Top 10 SNL Moments That Went Viral for the Wrong Reasons

Portraying religious figures on a comedy show is always touchy, but “SNL” has never been one to shy away from such controversy. In this Season 37 sketch, they took aim at former NFL player Tim Tebow, who was known for openly expressing his Christian faith. Jason Sudeikis plays Jesus Christ visiting the Denver Broncos and admitting that he has indeed been helping them win games, but only in the fourth quarter. He also jokes about praying to kicker Matt Prater and advises Tebow to dial down his overt enthusiasm for Jesus. While Tebow kept quiet on the matter, not everyone turned the other cheek. Televangelist Pat Robertson slammed the sketch as “anti-Christian bigotry,” while Fox News analyst Bob Beckel called it “despicable.”

At first, this parody of the language learning software Rosetta Stone seems like an innocent, run-of-the-mill commercial. A group of satisfied users enthusiastically share their experiences learning new languages. But things take a hilariously dark turn when it gets to the men using the Thai version of the software. It quickly becomes clear they are only learning the language for a very specific and creepy reason. While the humor might land for some, not everyone was laughing, as it seemed to imply that the country’s primary attraction was sex trade. The sketch went so far that it reached the Culture Minister of Thailand, who condemned it and called for the clip to be removed from YouTube.

In 1981, former “SNL” cast member John Belushi pushed for his favorite band, Fear, to be a musical guest on the show. That decision led to one of the most infamous performances in “SNL” history. It was bad enough that one of the band’s members blurted out, “It's great to be in New Jersey” while in New York, which elicited boos from the audience. But Fear also bussed in a crowd of rowdy fans, who quickly turned the stage into a chaotic mosh pit, complete with stage diving and slam dancing. The audience was horrified. When one fan grabbed a mic and yelled expletives, the feed was swiftly cut to a pre-taped segment. Needless to say, Fear’s “SNL” debut was also their last.

One of Adam Sandler’s standout recurring characters on “SNL” was Canteen Boy, the dim-witted 27-year-old boy scout. While the character made several prior appearances without much fanfare, one season 19 sketch sparked significant controversy. Sandler was joined by Alec Baldwin, who plays an older scoutmaster making sexual advances towards Canteen Boy. The scoutmaster rips off his shirt, offers Canteen Boy wine and insists they share a sleeping bag. Despite the character’s established age, many viewers were disturbed by what they saw as inappropriate behavior with a minor. This led to several complaints being filed and the Boy Scouts of America publicly denouncing the sketch. As a result, reruns of the episode now feature a disclaimer clarifying that Canteen Boy is, in fact, an adult.

Performing on “SNL” as the musical guest can either make or break your career. While stars like Adele have used the opportunity to gain a well-deserved boost, for others like Ashlee Simpson, it marked the beginning of a downfall. In October 2004, early in her career, Simpson went on the show to perform “Pieces of Me” and “Autobiography.” While the first song went off without a hitch, the second was disrupted when the pre-recorded track from the previous song began playing again, revealing she was lip-syncing. Instead of trying to salvage the situation, Simpson did an awkward jig, shrugged and walked off. The moment went instantly viral, sparking widespread mockery and backlash that Simpson’s career never quite recovered from.

As earlier mentioned, “SNL” has never been afraid to push boundaries when it comes to religious parodies. In 2013, the show took a turn into unhinged territory with the “Djesus Uncrossed” sketch, which parodied the films of Quentin Tarantino. It featured a violent reimagining of Jesus Christ as a gun-wielding character who, in classic Tarantino fashion, seeks revenge on those who wronged him. The live audience was unbothered by the depiction, but once it went far and wide, many were unhappy with what they saw. Considering it mixed sacred imagery with explicit violence, several religious groups decried the sketch as unholy and accused the show of blasphemy. Despite the controversy around “Djesus Uncrossed,” “SNL” remained unfazed and left the sketch unaltered.

“SNL” was at its most experimental and provocative during its first season. Nothing showcased this more than its seventh episode, hosted by the legendary comedian Richard Pryor. In a now-iconic sketch opposite Chevy Chase, Pryor plays a job applicant who is subjected to a game of word association during his interview. What begins as a harmless exchange with words like “dog” and “bean,” quickly escalates into a tense, racially charged confrontation. It all boils over when Chase delivers a final slur, which prompts a thinly-veiled threat of violence from Pryor. It’s a wonder this sketch even made it to air, but once it did, it drew attention to the nascent show and defined the kind of edgy comedy “SNL” would become known for.

Many musicians have used their platform to spotlight issues close to their hearts. In October 1992, during her performance on “SNL,” singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor took the opportunity to protest the Catholic Church’s mishandling of sexual impropriety. While performing her second song of the night, an a cappella version of Bob Marley’s “War,” O’Connor held up a picture of Pope John Paul II and ripped it to pieces. Though her intentions were earnest, the backlash was swift and unforgiving, as everyone from regular viewers to fellow celebrities and church leaders condemned the act. As a result, O’Connor was banned from NBC and suffered severe setbacks. However, her reputation gradually changed as revelations about the church’s scandals came to light.

“Saturday Night Live” makes use of cue cards for a reason: to ensure that everyone sticks to the script. But when Martin Lawrence hosted the show in 1994, he only took the cards as a suggestion. Lawrence veered completely off-script during his monologue, delivering a bizarre tirade about women’s hygiene and anatomy. Even as some audience members seemed to groan in discomfort, Lawrence forged on and even doubled down on his comments. The monologue sparked over 200 complaints from viewers and led to Lawrence getting temporarily banned from the network. Reruns of the episode now edit the monologue out completely, instead replacing it with a disclaimer about how the controversial bit jeopardized the jobs of everyone at “SNL.”

It’s no secret that handing Kanye West a microphone often leads to the unexpected. For the season 44 premiere, West served as the musical guest and performed three songs, the third of which replaced the extended goodnights segment. In this final performance, West donned a “Make America Great Again” hat and surprised everyone with a speech expressing his love and support for Donald Trump. His remarks left the studio audience stunned, eliciting a mix of awkward laughter and boos. Although the segment wasn’t broadcast, studio attendees recorded it and shared it online, where it quickly went viral. Unsurprisingly, West’s rant divided opinions, drawing sharp criticism from some while earning a thumbs-up from Trump himself.


Which of these controversial “SNL” moments did you watch live? Let us know in the comments below.