What To Know
- Saturday Night Live faced backlash for a sketch that mocked the recent BAFTA incident involving a man with Tourette’s syndrome involuntarily shouting a racial slur.
- The sketch featured celebrities blaming their controversial actions on Tourette’s, prompting criticism from Tourette’s Action and viewers.
- Many, including disability advocates and social media users, condemned the sketch as offensive, ableist, and insensitive.
Saturday Night Live is under fire after a sketch poking fun at the racial slur incident from last Sunday’s (February 22) BAFTA ceremony.
During the awards ceremony, Scottish campaigner John Davidson, who has Tourette’s syndrome, involuntarily shouted the N-word at actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo while they were on stage. Davidson, whose life inspired the film I Swear, has said he was “upset” and “distraught” over the involuntary tic that made him shout the offensive slur.
SNL mocked the moment on in a recent sketch where controversial celebrities, such as Mel Gibson, J.K. Rowling, Bill Cosby, and Kanye West, blamed their problematic behaviour on Tourette’s.
“I’m Mel Gibson, and as I probably should have pointed out decades ago, I too suffer from Tourette’s, which explains a lot of the things I’ve said or yelled through the years,” Andrew Dismukes said in character as Gibson, per The Independent.
Ashley Padilla, portraying Harry Potter author Rowling, added, “Tourette’s isn’t just blurting out an offensive word. It can be a years-long obsession with something like trans life and a deep anger that someone who was born with a wand in their pants would want that one removed and replaced with a Horcrux.”
Kenan Thompson, playing Cosby, who has been accused of multiple cases of rape and sexual assault, said he suffers from “something called the drink Tourette’s.”
Tourette’s syndrome charity, Tourettes Action, blasted the sketch. In a statement to Deadline, Tourettes Action CEO Emma McNally, said, “Mocking a disability is never acceptable. It would not be tolerated for any other condition, and it should not be tolerated by people with Tourette’s.”
She continued, “Tourette’s is a complex neurological condition, of which there is no cure. It is not a joke. It is not a personality trait. It is not a source of entertainment. It is a condition that can be extremely debilitating, causing pain isolation and huge amounts of discrimination.”
Comedian Al Murray called the sketch “disgusting,” adding, “The problem with the ‘punch up punch down’ thing is what if you’re upside down.”
House of the Dragon actor James Dreyfus wrote on X, “Good grief… Only goes to show that “regime comedians” are as desperately unamusing, cringeworthy, pig- ignorant & prejudiced as they are over here.”
One viewer added, “Are you really making fun of disabilities? I feel disgusted watching this.”
“As a Tourettes sufferer I find this staggeringly offensive – in fact it was extremely difficult watching the whole video,” said another.
“Making fun of disabilities? So progressive and hilarious!” another wrote.
Another added, “Shame on everyone involved in this.”
“Making fun of people with tourette’s syndrome, which can be so tragic for the people and their families who suffer with it, is a new low for you guys,” said one commenter.
