Saturday Night Live didn’t shy away from its controversial past during its 50th anniversary special, highlighting moments that haven’t aged well — including appearances by Diddy, R. Kelly, and O.J. Simpson.
Towards the end of the SNL50 special, which aired Sunday, February 16, what first seemed like a typical In Memoriam segment turned out to be something else entirely. Instead of honouring lost cast members, the montage showcased sketches, guest appearances, and characters that would raise an eyebrow today.
Tom Hanks introduced the parody segment with a tongue-in-cheek monologue. “As we celebrate the achievements of the past 50 years, we must also take a moment to honour those who we’ve lost, countless members of the SNL family, taken from us too soon,” he began.
Hanks then revealed the twist, “I’m speaking, of course, about SNL characters and sketches that have aged horribly…”
The montage featured a 2013 sketch with Sean “Diddy” Combs and Robert De Niro, as well as a musical number with R. Kelly and Lady Gaga. It also pointed out that the show had “two murderers” as past hosts — seemingly referencing O.J. Simpson and Robert Blake.
Among the sketches were several in which actors appeared in balckface or with darkened skin, though SNL opted to blur those faces.
Hanks himself was featured among the offensive “ethnic stereotypes,” as well as Aiden Brody’s Jamaican character. The show even acknowledged past jokes about child sexual abuse, including a scene where Mike Myers shared a bathtub with a young Macaulay Culkin.
