12 Classic SNL Sketches That Wouldn't Be Made Today

      Here are 12 SNL sketches that would not be produced today due to changing comedic standards.

      While some SNL sketches and characters, such as Dana's Church Lady, have aged remarkably well, not every Saturday Night Live sketch endures over time.

      Additionally, advancements in technology—where people can express dissatisfaction on platforms like X instead of sending letters or calling NBC—have created an environment where public objections to certain jokes or setups can accumulate rapidly, leading show creators to be more cautious about provoking offense.

      Let’s revisit some SNL sketches that would not be made in the present day.

      **Pat**

      Perhaps the most notorious SNL character is Pat. The "It's Pat" sketches were centered around a singular joke: no one could determine if Pat was a man or a woman. Characters would probe and poke to uncover the truth, but the answer eluded them.

      It's easy to see why Julia Sweeney's Pat character would be absent from contemporary SNL sketches.

      Interestingly, there was a Pat movie, likely the worst film created based on an SNL character, which is saying something.

      **Uncle Roy**

      Buck Henry, well-regarded as a remarkable comedy writer behind works like *The Graduate* and *Get Smart*, also became a regular figure in the early seasons of Saturday Night Live, hosting ten times from 1976 to 1980.

      He created recurring characters, including his role as Uncle Roy—a predatory babysitter—in multiple sketches that are undeniably discomforting.

      Anne Beatts, a veteran of National Lampoon and a pioneering female comedy writer in the 1970s, contributed to the Uncle Roy sketches.

      **Ching Chang**

      Dana Carvey is known for his fantastic SNL sketches and memorable recurring characters like Garth, Church Lady, and Hans.

      Then there's Ching Chang, a character whose name is difficult to even mention.

      While there is no ill intent behind Carvey's Ching Chang character, it is challenging to watch today. This is likely why there wasn’t a "Best of Dana Carvey" collection focusing on it. Instead, we can appreciate his other notable characters like the Church Lady.

      **Lyle, the Effeminate Heterosexual**

      Dana Carvey makes another appearance! This character is less controversial but still feels like something that would likely be avoided presently due to potential backlash. Like many SNL characters, it revolves around a singular concept evident in the character's name.

      Carvey portrays Lyle, who is presumed to be gay based on his mannerisms, but everyone—including his wife—is completely accepting of it. Much of the humor stems from Lyle’s astonishment that anyone could think he’s gay.

      **John Belushi’s Samurai**

      A white individual can portray a samurai—just look at Tom Cruise in his film! However, in his various samurai sketches, John Belushi wasn't merely a white man playing a samurai. Instead, he portrayed a Japanese samurai.

      In these sketches, Belushi donned traditional samurai attire and hairstyle while speaking gibberish Japanese. He frequently appeared with Buck Henry, who enjoyed the original sketch and requested to perform a samurai sketch whenever he hosted, even after Belushi accidentally struck Henry with his sword, causing an injury.

      **Robert Goulet**

      Will Ferrell impersonated the legendary crooner Robert Goulet several times. While Ferrell's impression wasn’t problematic in itself, there was one instance that would not be appropriate today.

      In one Goulet sketch, he crooned popular rap songs like “Thong Song,” some of which included the N-word. Ferrell said it live, from New York.

      Unlike a previous sketch featuring Chevy Chase and Richard Pryor that involved the term in 1975—with Pryor central to the theme of racial prejudice—this moment would be considered unacceptable now.

      **Canteen Boy**

      We can argue that the infamous Canteen Boy sketches are not particularly problematic, even if they are somewhat lazily humorous. Adam Sandler portrayed Canteen Boy multiple times, but only one incident created significant offense—so much so that it was referenced in Alec Baldwin’s monologue during his next hosting.

      Canteen Boy is a classic Sandler character, embodying an odd assistant scoutmaster with a canteen. In one sketch, Baldwin played a scoutmaster who makes inappropriate advances towards Canteen Boy, who then senses the advances and escapes, calling upon animals to attack.

      Nonetheless, the idea of a sexually aggressive scoutmaster disturbed viewers, leading modern SNL sketches to shy away from such themes.

      **Jazz Man**

      Billy Crystal was only a part of Saturday Night Live for one season—the noteworthy 1984-85 season, during which the struggling show attempted to revitalize itself by recruiting already famous performers.

      Crystal previously appeared on SNL, introducing his Jazz Man character, one of the more eccentric recurring characters in comedy. He revisited it throughout the years, even in the modern era. However, this