Saturday Night Live has had its fair share of controversies. This sketch comedy show first aired in 1975 and is still on now in 2025. It’s live and has a large group of cast members and guests. Sometimes, these guests go too far, or the script is too out there. Ready to learn more about these moments? Click through the slideshow for 14 times Saturday Night Live skits crossed the line.
“Danny’s Song”
In 2007, SNL went a little too far with their hilarious and strange skit titled, “Danny’s Song.” In this skit, four friends are sitting around a table reminiscing about a song playing on the jukebox. Their memories and stories get crazier and crazier, referencing dark things. It ends on a darker note with the friends taking out their guns to rob the place.
“Clothing-Optional Beach”
It is not easy to get away with filming and releasing skits centering around a clothing-optional beach. Although everyone remained clothed during this 1988 skit, a word for a sexual organ was muttered dozens of times. This was too much for some people.
“Word Association”
What you could get away with just three to five decades ago is not what you would get away with today. In an infamous SNL sketch aired in 1975, Chevy Chase plays an interviewer and says the n-word. This is now considered one of the most controversial SNL skits of all time.
“Canteen Boy”
NBC received a lot of complaints surrounding a sketch featuring “Canteen Boy,” a very popular character by Adam Sandler, and Mr. Armstrong, a scoutmaster. During this short, but creepy sketch, Mr. Armstrong makes sexual advances towards Canteen Boy. This was uncomfortable enough that many fans stopped watching halfway through.
“Sexual Harassment Charlie”
This sketch couldn’t have come at a worse time. It centers around workplace sexual harassment and came out the same year that the #MeToo movement was booming. Some viewers thought the content was inappropriate and poking fun at a super serious problem.
“Don’t Pray So Much”
Anytime religion is poked fun at, someone is bound to feel upset. This is probably why the SNL skit “Don’t Pray So Much” had a bit of controversy. In this skit, Phil Hartman plays Jesus who visits a praying housewife (Sally Field) and asks her to stop praying so much.
Jimmy Fallon Blackface Skit
Blackface on live television – or at all – is going too far. This was pretty common in television around and before the early 2000s. Even Jimmy Fallon was caught up in a controversy surrounding a skin he did at SNL in 2000 while wearing blackface.
“Wayne’s World”
Joking about kids is a tough one, which is probably why this skit went too far. During this skit, Bill Clinton’s daughter, Chelsea is brought up. She was only 12 when the skit aired. Wayne comments on her appearance and then mentions how he thinks she will grow up to be a “future fox.”
“Gen Z Hospital”
Elon Musk has appeared on SNL a few times. One of these times is during the sketch “Gen Z Hospital.” This skit wasn’t well-loved. Gen Z went online after the skit aired and went off on the inaccuracies, including the language used.
“Commie Hunting Season”
The n-word and racism were thrown around a lot during SNL’s early days. You can see this in the 1980 skit “Commie Hunting Season,” where two hunters are going back and forth on who to kill. They list Jews and use the n-word. It is uncomfortably silent after.
The Situation Room: Tiger Woods’ Accidents
Also on our list is a skit that pokes fun at domestic violence. This sketch was not taken lightly. While it was mostly referencing Tiger Woods and the rumors that he cheated on his wife, fans were pissed as it played down the severity of spousal abuse.
“Weekend Update”
It’s poor taste to make fun of someone for their disabilities. These aren’t things you can control. It’s probably why a lot of people were upset during the “Weekend Update” episode where Fred Armisen does an impression of David Paterson, who is blind. During this segment, he kept squinting his eyes, making strange faces, and faking struggling to see.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Courtesy of NBC.