Top 10 Most Awkward SNL Moments
For this list, we're looking at “Saturday Night Live” skits or moments that are memorable for all the wrong reasons.
Cringe comedy minus the humor. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Awkward SNL Moments.
For this list, we’re looking at “Saturday Night Live” skits or moments that are memorable for all the wrong reasons.
#10: Pedophilia Jokes
Louis C.K.
This is one opening monologue that’s aged terribly, especially given the sexual misconduct allegations now associated with the comedian. Bringing to a close "SNL's" 40th season, Louis C.K.'s risky stand-up routine tackled racism and, for good measure, the Israel and Palestine conflict. While the comedian's entire set was soaked in controversy, the monologue's final tangent ramped up the awkwardness to a whole new level. Reminiscing about a child molester who lived in his neighborhood, Louis C.K. concluded that the only reason such crimes continue to happen, despite the risk of prison, is because the act must be really enjoyable for molesters.
#9: Jamaican Dreads
Adrien Brody
Inaugurated in 1975, "Saturday Night Live" has crossed the line countless times; however, occasionally, a performer takes things a step too far and earns a ban for their troubles. Hot off an Academy Award-winning performance in "The Pianist," Adrien Brody hosted "SNL" for the first and last time. Due to time constraints, "SNL" frowns on improvisation, but this didn’t discourage Brody from taking charge when he introduced Sean Paul's musical performance. Making things as awkward as possible, the actor decided to don fake dreadlocks and speak in an awful Jamaican accent. What was even the joke here? Adrien, scripts exist for a reason.
#8: Wrestling Women
Andy Kaufman
During "Saturday Night Live's" infancy, Andy Kaufman frequently dropped by for random appearances, and the comedian's peculiar style of humor proved to be a hit with fans. This changed in 1979 when Andy Kaufman challenged a female audience member to a wrestling match. At the time, Kaufman's villainous wrestling persona was a significant component of the entertainer's live routine, but this fact was lost on "SNL's" crowd. Kaufman was booed and, effectively, kicked off the variety show. A couple of years later, the home audience voted for Kaufman to be banned from "Saturday Night Live."
#7: Ditched at the Altar
Tom Green
Primarily known for "Freddy Got Fingered," Tom Green's brand of shock comedy certainly made an impression during his hosting gig in 2000. Whether people are fans of this type of humor or not, Green's randomness means there tends to always be an element of awkwardness. During the opening monologue, Green and fiancee Drew Barrymore announced plans to wed by the end of the episode, although the whole thing proved to be little more than a tease. If the skits are intentionally awkward, does it still count?
#6: Tiger Woods Skit
Kenan Thompson & Blake Lively
A lot of topics can be made funny, but that doesn’t mean a joke shouldn’t be criticized for being in poor taste. Satirizing Tiger Woods' infidelity and ensuing car accident on the night his wife Elin Woods learned about her husband's behavior, "SNL's" skit saw Kenan Thompson’s terrified Woods deliver a series of apologetic press conferences. Progressively presented in a more battered state, Thompson appeared alongside Blake Lively's Elin, with the implication being that she was responsible for his injuries. Domestic violence and comedy aren’t exactly a great mix, and "Saturday Night Live's" sketch exemplifies why this is the case.
#5: Mocking The Blind (Weekend Update)
Fred Armisen
There’s controversial humor, and then there’s mining disabilities for easy jokes. As part of the "Weekend Update with Seth Meyer," Fred Armisen portrayed New York's Governor, David Paterson, as a bumbling, short-sighted nitwit who couldn’t even properly hold a map. The real Paterson is legally blind, so besides being an all-around lazy joke, “SNL” was poking fun of the governor’s disability. Unsurprisingly, the National Federation of the Blind criticized "SNL" for echoing a detrimental stereotype associating blindness with incompetence.
#4: Andrew Dice Clay Impersonation
Steven Seagal
It’s an episode that lives on in infamy: that time the Great One hosted SNL. Putting on a faux-New York accent, Steven Seagal set out to deliver comedy gold, serenading the crowd with a passionate rendition of “Kung Fu Fighting” and smashing Rob Schneider’s head into a photocopier. He brought the show home, or at least tried to, with a laughable impersonation of Andrew Dice Clay, a comedian known for his notoriously misogynistic persona. The only problem? The crowd clearly had no clue what was going on! Seagal’s minimalist acting just isn’t compatible with impressions, and the awful skits he wrote landed him a ban from hosting duties.
#3: Opening Monologue
Martin Lawrence
Going off script on “SNL” is the quickest way to ensure no more subsequent appearances. Right out of the gate, Martin Lawrence ventured off the beaten path when he unleashed a rambling monologue challenging the network's censorship. Rather than using this opportunity to address the topic further, he launched into an astonishing tirade about Lorena Bobbitt, who had cut off her husband’s penis the year before, and women with smelly posteriors. Edited out of any repeat airings, Martin's monologue was substituted with a short graphic summarizing the comedian's comments and adding that it had almost cost the cast and crew their jobs.
#2: Lip Synching
Ashlee Simpson
A quick warning: watching this clip could result in uncontrollable cringing. Perpetually stuck in Jessica Simpson's shadow, Ashlee strived to serve as a punkier and more authentic alternative to her sister; unfortunately, lip-syncing on “Saturday Night Live”, emphasis on the “live”, doesn’t leave the greatest of impressions. When the band launched into her song “Autobiography”, but the vocal track for “Pieces of Me” played instead, her lip-syncing, later explained as due to acid reflux, was exposed to the world. Mimicking a deer caught in the headlights, the unfortunate young singer ran off the stage, leaving behind a confused audience and the lingering traces of her career.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few dishonorable mentions.
Rear Window
January Jones
Holocaust Jokes
Larry David
Entire Episode
Paris Hilton
#1: Pro-Trump Rant
Kanye West
Prior to the advent of the internet and digital cameras, a post-show speech like this may have been lost to the ages; for better or worse, Kanye West's Pro-Trump rant was recorded and immortalized. Wearing a Make America Great Again hat, Kanye – who was the musical guest of the night – addressed the crowd with a speech that can only be described as disheartening. Greeted with both boos and cheers from the audience, Kanye cited Trump as a personal inspiration, while simultaneously implying that the President is racist.
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