13 Classic SNL Characters That Wouldn't Be Created Today

      Saturday Night Live has a rich history spanning five decades with remarkable characters and sketches. However, the characters listed here may not be featured in the 50th anniversary retrospectives.

      But First

      The original SNL cast. NBC – Credit: NBC

      It's a common sentiment to suggest that SNL characters have softened over time. Comedy is in a constant state of evolution, becoming both more and less sensitive: Certain topics that used to be considered edgy, like ridiculing the president, no longer shock audiences. Conversely, jokes that rely on broad stereotypes often lose their humor once you encounter the individuals being impersonated, rather than viewing them as distant "others."

      Additionally, the nature of public complaints regarding SNL characters has evolved. During the first three or four decades of Saturday Night Live, viewer grievances about characters and sketches were generally confined to NBC switchboards and letters unseen by the broader public.

      Today, complaints circulate rapidly on social media, often tagging advertisers, which creates a backlash that many comedians, particularly those in major corporate productions, would prefer to avoid. Consequently, the following SNL characters likely wouldn’t be acceptable in the current climate, even if some are still humorous.

      Chico Escuela

      Credit: NBC

      “Weekend Update” often serves as a platform for cast members to feature SNL characters that might not fit well into traditional sketches. Gilda Radner thrived in this format.

      Similar to Radner, Garrett Morris was an original SNL cast member. One of his most iconic characters was Chico Escuela, a Dominican baseball player who communicated with a strong Latin accent and had a limited command of English.

      And that was the punchline. While he is fondly remembered by earlier fans of the show, it's hard to envision him appearing today.

      Uncle Roy

      Credit: NBC

      Before the likes of Christopher Walken or Alec Baldwin, there was Buck Henry. Primarily recognized as a writer (and an Oscar winner), Henry also dabbled in acting and hosted Saturday Night Live ten times between 1976 and 1980. He was so frequently involved that he had a few recurring SNL characters.

      One of these was Uncle Roy. The character feels like a product of the anything-goes humor of National Lampoon, with Anne Beatts, a former writer for the magazine, contributing to Uncle Roy’s sketches. The Lampoon ethos embraced dark humor.

      The core premise of the Uncle Roy sketches revolves around him being a pedophilic babysitter. They were already edgy back then, but audiences today are likely to find the Uncle Roy jokes even more unacceptable. Today’s SNL writers would likely steer clear of such material.

      Garrett Morris, Headmaster of the New York School for the Hard of Hearing

      Credit: NBC

      Garrett Morris presented “News for the Hard of Hearing” by simply repeating what Weekend Update anchor Chevy Chase had said, but in a loud manner.

      One could argue that he isn’t strictly a “character,” since he shares a name with the SNL cast member Garrett Morris. However, Chase would introduce him as the "headmaster of the New York School for the Hard of Hearing," a title Morris did not actually hold, so we’ll classify him as a character.

      Also Read: SNL Gone Wild: 12 Behind the Scenes Stories of Saturday Night Live

      The Samurai

      Credit: NBC

      Contemporary SNL is more inclined to satirize cultural appropriation rather than engage in it, and the humor in John Belushi’s Samurai character stemmed from how he mirrored Toshiro Mifune’s role in Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo while placed in absurd scenarios, such as working as a hotel clerk or in a deli.

      Interestingly, the Samurai himself isn’t mocked; he is portrayed as serious and capable, and the humor arises from the contrast between his abilities and the mundane jobs he undertakes. One of our favorites is the surreal Samurai Night Fever, where Belushi somehow merges the Samurai with John Travolta, with O.J. Simpson as his brother.

      Could this once-beloved character make a return to SNL? According to Lorne Michaels, the show's executive producer, it seems unlikely.

      “There’s almost nothing we did in the seventies that we would do now,” Michaels remarked in Susan Morrison’s excellent biography, Lorne. “We could not do ‘News for the Hard of Hearing,’ the Samurai, or Uncle Roy.”

      The Bel-Airabs

      Credit: NBC

      “The Bel-Airabs” only made one appearance, largely due to the departure of all the cast members involved after the 1979-80 season, which featured both sketches. It served as a parody of The Beverly Hillbillies, a show likely familiar to SNL’s core audience either from childhood or reruns. There’s a reason many classic sitcoms were adapted into satirical films in the 1990s.

      The premise of “The Bel-Airabs” centers around California transplants who are portrayed as