Woody Harrelson's 'Saturday Night Live' COVID monologue riles elites; Musk calls it 'based'

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Woody Harrelson's "Saturday Night Live" monologue garnered instant backlash and praise over commentary hinting at government's collusion with media and the medical industry to require COVID vaccines.

"So the movie goes like this," 61-year-old Harrelson begins. "The biggest drug cartels in the world get together and buy up all the media and all the politicians and force all the people in the world to stay locked in their homes. And people can only come out if they take the cartel's drugs and keep taking them over and over."

Harrelson set up the bit by joking about a script he was reading in 2019 in Central Park while smoking marijuana.

He concluded the joke with, "I threw the script away. I mean, who was going to believe that crazy idea? Being forced to do drugs? I do that voluntarily all day."

Twitter CEO Elon Musk was quick to add his thoughts as social media approached meltdown over Harrelson's routine.

"So based. Nice work @nbcsnl!" Musk tweeted.

\u201c@Jason So based. Nice work @nbcsnl!\u201d
— @jason (@@jason) 1677395866

Musk used a bullseye target emoji to respond to a post by @KanekoaTheGreat. @KanekoaTheGreat had joked about media's apparent hypocrisy in its own response to Harrelson's joke.

\u201c@KanekoaTheGreat \ud83c\udfaf\u201d
— kanekoa.substack.com (@kanekoa.substack.com) 1677396896

Musk also responded to users @EndWokeness and @ImMeme0 who commented on the media's instant, negative response to Harrelson suggesting media had colluded with government and the medical industry.

"Maybe they don't realize that their propaganda is wrong?" Musk tweeted.


\u201c@ImMeme0 @EndWokeness Maybe they don\u2019t realize that their propaganda is wrong?\u201d
— End Wokeness (@End Wokeness) 1677395078

Rolling Stone was out at 12:37 a.m. Sunday morning with a piece blasting Harrelson's monologue as "bizarre." In the piece, the author says Harrelson has a "history of strange anti-science remarks during the COVID pandemic."

The outlet tweeted about Harrelson's joke, saying it amounted to spreading "conspiracy theories."

\u201cWoody Harrelson spreads Covid conspiracy theories during SNL monologue: "The biggest drug cartels in the world get together and buy up all the media and all the politicians and force all the people in the world to stay locked in their homes..." https://t.co/QxCZSxLSvE\u201d
— Rolling Stone (@Rolling Stone) 1677389841

Rolling Stone was joined by multiple left-leaning outlets in panning Harrelson's monologue. Others included Variety, the Daily Beast, and HuffPost. The tenor of the pieces was negative, and cast Harrelson's jokes as "anti-vax."

A native Texan and long time advocate of marijuana decriminalization, 61-year-old Harrelson was cast as character Woody on "Cheers" in 1982. He later starred in many hit films including "Doc Hollywood," "White Men Can't Jump," "Indecent Proposal," "No Country for Old Men," and "The Hunger Games."

Harrelson's latest film, "Champions," is coming to theaters on March 10, Movie Insider reports.

Watch Harrelson's Saturday Night Live monologue below.

Woody Harrelson Monologue - SNL youtu.be

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'SNL' triggers backlash after skit mocks Joe Rogan for taking 'horse medicine': 'Lazy mediocre hacks'



NBC's famed comedy sketch show "Saturday Night Live" triggered a tsunami of backlash and mockery on Sunday over a sketch mocking Joe Rogan.

What happened?

The sketch, which aired over the weekend, mocked Rogan from several angles, poking fun of Rogan for taking supplements, being an advocate of psychedelic drugs, and for recently stating that he could perform oral sex on himself — although never actually having done so.

Unfortunately, the skit also claimed that Rogan took "horse medicine," a reference to Rogan taking ivermectin during his bout of COVID-19.

However, Rogan never took horse medicine. Instead, he took the human form of ivermectin, which won the Nobel Prize in 2015. The mainstream media have repeatedly claimed that Rogan ingested animal medicine while blatantly ignoring that ivermectin is made for both humans and animals, in different forms.

"I used to host 'Fear Factor,' and now doctors fear me," comedian Pete Davidson, playing Rogan, said in the skit.

"Can you help me, Joe?" Big Bird asked.

"Oh, sure thing, Big Bird. You see, I took Carlos Mencia down, I can take COVID," the fake Rogan responded. "Here's some zinc, ayahuasca, and some horse medicine."

"Why would a bird take horse medicine?" Big Bird replied.

"I'm a human, and I took horse medicine, and I am speaking of things that are horse-like," the fake Rogan said. "Today's sponsors are the letters 'S' and 'D,' as in I can 'S' my own 'S.'"

