Viewers were unhappy with SNL's cold open Saturday night, which mocked last week's congressional hearings on anti-Semitism on campus.
The opening sketch attempted to shed light on the university presidents' flawed testimony, but their efforts generated few laughs.
Then the backlash began online, where viewers decried the skit for attempting to undermine the severity of anti-Semitism on American college campuses in the weeks following the October 7 terrorist attack.
The pre-written outline was also rolled out just hours after University of Pennsylvania President Amy Magill — whose testimony before the House panel seemed particularly smug — resigned in disgrace after a dismal performance over the past eight weeks.
SNL newcomer Chloe Troast portrayed Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY), the chair of the Republican caucus in the House of Representatives and a staunch supporter of former President Trump.
SNL newcomer Chloe Troast portrayed Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY), the chair of the Republican caucus in the House of Representatives and a staunch supporter of former President Trump
In a moment intended to ridicule Stefanik's hearing performance, which has been widely praised, she said, “I'm going to scream questions at these women like Billy Eichner.”
'Anti-Semitism – yes or no?' she shouted at the three women playing the university president.
'Yes or no! Does the call for genocide of the Jews violate Harvard's code of conduct?'
The actress who plays Harvard University's Claudine Gay responded, “Well, it depends on the context.”
'What? That can't be your answer,” Troast's Stefanik replied, echoing the shocking interaction between the two in the real world.
“UPenn lady, same question, yes or no?” she asked the actress playing Magill.
“If you don't say yes, you're making me look good, and that's really hard to do,” she continued. “So I'll ask you honestly. Do you think genocide is bad?'
iHeart Radio host Mark Simone wrote on
“They (SNL) tried – strangely – to portray Elise Stefanik (who won the day in every way) as shrill. I think I had the misunderstanding that calling a woman 'shrill' was sexist,” another user wrote.
A third disgusted user wrote, “Congratulations SNL, everyone. Because they haven't been funny for years, they have now simply transcended comedy and become one big joke. I'm not sure what's more pathetic: this vague attempt at comedy, or the mocking of those who stand up to anti-Semitism at a time like this. Filth.'
While the sketch fell flat both live and in front of the online audience, the real Stefanik aired a scathing indictment of Magill and the other university presidents following news of the Penn president's resignation.
“One down. Two more to go,” she wrote.
SNL creator and longtime executive producer Lorne Michaels is Jewish and was born on a kibbutz in then-British Mandate Palestine before moving to Toronto with his parents.
College presidents (Ego Nwodim, L, Chloe Fineman, R) answer questions from members of Congress about anti-Semitism on their campuses during SNL's cold open
SNL newcomer Chloe Troast played Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and Molly Kearney (R) played Representative Virginia Foxx
The players tried to mock last week's hearing, in which the presidents of Harvard, MIT and Penn gave disappointing testimony before Congress about combating anti-Semitism on their respective campuses.
Harvard President Claudine Gay during the congressional hearing on anti-Semitism on campus
MIT President Sally Kornbluth's testimony was widely criticized
Amy Magill's hearing performance was the straw that broke the camel's back and ultimately cost her her job at the Ivy League — even though she remains a law professor.
Magill was criticized for her testimony, in which she said that reprimanding students who call for a Jewish genocide was not of paramount importance but “context specific.”
She was asked a “yes or no” question about whether calls for the genocide of Jews counted as hate speech, and she repeatedly said it depended on context.
On Wednesday, she tried to clarify her comments, but the damage had already been done: A wealthy alumnus withdrew a $100 million donation, and her comments were roundly condemned by the ADL, the White House and politicians across the board.
Magill issued a groveling video statement attempting to explain her failure to condemn calls for genocide of Jewish people on campuses.
She said she was not “focused” on the issue, and said she wanted to “be clear” that calls for genocide were “evil, plain and simple” — though she said the blame was more likely to lie with her university's policies and the constitution was then with her.
Magill said, “There was a moment during yesterday's Congressional hearing on anti-Semitism when I was asked whether calling for the genocide of Jewish people on our campus would violate our policy.
'At that moment I was focused on our university's long-standing policy – in line with the American Constitution – which states that speech alone is not punishable.
“I wasn't focused on the irrefutable fact, but I should have been, that a call for genocide against Jewish people is a call for the most terrible violence that human beings can commit. It is evil, plain and simple.”
The real Elise Stefanik (pictured) celebrated Magill's resignation on Saturday by sharing a message that began: 'One less. Two to go'
Magill said she hoped to draw a line in the sand and clarify her position.
“I want to be clear: a call for genocide of Jewish people is very threatening,” she said.
“It is deliberately intended to instill fear in a people who have been victims of pogroms and hatred for centuries and were victims of mass genocide during the Holocaust.
“I think it would be harassment or intimidation.”
But, Magill said, it was not officially classified as harassment — a policy she said was outdated and needed to be revised.
Magill promised to work to update the existing rules.
“For decades under multiple Penn presidents and in accordance with most universities, Penn policies were guided by the Constitution and law,” she said.
“In today's world, where we see evidence of hate spreading across our campus and our world in ways we haven't seen in years, this policy needs to be clarified and evaluated.
“Penn needs to take a serious and careful look at our policies.”
She concluded that she was “committed to providing a safe and supportive environment so that all members of our community can thrive. We can and will do it right.'
On Thursday, as the House Education Committee said it was investigating the issue further, the board of Wharton — the world's first business school, founded in 1881 at the University of Pennsylvania — said Magill should resign.
In a letter to her, they said the university's leadership needed to change “with immediate effect.”