Overview

• On her Good Hang podcast with Will Forte, Poehler admitted that she “misappropriated” characters during her 2001–2008 tenure on Saturday Night Live and expressed regret over offensive sketches.
• She pointed to the SNL50 “In Memoriam” segment introduced by Tom Hanks as a catalyst for cast members to acknowledge racially insensitive moments from the show’s history.
• Poehler recalled a 2004 sketch in which Ben Affleck’s character berated a disabled man and said her interjection in the scene felt especially regrettable in retrospect.
• The anniversary montage also highlighted sketches featuring blackface and other inappropriate makeup choices that masked performers’ identities while mocking racial and ethnic groups.
• SNL’s recent apology for its April parody of actor Aimee Lou Wood underscores the program’s broader effort to respond to audience criticism and update its approach to cultural sensitivity.