Top 20 Controversial SNL Monologues

The themes behind this monologue from 2012 probably wouldn’t be SNL’s first choice today. It leans heavily into self-referential humor about the host’s substance use disorder and mental health. Lindsay Lohan had hosted the show thrice before, to much better effect. But in her fourth time hosting in March of 2012, she arguably appears uncomfortable. Her on-stage demeanor is starkly different from her other appearances on the show, as she glances at cue cards and struggles to make the material work.

The comedy icon was banned from the show as a result of this 1979 performance. Berle had a reputation for being controlling, and was reportedly a terror behind the scenes with the SNL cast and crew. During his hosting stint, he mugged for the camera and tried to upstage the rest of the cast. He also had a closing monologue where he rambled on about his career, and performed a self-indulgent rendition of the American standard, “September Song”. Friends of Berle planted in the SNL audience gave him a standing ovation, a move that was unplanned and unapproved by showrunner Lorne Michaels.

Sometimes, all it takes is a brief slip to make a monologue controversial. That’s what happened with Kristen Stewart back in 2017, when she hosted “Saturday Night Live.” The actual open was relatively innocuous and funny, with some commentary on then-President Trump’s weird Twitter habits. However, it fell off the rails near the end when Stewart accidentally dropped on F bomb on live T.V. The actress laughed it off, but the flub still made headlines the next day.

“Saturday Night Live” has always tried to keep its finger on the pulse of what’s funny, trendy and current. Well, what was considered “trendy” back in 2000 was Tom Green, whose absurdist style of shock comedy endeared him to a small but very vocal audience. In an episode-long prank, he pretended he was going to marry then-fiancée Drew Barrymore on stage. But in his closing monologue, she left him at the altar, leaving him screaming about his heartbreak. If that sounds like a punchline to you … hey, Tom Green is your guy! The couple would later marry (and divorce) in real life. In Green’s words though, this comedic choice “ruined [his] Saturday Night Live experience.”

Fans of “Saturday Night Live” have grown to expect the unexpected, but they also expect a show that’s going to make them laugh. Never a fan of convention, musician Frank Zappa poked fun at his SNL hosting gig, breaking the fourth wall during his monologue and referencing the show’s production. The musician even said that he was “reading off of cue cards” and that he “hoped he was good.” It didn’t appear funny to anyone but Zappa. Needless to say, showrunner Lorne Michaels was NOT happy. But hey, at least Frank got to sing his anti-disco song, right?

Younger viewers may not recognize the name Louise Lasser, but her satirical sitcom “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” was a smart parody of soap operas during an age when meta-commentary wasn’t the norm. The show was exhausting for Lasser, however, and she had also just been in the headlines after being arrested for $6 worth of cocaine. SNL star Chevy Chase remembers the comedian as being ‘spacey’ during dress rehearsal. Her opening monologue was a rambling and panicked mess. Lasser claimed that it was a creative decision, but whatever the case, it was not well-received.

The SNL writing room has always featured incredible talent, but businessman George Steinbrenner seemed to think he was a lot funnier on his own when he hosted in 1990. He clearly thought he knew what he was doing, as he dove headfirst into a monologue about all the things that he wasn’t, before describing himself as a “beloved” American from another walk of life. The whole experience wasn’t remembered fondly by SNL writers like Conan O’Brien, who recalled being berated by Steinbrenner after pitching a different, original monologue idea, one that was soundly rejected by the Yankees owner.

“The Diceman” was a hit in the 80s, climbing to fame with a provocative style of humor focused on sexist, racist, and homophobic jokes, some of which seemed to celebrate violence against his targets. Unsurprisingly, his SNL hosting gig in 1990 was controversial, for all the same reasons. There were protests and boycotts, including from SNL cast member Nora Dunn. He probably could’ve weathered the critical storm, had he perhaps done something besides his usual schtick. Instead, Dice’s monologue was ripped right from his sexist and boorish stage act, referencing his privates, his MTV ban and the SNL controversy itself.

This 2017 monologue wasn’t controversial, except perhaps in extreme circles - but it did touch on controversial issues, so we’re including it! In a brilliant seven minutes, Kumail Nanjani lampooned racism and the ignorance and strange logic often involved. The Pakistani-American comedian called out racist remarks telling him to “go back to India”, and targeted Islamophobia in the US in particular. His monologue was packed with biting and relevant commentary, and managed to be hilarious to boot!

Sam Kinison was no stranger to controversy during his 1980s heyday, with his jokes accused of being sexist and homophobic. His opening SNL monologue from 1986 featured jokes about the United States bombing of Libya and the Chernobyl disaster. But the jokes that were cut were actually about the crucifixion of Jesus and the legalization of marijuana. Not really topics that were ripe for discussion in the 1980s. Networks decided to censor the monologue, awkwardly editing it for TV.