Joe Rogan stopped by Cruz Street...pic.twitter.com/YAaadm2reH

— Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) 1636865406

What was the reaction?

Comedian Tim Dillon, who is Rogan's friend, fiercely responded, calling the sketch unfunny and lazy.

"There were a hundred ways to do this sketch and have it be funny. The show now is just lazy mediocre hacks," Dillon said.

"This sketch was BAD," Dillion later added. "And not bad because of made fun of Joe or Ivermectin. But it did it in the laziest way possible. It was talking points and not jokes. Comedy shows can have a point of view: mine does. But it should also occasionally have comedy."

And not bad because of made fun of Joe or Ivermectin. But it did it in the laziest way possible. It was talking points and not jokes. Comedy shows can have a point of view: mine does. But it should also occasionally have comedy.

— Tim Dillon (@TimJDillon) 1636913365

Ben Shapiro said the "SNL" skit marked a new low for the show's "unfunniness."

"Every time I think the comedic community has hit the bottom of the comedy barrel, they somehow find a new level of unfunniness," he said.

Every time I think the comedic community has hit the bottom of the comedy barrel, they somehow find a new level of unfunninesshttps://twitter.com/nbcsnl/status/1459745432922374150\u00a0\u2026

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) 1636918811

Other critics pointed out the fact that Rogan's audience dwarfs the audience of "SNL."

In fact, the "SNL" sketch racked up more than 11,000 responses by Monday afternoon, most of them mocking the skit. Even worse, some of the mocking and critical responses themselves racked up thousands of "likes," indicating just how poorly the skit went over.

Rogan has already floated suing CNN for pushing the lie that he took horse medicine. Perhaps Rogan will consider doing the same to NBC.

Comedian Jon Lovitz tears into cancel culture, compares it to McCarthyism



Former "Saturday Night Live" star Jon Lovitz chewed out cancel culture, and explained that comedians like himself will purposely push the boundaries when they're told not to say something deemed offensive. The comedic actor also compared cancel culture to McCarthyism in a recent interview with Page Six.

When asked about cancel culture in the United States, Lovitz said, "I'll just say it, it's no different than McCarthyism," comparing the current trend of ostracizing someone out of social and professional circles for something they said or did to the second Red Scare movement in the 1940s and 1950s when there was a hunt for anyone believed to have Communist connections spurred by Sen. Joseph McCarthy.

Lovitz emphasized that it's a comedian's "job to satirize what's going on in society and point out the hypocrisies," but cancel culture presents a roadblock in creating comedy.

"As soon as you say to a comedian like me, 'You can't say that,' the first thing in my head is, 'Oh, and now I have to,'" he divulged. Lovitz also pointed out that there is "a difference between making jokes and being outright mean."

Lovitz gave some simple advice to anyone who can't take a joke or is easily offended.

"If you don't have the ability to laugh at yourself, don't go to a comedy club," the "SNL" alum stated. "I'm not changing my act. If you're watching TV and you don't like the show, change the channel. It's very simple."

Cancel culture has affected his friends in Hollywood or the stand-up comedy world.

"I've seen innocent friends lose their careers," he wrote on Twitter. "It's enough."

Last month, Lovitz lashed out at "SNL" cast members who demanded a safe space from Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who hosted the comedy sketch TV show on NBC.

"For everyone @nbcsnl who isn't sure about the host... Don't forget where you were before you got the show. We are all extraordinarily lucky to have been on it," Lovitz said, as reported by TheBlaze. "Be grateful and enjoy your time on SNL," he continued. "Because nothing lasts forever."

Other comedians have railed against cancel culture. Chris Rock warned that cancel culture breeds boring entertainment. Billy Crystal said canceling people over words has made comedy a "minefield." Dave Chappelle said that "no one can be woke enough." Stand-up comedian Bill Burr joked that the outrage mob has run out of people to cancel and has resorted to canceling dead people.

Meanwhile, fellow comedians Kat Williams and Seth Rogen have said that cancel culture doesn't exist or is warranted for certain people.

'Be grateful': Actor Jon Lovitz chastises 'SNL' cast members triggered by Elon Musk hosting



Iconic actor and comedian Jon Lovitz chastised cast members on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" for grousing over the invitation to Tesla CEO Elon Musk to host the show.

Lovitz, who is a former "Saturday Night Live" member, offered muted criticism but followed it up by contrasting the attitude of modern actors with that of his generation.

"For everyone @nbcsnl who isn't sure about the host... Don't forget where you were before you got the show. We are all extraordinarily lucky to have been on it," Lovitz said.

For everyone @nbcsnl who isn’t sure about the host...Don’t forget where you were before you got the show. We are a… https://t.co/MFVUJZ6YVB

— Jon Lovitz (@realjonlovitz) 1620451279.0

"Be grateful and enjoy your time on SNL," he continued. "Because nothing lasts forever."

