‘I had to change the channel’: ‘SNL’ host Bill Burr divides fans after controversial opening monologue
Bill Burr #BillBurr
Morgan Wallen dropped as “SNL” performer after breaking COVID rules; Prince William, David Attenborough launch Earthshot Prize; “Sesame Street” tackles racism in TV special. (Oct. 8) AP Domestic
Bill Burr didn’t hold back in his controversial opening “Saturday Night Live” monologue.
Wearing a grey face covering, the 52-year-old comedian hosted the second episode of the season, using a portion of his monologue to criticize white women who “somehow hijacked the woke movement.”
Burr described the “woke movement” as one revolving around “people of color not getting opportunities … that they deserve.” It was unclear whether he was explicitly referring to the Black Lives Matter movement amid the death of George Floyd after a white police officer kneeled on his neck.
“Somehow, white women swung their Gucci booted feet over the fence of oppression and stuck themselves at the front of the line,” Burr said.
He added that he has “never heard so much complaining in my life from white women.”
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“My life is so hard. My SUV and my heated seats. You have no idea what it’s like to be me,” Burr went on.
He then questioned the length of Pride Month in June, asking the audience if a month is “a little long, don’t you think?”
Fans quickly took to Twitter, some criticizing Burr for being insensitive in the way he addressed racism and LGBTQ pride in his monologue.
One user, sushma, called it “the worst way possible” to tackle these topics.
“Made it about one minute into Bill Burr’s ‘SNL’ monologue before I had to change the channel,” @sallyjh4889 wrote.
Others praised the comedian, with user Alaina Urquhart calling his comments about white women “a perfect joke.”
“I love that Bill Burr made a perfect joke about white women making everything about us and then a bunch of white women on Twitter lost their minds because they think it was a mean joke. Thus….proving his point,” she wrote.
Another user praised Burr for “speaking the truth” about white women and their performative activism.
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