The past few months have been packed with stories about sexual assault and misconduct in industries across the spectrum. Those scandals have come with some difficult discussions about the accused, and this week’s Saturday Night Live made light of the awkwardness.
In one of the better sketches of the night, host Will Ferrell joined Kate McKinnon, Kenan Thompson, Aidy Bryant and others at a restaurant when the question “Did anyone read that piece on Aziz Ansari?” is dropped.
Earlier this month, a controversial article published by website babe.net came under fire for accusations against Ansari. The woman (who goes by Grace in the piece) describes Ansari, after the two have dinner together, being aggressively sexual with her in his apartment: “Everything was pretty much touched and done within 10 minutes of hooking up, except for actual sex."
During the skit, the lights fell as each cast member stammered over words on how to address the accusations, with hilariously relatable intros like, “I feel like powerful men, almost always — nope ” and “I feel like if she wanted to leave . . .”
It wasn’t the only skit tackling sexual assault. A digital short earlier in the night featuring Ferrell and other cast mates served as an advertisement for the antiperspirant “Next.”
Ferrell’s character says, “Something’s coming out about me real soon because I’m . . . next.”
With an office manager, a comedian, and a red-carpet actor featured, it’s a painful reminder that the #MeToo movement has touched just about every industry out there. In the wake of actors James Franco and Ansari not attending last week’s SAG Awards, the final line, “I’m going to need an antiperspirant that works with me, because no one else will,” hits even harder.
More: Screen Actors Guild Awards: James Franco attends, Aziz Ansari skips amid scandals
More: Aziz Ansari accused of sexual misconduct: 'I took her words to heart'
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