SNL50 Defiantly Re-Airs Sketches That Have ‘Aged Horribly’

Tom Hanks pulled a fun bait-and-switch near the end of the Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary special. Introducing what appeared to be a standard “In Memoriam” segment, he gave viewers something far sillier.

“As we celebrate the achievements of the past 50 years, we must also take a moment to honor those who we’ve lost,” Hanks solemnly said. “Countless members of the SNL family taken from us too soon. I’m speaking, of course, about SNL characters and sketches that have aged horribly.”

Hanks continued, “But even though these characters, accents, and let’s just call them ethnic wigs, were unquestionably in poor taste, you all laughed at them.”

“So if anyone should be canceled, shouldn’t it be you, the audience?” he asked. “Something to think about.”

SNL then played a montage of its many, many clips over the past 50 years that don’t exactly stand the test of time.

Attached to the clips were disclaimers like “ethnic stereotypes,” ”sexual harassment," and “ethnic stereotypes and sexual harassment.”

The montage reminded viewers of Adrien Brody’s infamous decision in 2003 to put on dreadlocks and do an extended bit with a Jamaican accent.

It also featured the 2004 sketch of 17-year-old Lindsay Lohan playing Hot Hermione Granger, with the disclaimer labeling it, “Underage Sexual Harassment.”

It also showed a 1991 sketch with Mike Myers and young Macaulay Culkin in the bathtub together, with the disclaimer simply reading, “Yikes.”

The montage included clips of “Problematic Guests,” such as O.J. Simpson, who hosted in 1978, and Robert Blake, who hosted in 1982—10 years before being charged with murdering his wife.

The clips of problematic guests kept going. It showed Sean “Diddy” Combs and R. Kelly, both of whom have served as musical guests. It also showed Jared Fogle the Subway Guy, who had multiple cameos on the show before being arrested for child sex tourism and possession of child pornography.

And it ended with the classic “Word Association” sketch from the very first season with Chevy Chase and Richard Pryor, that definitely still holds up.