SNL sparks outrage with sneering take on anti-Semitism hearings that makes GOP Rep. Stefanik the butt of the joke – hours after UPenn President Liz Magill resigned in disgrace

Viewers were unhappy with SNL’s cold open Saturday night, which poked fun at last week’s congressional hearings on anti-Semitism on campus.

The first draft attempted to shed light on the lack of testimony from college presidents, but their efforts generated few laughs.

A backlash then began online, with viewers criticizing the sketch for attempting to undermine the severity of anti-Semitism on American college campuses in the weeks following the Oct. 7 terrorist attack.

The pre-written sketch also came just hours after Penn State President Amy Magill, whose testimony before a House panel appeared particularly smug, resigned in disgrace following dismal results over the past eight weeks.

SNL newcomer Chloe Troast played Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY), chairwoman of the House Republican Caucus and a loyal supporter of former President Trump.

In a moment that was meant to poke fun at the quality of Stefanik’s hearing, which has generally been widely praised, she said, “I’m going to start yelling questions at women like Billie Eichner.”

“Anti-Semitism – yes or no?” she yelled at the three women playing college presidents.

‘Yes or no! Is calling for the genocide of Jews consistent with Harvard’s code of conduct?”

The actress playing Harvard University’s Claudine Gay responded, “Well, it depends on the context.”

‘What? That can’t be your answer,” retorted Troast’s Stefanik, echoing the pair’s shocking real-world interaction.

“Lady from Pennsylvania, same question, yes or no?” she asked the actress playing Magill.

“If you don’t say yes, you’re going to make me look good, and that’s very, very hard to do,” she continued. “So I’ll ask you directly.” Do you think genocide is bad?

iHeart Radio host Mark Simone wrote on X after the sketch: “Only a hate-filled and anti-Semitic SNL would do a sketch about anti-Semitic college presidents testifying before Congress and make the questioner Congresswoman Stefanik the subject of the sketch. .’

“They (SNL) – oddly enough – tried to skewer Eliza Stefanik (who apparently won the day) as a shrieker. I guess I was mistaken in thinking that calling a woman “sharp” was sexist,” another user wrote.

A third disgusted user wrote: “Congratulations to everyone SNL. Since they haven’t been funny in years, they’ve now just gone beyond comedy and become one big joke. I don’t know what’s more pathetic, this vague attempt at comedy or the ridicule of those who speak out against anti-Semitism at a time like this. Dirt.

Because the sketch was unsuccessful both in person and online, the real Stefanik sent out a scathing denunciation of Magill and other university presidents following news of the resignation of the University of Pennsylvania president.

‘One is ready. Two left,” she wrote.

SNL creator and longtime executive producer Lorne Michaels is Jewish, born on a kibbutz in what was then British Mandate Palestine and then moved with his parents to Toronto.

Under his continued leadership, the show moved especially far to the left during the Trump years, largely using its airtime to criticize the political right and ridicule those who oppose woke politics.

Magill was criticized for her testimony, in which she said reprimanding students who call for Jewish genocide was not of primary importance but depended on “context.”

She was asked a yes or no question about whether calling for the genocide of Jews is considered hate speech, and she repeatedly said it depended on the context.

She tried to clarify her comments Wednesday, but the damage was done: The wealthy alum withdrew a $100 million donation and her remarks were roundly condemned by the ADL, the White House and politicians across the board.

Magill released a derogatory video statement attempting to explain her failure to condemn calls for genocide of Jewish people on college campuses.

She said she was not “focused” on the issue and said she wanted to “make it clear” that calls for genocide were “evil, plain and simple,” although she said the blame lay with her university’s policies and constitution, and not on her university’s policies and constitution. with her.

Magill said: “There was a point during yesterday’s congressional hearing on anti-Semitism when I was asked whether calling for the genocide of Jewish people on our campus would violate our policy.

“At that moment, I focused on our university’s long-standing policy, consistent with the US Constitution, which states that speech itself is not punishable.

“I was oblivious to the undeniable fact that a call for genocide of the Jewish people is a call for the most horrific violence that a person can commit. This is evil, plain and simple.”

Magill said she hopes to draw a line in the sand and clarify her position.

“I want to be clear: the call for genocide of the Jewish people is a profound threat,” she said.

“This is deliberately intended to intimidate people who have been subjected to centuries of pogroms and hatred and were victims of mass genocide during the Holocaust.

“In my opinion, that would be harassment or intimidation.”

But Magill says it doesn’t officially qualify as harassment – a policy she says is outdated and needs to be reviewed.

Magill promised to work to update existing rules.

“For decades, under the leadership of several Penn State presidents, and in accordance with most universities, Penn State’s policies have been determined by the Constitution and the law,” she said.

“In today’s world, where we see signs of hate spreading across our campus and the world in ways not seen in many years, these policies need to be clarified and evaluated.

“Penn must take a serious and careful look at our policies.”

She concluded that she is “committed to creating a safe, secure and supportive environment so that all members of our community can thrive.” We can and will do it right.”

On Thursday, as the House Education Committee said it was continuing to investigate the matter, the board of Wharton – the world’s first business school founded in 1881 at the University of Pennsylvania – said Magill should resign.

In a letter addressed to her, they said the university’s leadership needed to be changed “immediately.”