SNL criticized for Dave Chappelle's monologue on antisemitism, Kanye West

NBC's Saturday Night Live is getting criticism after comedian Dave Chappelle made comments about Kanye West's antisemitic remarks during his 15-minute set.

"I denounce antisemitism in all its forms and I stand with my friends in the Jewish community — and that, Kanye, is how you buy yourself some time," Chappelle prefaced his opening monologue.

NBC News says the comedian is "known for courting controversy and defying his most vocal critics."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

The CEO of the Anti-Defamation League Jonathan Greenblatt accused SNL of "popularizing anti-Semitism," reports The Hollywood Reporter.

In a tweet, Greenblatt wrote: "We shouldn't expect @DaveChappelle to serve as society's moral compass, but disturbing to see @nbcsnl not just normalize but popularize #antisemitism. Why are Jewish sensitivities denied or diminished at almost every turn? Why does our trauma trigger applause?"

During Chappelle's SNL appearance, he also mocked Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving, who was recently suspended for sharing a link to the Hebrew to Negroes: Wake Up Black America documentary on social media, which "contains anti-Semitic sentiments," the Reporter notes. Chappelle said the NBA star was "slow to apologize."