The Saturday Night Live tribute song that Adam Sandler performed on the show’s 50th anniversary special poked fun at a range of cast members, hosts and staffers over the show’s half-century run. One of them, former musical guest Kanye West, appreciated the shout-out, unflattering as it was.
In the song, which Sandler, 58, performed on the three-hour special that aired Sunday, February 16, the comedian listed everything fans and cast members have enjoyed over the past 50 years, including “50 years of finding out your favorite musician’s antisemitic.”
The line referenced the string of antisemitic comments that West, 47, has made over the past several years, including a social media rant earlier this month in which he praised Adolf Hitler, called himself a Nazi and called antisemitism “just some bulls— Jewish people made up.”
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Around the same time, West also sold swastika T-shirts on his Yeezy website and promoted the site during a 30-second ad that aired during the Super Bowl. The shirts have since been removed from the marketplace, with Shopify, which supports the Yeezy store, citing a violation of the platform’s terms.
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“Adam Sandler, Thank you for the love,” West posted via X on Wednesday, February 19.
He followed that with another post that read, “After further reflection I’ve come to the realization that I’m not a Nazi.”
As of Thursday afternoon, Sandler has not responded to West’s posts.
Sandler’s song wasn’t the only time the controversial rapper was referenced on the special. In one segment, which featured former Weekend Update anchors Amy Poehler and Tina Fey taking questions from the celebrities in the audience, comedian Zach Galifianakis commented, “Please stop bothering me, I just want to relax and watch Kanye perform.”
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West appeared on the last SNL anniversary special in 2015, celebrating 40 years of the NBC variety show. He appeared in a sketch and performed.
Three years later, he was the musical guest for the season 44 premiere, hosted by Adam Driver. In the show’s final moments, West, wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, went off script with a speech in support of President Donald Trump.
He has not been invited back to the show since that incident, where he declared he wasn’t worried about racism in America and said he was bullied backstage for his political views.
“Follow your heart and stop following your mind. That’s how we’re controlled,” he said in his rant. “That’s how we’re programmed. If you want the world to move forward, try love.”
Us Weekly
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