It's hard to imagine in what context Saturday Night Live's writers might have thought an Islamic State skit could be funny.
Social media, however, has cast a clear verdict that ISIS is not an OK source of gags.
Dakota Johnson stepped up as guest host on the lastest edition of Saturday Night Live, yet it wasn't 50 Shades of Grey that provided the controversy. Instead, drawing the wrath of social media was a spoof of a Toyota advert in which Johnson played a character who joins ISIS (IS).
In the original commercial, a father drops his daughter at the airport where she is heading off to join the military. In the SNL version, Johnson heads off to join gun-toting ISIS fighters, telling her emotional father (played by Taran Killam) "Dad, it's just ISIS".
Twitter erupted in outrage over the sketch, which appeared to be pretty much the only notable occurrence in what critics said was an unremarkable hosting performance (one review slammed Johnson as "bland, awkward and expressionless").
Most complaints criticised the clip for being in poor taste.
Killam, a regular SNL cast member, defended the parody on Twitter saying "freedom to mock is our greatest weapon".
Proud of this. Freedom to mock is our greatest weapon. Thanks to the writers who asked not to be mentioned by name.
https://t.co/FjdX9xGewX — taran killam (@TaranKillam)
March 1, 2015
I'm going to go ahead and voice my opinion on the
#SNL ISIS skit. Absolutely hell no, under any circumstance. Poor poor taste! — Matthew Lyle (@mlyle2)
March 1, 2015
The problem with that
#SNL sketch about ISIS has less to do with the boundaries of good taste than the boundaries of good humor on
#SNL. — erickohn (@erickohn)
March 1, 2015
Absolutely floored that anyone would find the
#SNL ISIS skit funny. Nothing funny about it, it was tasteless.Desensitized much?
#OrangeRoom — Rebecca (@becca76)
March 1, 2015
Can't be serious. Isis skit? Like going to college? When so many people are being kidnapped and killed? Depraved.
#SNL — Raine LaChance (@rainelachance)
March 1, 2015
Not very funny
#SNL with the ISIS skit. "Take care of my daughter" referring to a group that gruesomely kills. — Randy Galloway (@Randy_Galloway)
March 1, 2015
Just saw maybe the most unfunny
#SNL piece of all time. Is ISIS really a good subject for humor?
#nbc And I've loved SNL for decades. — Ed Tate (@edwardtate)
March 1, 2015
