"Saturday Night Live" (SNL), the long-running NBC sketch comedy show, faced a wave of online criticism following its latest "Weekend Update" segment, which aired this past weekend. The segment, a satirical news desk featuring anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che, presented two distinct jokes that ignited backlash from different ideological viewpoints, prompting discussions about the boundaries of political humor and satire.
"SNL is literally the antithesis of comedy and satire. It takes weak men to take cheap shots — especially about @elonmusk’s kids. Elon is a devoted dad who prioritizes time with his kids and it’s obvious they absolutely adore him. This is just a political hit job masquerading under the banner of comedy. Make comedy actually funny again." Katie Miller, Wife of incoming White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller
The first point of contention arose from a sketch featuring cast member Jeremy Culhane portraying entrepreneur Elon Musk, discussing his company xAI's artificial intelligence bot, Grok. During the segment, Culhane, in character as Musk, requested Grok to perform a "vulgar roast" of him. The AI voice responded, "Elon Musk, you’re the worst thing South Africa has ever done. When you’re on TV, it feels like an episode of hate on the spectrum. Maybe if you have 100 more kids, one of them will talk to you."
This portrayal and the joke about Musk's children immediately drew sharp criticism from prominent figures. Katie Miller, wife of incoming White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, took to X, formerly Twitter, to express her disapproval. Miller characterized SNL as "the antithesis of comedy and satire," accusing the show of taking "cheap shots — especially about @elonmusk’s kids." She further stated, "Elon is a devoted dad who prioritizes time with his kids and it’s obvious they absolutely adore him. This is just a political hit job masquerading under the banner of comedy. Make comedy actually funny again." Her sentiments were echoed by several X users, with some labeling SNL a "democratic propaganda machine" and others lamenting the perceived decline of contemporary comedy.
The second, and arguably more intense, wave of criticism emerged from a joke centered on the recent midterm election results. During "Weekend Update," Colin Jost discussed the Democratic Party's sweeping victories. When mentioning Abdul El-Sayed, who secured a U.S. Senate seat for Michigan and became the first Muslim to win a seat in the upper chamber of Congress, Jost began, "Abdul El-Sayed made history as the first Muslim..." The studio audience erupted in cheers and applause, momentarily interrupting Jost. He continued, "The first Muslim elected to the Senate," before adding, "Well, first openly Muslim." As he delivered this line, a picture of President Barack Obama appeared beside him, a visual reference to long-circulating, unfounded conspiracy theories suggesting Obama practices Islam. Jost's smirk as he glanced at the image elicited laughter from the audience, though the reaction was notably softer than for other jokes.
Jost then pivoted to El-Sayed's reported views on Senate leadership, stating, "El-Sayed hinted that he would like to see Chuck Schumer replaced as Senate majority leader." Jost followed this with, "But if I had just gone through the campaign he did, I don’t think my first move would be: 'Get rid of the Jewish guy!'" This remark, linking El-Sayed's desire for a change in leadership with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's Jewish faith, quickly drew accusations of Islamophobia and Zionism from online critics.
Reactions on X were swift and heated. Numerous users expressed anger, calling the jokes "Islamophobic" and accusing Jost and SNL of being "Zionist." One user wrote, "Yikes, this is really bad, like already attacking Abdul even if it’s a 'joke' in this way is really vile." Another commented, "Oh no SNL are Zionists, shock, awe." A third user posted, "Colin not beating the zionist accusations… and still not funny after all these years."
Abdul El-Sayed's political career has previously been marked by controversy regarding allegations of antisemitism. Critics have cited his staunch anti-Israel position, his association with political commentator Hasan Piker, and a remark he made — "hurt people hurt people" — following an attack on a Detroit-area synagogue. El-Sayed later apologized for that specific remark months after it was made. He has consistently and repeatedly denounced antisemitism, clarifying that his objections are directed at the policies of the Israeli government and not at Jewish people as a whole.
The dual controversies underscore the delicate balance SNL attempts to strike as a satirical program in a highly polarized social and political environment. The differing reactions to the jokes highlight the challenges of creating humor that resonates broadly without offending specific communities or being perceived as politically biased.
