As a result of his opening monologue on Saturday Night Live, Woody Harrelson has drawn criticism on social media.
The Zombieland actor started his skit by recalling the several times he had hosted the comedy program previously during his career, noting that this was his fifth time performing for Saturday Night Live.
He discussed a variety of subjects during his bit, including political polarisation, m*******a use, and he even opened up about quitting drinking for 5 months.
The actor then concluded his standup set by discussing a proposal that had one of the “craziest scripts” he had ever seen. This pitch was an obvious metaphor for the COVID epidemic, in which he talked about one of the “biggest drug cartels” that made people stay in their houses unless they consented to take their drugs.
The actor has in the past disseminated a variety of theories about the coronavirus outbreak. He even said that wearing a mask was “absurd” in an interview with Vanity Fair from last year, and added that the reason he hasn’t contracted the virus is that he is “internally clean.”
But it’s his SNL monologue that has really ruffled a few feathers, he said: “So the movie goes like this, the biggest drug cartels in the world are coming together and buying up all the media and all the politicians and forcing everyone in the world to stay locked in their homes.
“And the only way people can get out is if they take the cartel’s drugs, and keep taking them over and over again,” he added. “I threw the script away. I mean who would believe this crazy idea? Being forced to take drugs? I do it voluntarily all day.”
Not many people were impressed by Harrelson’s remarks on the partnership between the medical community and the government to promote vaccines, which were extensively circulated online.
One user stated: “Has Woody Harrelson even been acting all this time or has he just wandered onto film sets in a daze, spewed whatever came to mind, and the directors always just said ‘keep it’”
A second commented: “Is this clip out of context or is woody actually f***ing stupid because nobody in this country was locked in their house or was forced to vaccinate lol.”
“It’s such an incredibly selfish & privileged position, the anti-vax, anti-lockdown, covid conspiracy one. Woody Harrelson, & those supporting such **, are only able to do so because they themselves are ok. Nobody who suffered or lost loved ones to Covid talks like that,” a third wrote.
Another chimed in: “Ooof I lost all respect for him.”
But the most shocking part was Elon Musk’s response to the comic’s comments, he wrote: “So based. Nice work @nbcsnl!” He then responded to a comment warning people to “get ready for the meltdowns,” to which the CEO added: “Maybe they [media outlets] don’t realize that their propaganda is wrong?”
Given that SNL has always been publicly conscientious and even decided to film their quarantined season from its cast members’ homes, his statements on the late-night sketch program were strange, to say the least.
What do you think of his comments?
