“Saturday Night Live” missed the mark with some of their audience this past weekend.
During their “Weekend Update” segment, the comedy show sparked controversy by spending over a minute discussing the recent murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, and America’s fixation on the appearance of the alleged gunman.
“The manhunt continues for the assassin who gunned down the CEO of United Healthcare on Wednesday, and it really says something about America that a guy was murdered in cold blood and the two main reactions were, ‘Yeah, well health care stinks!’ And also, ‘Girl, that shooter hot,'” co-host Colin Jost joked.
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Colin Jost and Michael Che, hosts of the “Weekend Update” segment on “Saturday Night Live,” discussed the UnitedHealthCare CEO murder.
(Will Heath/NBC via Getty Images)
Many users on various social media platforms criticized the segment for its lack of empathy towards Thompson’s family, as the businessman, 50, left behind a grieving wife and two sons.
“Disgusting. I couldn’t watch this segment. The victim’s family and friends are very much grieving right now,” one viewer commented on a YouTube clip of the segment.
Brian Thompson was shot dead in New York City.
(AP Photo/UnitedHealth Group via AP)
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“I mean is the shooter single??” one user joked, echoing Jost’s comments. The day after the tragic shooting, the NYPD released a photo of the suspected gunman, who was seen smiling without a mask.