Donald Trump was just a presidential candidate when he hosted “Saturday Night Live” back in 2015, but there was still a lot of criticism in advance of his hosting gig. Giving him a platform to showcase his ‘comedic chops’ certainly didn’t do him any favors though. Much of the monologue is spent with Trump telling the audience how great he is, while some other SNL cast members drop their impressions on him. Taran Killam even calls it “the best monologue in SNL history”. Meanwhile, Larry David’s call out from the audience references the allegations of racism that had dogged the candidate.

Aziz Ansari was the first performer of South Asian descent to land a hosting gig on “Saturday Night Live.” His monologue was even more historic thanks to the controversy around it. The day before, Donald Trump had been inaugurated as President. Ansari took aim at racists who had been emboldened by this turn of events. Unafraid to ruffle feathers, he eviscerated common forms of racism, but also offered some thoughtful commentary. Ansari didn’t back down a bit, and it made his monologue both controversial and very, very funny.

It seems absurd to think that Norm Macdonald was fired from “Saturday Night Live” for supposedly not being funny enough, but stranger things have happened. This is why the moment when Macdonald returned to host (less than two years after his dismissal) felt like such sweet revenge. Norm proved during his monologue that he wasn’t just scathingly funny … but also a sore loser! Macdonald openly called out SNL for being “bad,” and didn’t shy away from referencing his dismissal from the show with a sardonic wit. True poetic justice.

The co-creator of “Seinfeld” has never been one to tone down his style of observational comedy. Larry David started off strong during his monologue with observations about New York and dating. It started to veer into questionable territory however when he claimed that many sexual predators in the news happened to be Jewish - which, being Jewish, he didn’t like. Going all in, he followed this up with his thoughts on checking out girls in concentration camps. It was certainly dark humor, and many viewers found it insensitive.

The 2003 hosting gig from “The Pianist” star may be most infamous for the incident when Brody put on a fake wig and Jamaican accent to introduce musical guest Sean Paul. However, let’s not forget that the actor’s opening monologue was also something to behold. At the Oscars that year, he had kissed Halle Berry as she presented the award for Best Actor, shocking the actress. His monologue saw him kiss women in the audience, then deliver an awkward and unfunny Mother’s Day gag between himself and his real-life mom. He was reportedly difficult to work with behind the scenes, and that awkwardness was on full display during the show.

The opening monologue for “Saturday Night Live” often takes on familiar templates. A song and dance number is common, because it gives the host and the cast time to shine. Other times, a comedian will just be allowed to do a bit, in order to warm up the crowd. Bill Burr’s abrasive style isn’t for everyone, and he definitely didn’t hold back on the SNL stage. Burr’s jokes about “white women” and Pride month appeared tone deaf and insensitive to some viewers. It’s the risk a comedian takes when they bring a divisive style to a wider home audience.

Chris Rock has always been a fearless comedian, and that was reflected in the subjects he chose to joke about in his opening monologue in 2014. His criticisms of the commercialization of Christmas certainly weren’t controversial, and they provoked quite a few laughs. However his other jokes touched on not only the then-recent Boston Marathon bombings, but also 9/11. It was a risky move, and upset some viewers, who voiced their displeasure on social media.

Chappelle has hosted SNL thrice, each time injecting his own brand of raw humor into his opening monologue. In 2016, he targeted the newly elected Donald Trump for his boasts about sexually assaulting women, but also suggested that Americans give Trump a chance. His 2020 monologue lacked teeth, but he returned to his usual provocative style in 2022. The controversy began beforehand however, as many protested his selection as host given his previous jokes about transgender people. During his monologue, he addressed Kanye West’s antisemitic comments. But his statements stirred considerable debate over whether they encouraged antisemitic tropes.

Louis C. K. 's sullied reputation may retroactively affect perception of this third SNL hosting gig back in 2015. But, let’s be honest: this monologue was ALWAYS going to be controversial. His opening bit included a frank confession of “mild racism”, from growing up in the 1970s. But it was his discussion of sexual predators who target young victims that most pushed the boundaries. He presented the issue from the point of view of the predator, and made a comparison to Mounds Bars that many people saw as tasteless.

C’mon, you all knew this was coming. Martin Lawrence has never been back since this time he hosted “Saturday Night Live,” and he probably never will. Reruns of this SNL episode have part of the monologue edited out; it’s replaced with a text crawl describing how Lawrence complained about the state of feminine hygiene and proposed some creative solutions. The text also notes that the monologue almost cost a lot of people their jobs! Lawrence was permanently banned after the episode, although his work is obviously still remembered. Just don’t expect to see him on Lorne Michaels’ show ever again.