Amy Poehler recently reflected on her past performances as part of the "Saturday Night Live" cast, acknowledging the problematic nature of some characters she portrayed. In a candid conversation with former castmate Will Forte on her podcast, "Good Hang," Poehler admitted that every comedian who has graced the "SNL" stage over the years has inevitably played roles they perhaps should not have. “As we grow older in comedy,” she noted thoughtfully, “we come to realize that everything—everything—has an expiration date.”
Reflecting further, Poehler recalled a poignant moment during "SNL50," when the show dedicated a segment to acknowledging its missteps. "There was even this powerful section where they highlighted all the times we got it wrong," she explained. "They showcased inappropriate casting decisions and moments that were deeply out of touch." She confessed, "We all portrayed people we shouldn’t have. I misappropriated, I appropriated...I simply didn’t know better at the time."
Poehler was referring to the iconic 'SNL50' sketch, where Tom Hanks introduced an In Memoriam segment spotlighting the many controversial jokes and sketches that had aired throughout the show’s history. The montage included jarring clips like those involving sexual harassment and infamous moments such as Adrien Brody donning dreadlocks and adopting a Jamaican accent.
With a wink to the audience, Tom Hanks remarked, “Even though these characters, accents, and let’s just call them ‘ethnic’ wigs were undeniably in poor taste, you all laughed along. So if anyone deserves to be canceled, shouldn’t it be you, the audience? Something worth
