'Saturday Night Live' Takes Aim At Harvey Weinstein Scandal, Pulls No Punches With Biting Commentary
Saturday Night Live took on the Harvey Weinstein scandal over the weekend with some seriously biting commentary that addressed the allegations against the producer, and the culture of sexism and sexual harassment that permeates Hollywood.
Colin Jost and Michael Che opened this week's "Weekend Update" by breaking down some of the excuses Weinstein presented for his alleged actions, and his reported intent to seek treatment for sex addiction.
"Somehow, I don't think that's going to help anybody," Jost said. "He doesn't need sex rehab, he needs a specialized facility where there are no women, no contact with the outside world, metal bars, and it's a prison."
Che went on to explain why the scandal was a difficult subject to tackle for Saturday Night Live and comics in general.
"This is a tough spot for a comedian, because it's so hard to make jokes about sexual assault, but it's so easy to make jokes about a guy that looks like him," Che said, referring to a photo of Weinstein. "He looks like chewed bubble gum rolled in cat hair."
He also addressed a recent video Weinstein made addressing the scandal that has enveloped him in which he said, "We all make mistakes."
"You assaulted dozens of woman. That's not a mistake, that's a full season Law & Order," Che said. "Your name's a verb now, dude. As in, 'If this guy tries to Weinstein me, I'm gonna cut off his little Harvey.'"
Earlier in the episode, in the sketch "Film Panel," Kate McKinnon reprised her amazing role as classic Hollywood starlet Debette Goldry, who worked alongside the likes of Rod Taylor and Humphrey Bogart in the 1930s, '40s and '50s.
Goldry was joined by actresses Viola Davis (played by Leslie Jones) and Marion Cotillard (played by Cecily Strong), to discuss the Weinstein scandal and sexual harassment in Hollywood.
"Women being harassed is Hollywood," McKinnon's character chimed in, before sharing her own supposed encounter with Weinstein.
"I actually did have one meeting with Harvey. I was invited to his hotel room, and when I arrived he was naked, hanging upside down from a monkey bar. He tried to trick me into thinking his genitals were actually his face," Goldry recalled. "It almost worked. The resemblance is uncanny."
NEWS: Harvey Weinstein Expelled From Motion Picture Academy
Later, panel moderator Karen Domineau (played by Aidy Bryant) asked the actresses about the existence of a so-called "Whisper System," in which actresses warn each other about potentially threatening men.
After Cotillard and Davis said the system did exist, Goldry explained how a similar system was used by actresses in her day.
"Back then, we had this secret code among actresses to warn each other about creeps," Goldry said. "The code was: 'He raped me.' Then, if any men were listening, they'd tune us right out."
WATCH: Harvey Weinstein Accused of Three Decades of Alleged Sexual Harassment
Weinstein has been accused of sexual misconduct and sexual assault by dozens of women who have come forth over the last two weeks, with allegations stretching back over three decades.
Since the sexual misconduct scandal broke last week, Weinstein was fired from The Weinstein Company, the independent film studio he co-founded with his brother, Bob Weinstein, in 2005. He was also left by his wife of 10 years, Georgina Chapman.
Additionally, the list of accusers has grown, and includes actresses such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, Rose McGowan, Cara Delevingne, Asia Argento, Mira Sorvino and dozens of others.
A spokesperson for Weinstein, Sallie Hofmeister, issued a statement to The New Yorker in response to the accusations, and said Weinstein denies any allegations of non-consensual sex.
For more on the ongoing scandal and the many accusations leveled against Weinstein, watch the video below.
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