The Saturday Night Live writers’ room didn’t shy away from the sexual harassment allegations against one of their own, using “Weekend Update” to address the claims against Minnesota senator and SNL alumnus Al Franken.
Franken—who on Saturday had been accused of forcibly kissing and jokingly groping co-star Leeann Tweeden at a 2006 USO show in Afghanistan and has since been accused of groping another woman during a 2010 photo op—rose to prominence as a writer and performer during the early seasons of Saturday Night Live. “Weekend Update” has been covering sexual harassment for the last few weeks, but of all the media figures accused thus far, Franken is the most closely associated with SNL—even more so than Louis C.K., who has hosted the show four times.
Colin Jost and Michael Che went straight for the elephant in the room, making clear that Franken’s actions were indefensible. The segment was blunt about placing Franken in the unsavory company to which he belongs, including him in a collage alongside Cosby, Moore, C.K., Weinstein, and of course, Trump. “There’s so much to be thankful for this year, unless you’re a human woman,” said Jost of the group.
The news update then cut to the photo of Franken posing inappropriately with a sleeping Tweeden. “I know this photo looks bad, but remember, it also is bad,” Jost continued. “Sure, this photo was taken before Franken ran for office, but it was also taken after he was a sophomore in high school. It’s hard to be like, ‘Come on, he didn’t know any better, he was only 55.’ ”
Saturday Night Live came under fire last month for failing to address the then-breaking Harvey Weinstein allegations, with conservative critics claiming the show was covering up for him because of its liberal bias. But liberals have become faster and more assertive at condemning harassers in their own ranks as this saga has gone on: Thinkpieces on how the left ought to now reckon with the Bill Clinton accusations continue to proliferate. If we want to be able to call out politicians like Moore and Trump, we cannot have double standards about Franken and Clinton.
The segment, while forceful in its condemnation of Franken, did touch on the right’s hypocrisy and the frustration felt by many on the left that they are the only ones attempting to be nonpartisan about these accusations.
“Without even looking, you can bet that President Trump called out Al Franken and not Roy Moore, who is accused of way worse, by the way,” said Che. “But Franken is a liberal and Trump and Moore are conservatives.”
It seems—frustratingly—that this is how things are going to continue to play out, with many on the conservative, religious right finding ways to stick with Moore.
Not to mention President Trump.
