister demanding the clip be removed from YouTube for “tarnishing Thailand’s image”.
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#8: Father Daughter Ad
Most of the time, SNL plays it relatively safe when it comes to current events, but this spoof of a Toyota commercial starring guest host Dakota Johnson and cast member Taran Killam drove viewers to express their outrage on Twitter. At first, viewers are lulled into a false sense of security thinking that what they’re watching is a heartwarming moment between a father and daughter. Then a pickup truck full of heavily armed men comes into view. The controversial cherry on this dubious sundae is when a tearful father tells these men to look after his daughter and one responds. So really they couldn’t have been all that surprised that this sketch would incense viewers.
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#7: Safelite AutoGlass
This sketch first made headlines when Safelite AutoGlass tweeted their disappointment. The controversy only continued when SNL suddenly made it disappear without saying a word. The sketchy spoof commercial involves a Safelite repairman, played by Beck Bennett who keeps smashing a woman’s car windshield in order to essentially stalk her teenage daughter, played by Melissa Villaseñor. While the sketch does a pretty good job mirroring the source material, these very dark added undertones just seem unnecessary. While SNL did their best to erase any memory of this sketch, the damage had already been done.
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#6: Heroin AM
If it’s not obvious already, SNL loves a good spoof commercial. In this case, they used the format of a typical pharmaceutical drug advert to introduce a much harder substance. It follows three parents who use Heroin A.M. to keep up with their hectic lives. This sketch divided viewers, with some unimpressed at how flippantly the issue was being addressed, especially as SNL alums Chris Farley and John Belushi both died of drug overdoses. However, others loved the sketch, crediting it as a good way to get America talking about an uncomfortable subject.
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#5: Word Association
We guarantee that this skit would never fly today. In a job interview sketch, Chevy Chase and Richard Pryor engage in a word association game. Things start out innocently enough. But the game soon exposes Chase’s character’s prejudices, becoming heated and racially-charged. In a climactic moment that makes us wince, Chase throws out the N-word - and Pryor isn’t taking it lying down. Paul Mooney, who wrote the skit, said it was inspired by his own interview for SNL. It’s been called one of the show’s most shocking - and greatest - sketches.
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#4: Canteen Boy & the Scoutmaster
This recurring character played by Adam Sandler is considered an SNL classic, but this particular sketch divided audiences. Alec Baldwin plays a scoutmaster who makes obvious and uncomfortable sexual advances toward Canteen Boy. According to Baldwin, the sketch caused 300,000 phone call complaints and the loss of seven affiliates. The Boy Scouts of America weighed in on the controversy too. In response to complaints, when showing reruns the sketch was preceded by a disclaimer saying that Canteen Boy is actually 27. Given the character’s childlike nature though, the clip has a considerably darker tone.
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#3: World's Most Evil Invention
While at a super villain convention, the attendees compete for the most evil invention in the world. There’s a shrink ray and freeze gun - pretty standard villain stuff. But when Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s character steps up, things take a seriously dark turn and even the other villains voice their outrage. A number of viewers objected to the skit, arguing that it trivialized sexual abuse. The sketch also takes a strange turn as it’s revealed that this has all been a disturbing commercial for “White Castle”.
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#2: “Shark Tank”
The sharks on “Shark Tank” can certainly be intimidating, but not as intimidating as the pitchers in this jaw-dropping sketch. With the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria taking center stage, this sketch dived headfirst into bad taste and never came up for air. The sketch ends with the pitchers being captured thanks to Daymond John, who’s played by Kenan Thompson. The real John wasn’t so assumed, however. The Shark Group founder said that he “[wasn’t] excited about the topic” and “found it a little insensitive.” However, John did appreciate the fact that he was the one who saved the world. A sensitive topic for sure, but it wouldn’t be the last time that “SNL” parodied this controversial group.
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#1: “Regis Co-host Auditions”
With Kathie Lee Gifford’s exit, all eyes were on “Live with Regis” to see who would be the new co-host. The setup paved the way for the “SNL” cast to break out their impressions, with Tracy Morgan as Star Jones, Cheri Oteri as Barbara Walters, and Ana Gasteyer as Darva Conger. Things took an awkward turn when Jimmy Fallon popped up as Chris Rock, complete with a tooth gap and full makeup. While the impression was jarring in 2000, it gained even more notoriety two decades later when it resurfaced online. Fallon apologized amid the backlash, calling it a “terrible decision.” Rock didn’t express anger towards Fallon, calling him a “great guy” who “didn’t mean anything.” However, Rock still considers the impression “bad comedy.”
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What current event do you most want to see SNL make fun of? Let us know in the comments below!
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