Comedian Louis C.K. hosted the 40th season finale of Saturday Night Live this weekend – and used his opening monologue to jokingly rationalize child molestation in a five-minute segment that confused and angered many of the show’s viewers.
In a bit that included jokes about his “mild racism” and his thoughts on Israel and Palestine (they’re “selfish little b****es), it was C.K.’s comments on child abuse that divided Twitter and caused some SNL band members behind him to shake their heads.
“Child molesters are very tenacious people,” C.K. said. “They love molesting childs, it’s crazy. It’s like their favorite thing. It’s so crazy ’cause when you consider the risk of being a child molester, speaking not of even the damage you’re doing, there is no worse life available to a human than being a caught child molester. And yet they still do it. Which from, you can only really surmise that it must be really good. I mean, from their point of view, not ours, from their point of view, it must be amazing, for them to risk so much.”
The comedian also compared child abusers’ behavior to his love of Mounds bars.
“I love Mounds bars, it’s my favorite thing, but there’s a limit,” he continued. “I can’t even eat a Mounds bar and do something else at the same time. That’s how much I love them… and yet if somebody said to me ‘if you eat another Mounds bar, you’ll go to jail and everybody will hate you,’ I would stop eating them, because they do taste delicious, but they don’t taste as good as a young boy does, and shouldn’t, to a child molester.”
“Not to me, not to us, ’cause we’re all awesome,” C.K. said, trying to defuse some of the tension. “Alright, we did it, we got through it.”
C.K.’s monologue divided Twitter. Many viewers thought the jokes were in bad taste, while others claimed the bit was representative of the comedian’s controversial style.
“Not even remotely funny #LouisCk child molestation is not funny,” wrote Twitter user Faye. “Why would you think it is? trying to break a taboo??”
Sorry. Joking about child molestation is bad form. Very low moment for #LouisCK. 100% not funny in any form. 1 in 3 girls, 1 in 6 boys.
— Anthony Bradley (@drantbradley) May 17, 2015
I get it comedy is meant to be edgy. I just don't find jokes about child molestation funny. #SNL40FINALE #LouisCK
— Chris Marshall (@ChrisMarshalltx) May 17, 2015
#LouisCK went way too far with child molestation jokes! #SNL that was sick!
— Darci Strickland (@DarciWLTX) May 17, 2015
Others praised the comedian for the “edgy” bit:
#LouisCK just delivered what may have been the wildest, edgiest, and funniest #SNL monologue I've seen in decades. @nbcsnl
— Gerry Dorsey (@hermitary) May 17, 2015
https://twitter.com/zachpwnsyoface/status/599783674796711936
This might be Louis CK's last time on @nbcsnl but it's worth it. His monologue was crazy good. Tough topic to make hilarious! #SNL #LouisCK
— Pat McDonald (@PatMcDonald03) May 17, 2015
In his monologue, C.K. also said he is “mildly” racist: “Like if I go to a pizza place that I’ve never been to before, and it’s run by four black women. I’ll go like, ‘Hm.’ See, it’s very mild, it’s extremely mild racism. I’ll notice that. You don’t usually see that, four black women running a pizza place. Unless it’s called ‘Four Black Girls Pizza’ or something like that.”
This was C.K.’s third time hosting Saturday Night Live, but he joked that it may be his last; when the ccontroversial jokes drew surprised, nervous laughter from the audience, he responded: “How do you think I feel? This is my last show, probably.”
Check out Louis C.K.’s full opening monologue above.
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