Top 10 Controversial SNL Moments That Caused Tension

David Spade had been a long-time member of the show since 1990, but it didn’t prevent him from being called out for this rude joke in 1995. During his “Hollywood Minute” sketch, Spade had called Eddie Murphy “a falling star.” This reference to the actor’s box office flop offended Murphy himself, who deemed it “racist” and a “cheap shot.” Murphy and Spade eventually reconciled, seeing each other during the 40th anniversary. Spade also came around to regretting the roast, calling it a “stupid joke” on his part. Still—ouch.

Everything about this two-time president is controversial. “SNL” has been no slouch in its countless parodies and impersonations. So it raised a lot of eyebrows when “SNL” decided to let Trump host the show for the first time since 2004. Unlike that time, this came months after announcing his presidential candidacy in 2015. Coming from the wake of Trump’s derisive comments about Mexican immigrants, this decision led to angry protests at NBC. In the wake of Trump winning the 2016 election, “SNL’s” team worried they may have gone too soft with Trump, and his hosting may have been considered a tacit endorsement. You can cut the tension with a knife.

Adam Sandler’s Canteen Boy is a naïve and wholesome scout leader, the butt of many jokes and mockery from the cast. One 1994 sketch involving him and Alec Baldwin’s scoutmaster character generated major controversy. When Baldwin’s character starts making advances towards the uneasy Canteen Boy, NBC was inundated with complaints about the sketch, some calling it homophobic. Even the Boy Scouts of America weighed in with its disapproval. The show has since confirmed that Canteen Boy was really an adult living with his mother and not a minor, which had been established in prior sketches. Still, it’s best not to go there.

This comedian and actor’s turn as a host was the source of major outrage. His loutish persona, the “Diceman,” was known for his sexist and homophobic jokes, which led Nora Dunn and Sinéad O’Connor to boycott the show. Following the backlash, the “SNL” writers deliberately reined in the character, adding in self-referential digs both at the show and Diceman. Apart from security guards removing protestors, Clay managed to get through his hosting in one piece. NBC used a five-second delay to remove any objectionable content, just in case. Comedy is no joke.

The sketch that arguably received the most complaints must be this 1988 one. “Nude Beach,” about a group of men commenting on each other’s junk, was meant to prove a point about using clinical terms versus more vulgar language. The NBC censors did not agree that “penis” was part of clinical language. The show and the network argued about it until the latter finally gave a green light to the skit. Conservatives were not persuaded, however, retaliating with petitions and boycotts. “SNL” lost sponsors as well. The skit is tame by our standards, but it goes to show “SNL’s” role in pushing boundaries is a productive one.

Even with competition that includes Donald Trump and Andrew Dice Clay, most fans would agree this American film actor was the worst “SNL” host. Seagal’s turn as a host was so bad that his episode was removed from syndication for a period. What was so bad about Seagal? There were his own awful sketch ideas, for one thing, but Seagal was no comedy actor, playing—and taking–everything straight. It was excruciating for the writers and the audience as well. For all these reasons, the actor was banned from the show. It was perhaps for the best.

This famous rapper was unsurprisingly the subject of much backlash. West had appeared on the show many times before, but it was this 2018 appearance that was the most problematic. After his performance of “Ghost Town,” West went into a pro-Trump speech that prompted some applause and many boos from the audience. The rant was left unaired, but the segment was filmed and posted by Chris Rock on his Instagram. Add in West’s feud with cast member Pete Davidson, and his relationship with “SNL” is strained, to say the least. Davidson wittily addressed the rant in the next week’s episode, calling it one of the worst things he’d ever seen on the show.

Comedians behaving badly seems to be a trend on the show. This comedian’s 2016 turn as a host won him the Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. When he returned in 2022, however, things were not as rosy. In his opening monologue, Chappelle played fast and loose with his racial comedy, mentioning a “lot of Jews” in Hollywood and qualifying it. His speech was met with backlash. The director of the Anti-Defamation League even spoke up on Twitter, expressing disappointment. Chappelle’s lack of denunciation of Kanye West’s antisemitism was also criticized.

The show’s controversy goes back to the very first season. “Word Association” featuring Richard Pryor and Chevy Chase is famous for its language. In the sketch, Chase’s character gives Pryor’s character a word association test. Chase includes increasingly offensive racial slurs. Pryor retorts with anti-white slurs. This battle of wills ends with Chase using an especially shocking word and Pryor giving this fitting answer. It’s a bold sketch, reportedly based on writer Paul Mooney’s own experience dealing with racist interviews. Whether it has aged well or is largely a product of its time, it is undoubtedly one of the show’s more controversial skits.

Alas, the show does have a dark history of having white actors portray people of color. This might be the worst instance of all. In 2000, Jimmy Fallon impersonated Chris Rock, voice and all, cracking a joke about substance use in this now-infamous episode. When a clip of the episode went viral, it prompted calls for Fallon’s firing, as well as the host’s sincere apology. Chris Rock eventually spoke out, offering grace to Fallon and forgiving him for the sketch. It was definitely an infamous moment for “SNL,” but at least Fallon was contrite.

Which other “SNL” moment went beyond the pale? Let us know in the comments down below!