Cast members and writers of the longtime sketch comedy show bristled when the Tesla CEO was announced as a guest host. Others criticized them for being triggered and outraged against Musk without any clear or consistent reasoning on why he's so controversial.

Lovitz continued his criticism after some on Twitter disagreed with him.

"I didn't stay. I didn't leave. I did my job that I was hired to do. I was paid to be on the show. When you get hired for a job, you show up and do it," said Lovitz.

I didn’t stay. I didn’t leave. I did my job that I was hired to do. I was paid to be on the show. When you get hire… https://t.co/qqthI3i1r1

— Jon Lovitz (@realjonlovitz) 1620524531.0

"This concept apparently is foreign to a lot of people these days. That's what owners of businesses tell me," he added.

SNL cast member Pete Davidson voiced confusion at the reaction from some of his colleagues.

"I don't know why people are freaking out," Davidson said Wednesday. "They're like, 'Oh, I can't believe that Elon Musk is hosting!' And I'm like, 'The guy that makes the earth better kinda and makes cool things and sends people to Mars?'"

Lovitz was a member on SNL from 1985 to 1990 and later starred in various movies as well as his own short-lived animated show, "The Critic."

The cast members who voiced opposition to Musk were reportedly given a "safe space" to avoid participating on Saturday's show. Musk noted in his monologue that he made history on the show for being the first host with Asperger's syndrome.

"Or at least the first to admit it," he added.

Here's Elon Musk's opening monologue on SNL:

Elon Musk Monologue - SNLwww.youtube.com

After posting, then deleting, cynical messages, 'SNL' cast members given safe space if they don't want to appear with Elon Musk



Some "Saturday Night Live" cast members and a writer don't appear to be welcoming Elon Musk, who is an upcoming host of the NBC sketch TV show. Two "SNL" cast members posted and then deleted seemingly standoffish messages toward the Tesla CEO on social media shortly after Musk was announced as the host for the May 8 episode.

Last month, it was announced that Musk would host "SNL."

"Weekend Update" host Michael Che did what comedians are supposed to do: make jokes. During an interview with former "SNL" star Jimmy Fallon, Che joked about Musk hosting, "I am excited to meet him, but I don't know if he knows, usually, we have this tradition at 'Saturday Night Live,' it's customary for the hosts to give like a couple million dollars to the cast members."

But not everyone was excited to see the billionaire on "Saturday Night Live."

Let’s find out just how live Saturday Night Live really is 😈

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 1619320846.0

The SpaceX founder tweeted, "Let's find out just how live Saturday Night Live really is," which received over 215,000 Likes on Twitter.

"SNL" cast member Bowen Yang took a screen capture of Musk's tweet and replied, "What the f*** does this even mean?"

"SNL" writer Andrew Dismukes reacted on Instagram by saying, "Only CEO I want to do a sketch with is Cher-E Oteri," a reference to "Saturday Night Live" alum Cheri Oteri.

After the news of one of the richest people on the planet set to host the comedy show, longtime "SNL" cast member Aidy Bryant reposted a tweet by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) that said, "The 50 wealthiest people in America today own more wealth than the bottom half of our people. Let me repeat that, because it is almost too absurd to believe: the 50 wealthiest people in this country own more wealth than some 165 MILLION Americans. That is a moral obscenity."

Sanders, an avowed socialist, has butted heads with the billionaire Musk in the past. Sanders called out Musk, who has a net worth of $173 billion.

"We are in a moment in American history where two guys — Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos — own more wealth than the bottom 40% of people in this country," Sanders said in March. "That level of greed and inequality is not only immoral. It is unsustainable."

the absolute shade from Aidy Bryant after announcing that @nbcsnl will have Elon Musk as host. good for her https://t.co/G1K4R0sNEq

— abby (@abbymorr11) 1619295601.0

NBC revealed that any "SNL" cast members offended by Elon Musk will be provided a safe space.

"Speaking historically, if a cast member has been that unhappy, they don't have to do it," a source told Page Six. "['SNL' boss Lorne Michaels] won't ever make them do anything they don't want to do."

The DogefatherSNL May 8

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 1619590847.0

While Musk hosts the May 8 episode, Miley Cyrus will be the musical guest on the comedy skit show, and she received blowback for participating in a teaser clip with the billionaire. When announcing her appearance on "SNL" with Musk, the pop singer was met with some criticism from dozens of her diehard fans.

A fan tweeted, "I like you, Miley. But there is no way in hell that I'll be watching Elon Musk do anything. Honestly, folks should boycott this."

Another stated, "Girl you have the power to stop this."

One Twitter user wrote, "Don't show. Not worth it. He's not worth it."