In the aftermath of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, Saturday Night Live faced criticism for not immediately speaking out on the powerful Hollywood producer and all the women who said he had sexually harassed them.
But as more and more women describe their experiences with powerful men in entertainment and politics, SNL cast members Colin Jost and Michael Che have had little issue lately blasting those men on the show’s “Weekend Update” segment. And on Saturday, they went after somebody steeped in SNL history.
That’s Minnesota Sen. Al Franken, an original writer for the show who was associated with SNL for about 15 years. This week, a Los Angeles news anchor said Franken had kissed and groped her without her consent in 2006, and she released a photo of Franken with his hands on her breasts while she slept.
Here’s how SNL responded.
SNL kicks off Weekend Update by going right after former castmember Al Franken pic.twitter.com/gp5g3HPC5Q
— j.d. durkin (@jd_durkin) November 19, 2017
Was it the most biting commentary against Franken? Not particularly. But at least SNL showed it’s not afraid to embarrass a family member if that family member has done something wrong.