“Disgrace”: Viewers blast SNL after Easter Sunday segment
A number of social media users have taken aim at SNL this weekend after the comedy sketch show aired an Easter Sunday segment starring a Trump lookalike.
The primetime show aired a mock sketch where Trump impersonator, James Austin Johnson compared himself to Jesus at a Last Supper setting.
“A famous, wonderful man arrested for no reason at all. If you haven’t put it together folks, I’m comparing myself to Jesus, again,” Johnson joked this weekend.
“As we speak, I am being persecuted on a level the likes of which the world has never seen, even worse than the late, great Jesus.”
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SNL’s Easter segment comes after Trump was arraigned in New York for 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
After appearing in court, Trump told his supporters at Mara Lago last week that he was not guilty, claiming the only crime he’d committed was his mission to defend the United States.
Whilst SNL’s sketch has gone viral this weekend, many aren’t too pleased with the use of religious material.
Take a look at the full Cold Open below:
Viewers label Saturday Night Live “disrespectful”
One user wrote in response via Twitter: “Im all for comedy and love SNL, but making jokes involving Jesus is disrespectful and out of line.”
Another agreed, calling the segment a “disgrace”.
Others have responded to the criticism, defending the show in the assumption that SNL was mocking Trump and not Jesus. Some have even claimed the sketch show could have made things far more politically incorrect if they’d wanted.
“I don’t think it was at all disrespectful towards Jesus. It’s mocking MAGA (and Trump himself) comparing Trump to Jesus. They played around a bit, but I think they put together a rather nice recreation of the last supper. Nicer than I think they had to,” one comment read.
Back in March, Saturday Night Live received similar criticism after supposedly making offensive and stereotypical Irish jokes.
The sketch in question saw two ‘stars’ taking part in an Oscars interview, which saw two SNL actors mumbling in Irish accents, allegedly before they “even started drinking”. Many called out the NBC show for painting the Irish as alcoholics, a stereotype often associated with historic anti-Irish attitudes.
Do you think Saturday Night Live’s Easter Sunday segment was offensive? Give us your take in the comments section below.
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