‘Embarrassingly out of touch’: 'Saturday Night Live' skit making light of COVID-19 draws widespread backlash
thanks, covid pic.twitter.com/UqzsPOqX1c
— Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) November 6, 2022
Over the weekend, Saturday Night Live tweeted a skit from their most recent broadcast called “Thanks, COVID."
The satirical skit plays off the scenario of doctors recommending their patients to “get COVID" to solve their issues. The running joke suggests COVID-19 as a solution for skipping work, prolonged time off, getting to watch Netflix, and describing isolation as a “10-day vacation.” At the end of the skit, the actors thank COVID for the break.
SNL is now facing enormous backlash online for their mock medicine infomercial. Many viewers do not find it funny, with suggesting it was violently irresponsible.
SNL films live in NYC.
COVID-19 has killed 43,000 people in NYC so far.
NYC healthcare & emergency services workers were subjected to the brutal onslaught of the first wave.
They were storing bodies in refrigerated trucks.
And they still decided to do that skit? 😡— David Christopher 🥼🏨 (@MLS_Dave) November 6, 2022
This is by far your worst, violently irresponsible, & deeply unfunny skit—including all 6 years Jimmy Fallon was a cast member.
Brutal & disappointing @nbcsnl, when thousands are still dying every week in the 🇺🇸 & as we gain appalling insight into the grim reality of long COVID. https://t.co/lR7mteA5Qi— Emma Deady (@emmadeady) November 7, 2022
SNL doing segments mocking COVID, meanwhile every single cast and crew member on SNL is regularly PCR tested multiple times a week, masks are required for everyone except performers while filming, and 10 day quarantines with test-to-return for anyone positive.
— thomas 🛠 IATSE STRIKE! (@t_NYC) November 6, 2022
the SNL writers are embarrassingly out of touch if they think most people are getting anywhere near 10 days paid time off for COVID
— Reluctant MSW 🎃🌱 (she/her) (@ReluctantMSW) November 6, 2022
I truly hope @nbcsnl cast and writers get the downtime and privacy that they need to go fuck themselves. https://t.co/qavmIY2yEi
— David Fisman (@DFisman) November 6, 2022
Shame on you @nbcsnl @NBCNews TY for taking advantage of me after I lost my dad to #covid - I’m sure my tears benefited your views since I watched him die & shared how hard that was.🖕🏼I’m sure you don’t want to interview me now.
My dad’s death isn’t a joke.@MarkedByCovid https://t.co/DY6ENUVPlY pic.twitter.com/8vzspkYV0g— Tara Swanigan (@Tara_Swanigan) November 7, 2022
Currently, there are 1.07M COVID-19 deaths in the US and around 47,000 deaths in Canada. Many who lost a loved one or are impacted by the disease are not laughing.
Some of us actually lost people we cared about and loved to covid despite them being fully vaxxed, some are *still* holding on for dear life in an ICU. While rich SNL cast members & media ppl treat covid like a vacation, vulnerable people are fighting for their lives.
— SUBSCRIBE TO MY SUBSTACK (@TaylorLorenz) November 6, 2022
There were around 2500 Covid deaths last week in the US alone, and I’m not laughing https://t.co/Qp3KrKhurU
— Leta McCollough Seletzky, JD (@LaSeletzky) November 6, 2022
#LongCovid left me w/my immune system attacking my own body & my nervous system damaged, the US w/over 1M DEAD including 2,261+ who died already THIS MONTH, and in 1 in 4 of these deaths a child loses a parent. And SNL thinks it's funny.
THEY THINK IT'S FUNNY.#COVID #COVID19 https://t.co/43sImnSJuz— Cat Herding Science Nerd 🔬 (@catladyactivist) November 6, 2022
More than 200 Americans have died of Covid since this first aired.
16 hours ago. https://t.co/2Ct0UUH2g7— Ryan Murphy (@Cyber_Murphy) November 6, 2022
When it had killed 100,000 of us it was tragic. Now we're up over a million, it's the third leading cause of death in the country, it's still killing 3,000 people a week, and it's a joke? pic.twitter.com/L5q79etncu
— Jason Orton (@jasonorton420) November 6, 2022
SNL has not responded to the backlash.
