Saturday Night Live has faced backlash over a sketch mocking the Bafta N-word incident, with a leading Tourette syndrome charity calling it 'horrific'. The segment, filmed as a public service announcement, featured cast members portraying celebrities like Mel Gibson and JK Rowling, who claimed their controversial remarks were due to Tourette's.
The sketch was cut from the live show but posted on YouTube. In it, Andrew Dismukes as Gibson said: 'I too suffer from Tourette's, which explains a lot of the things I've said.' Ashley Padilla as Rowling added: 'Now you know it was all the Tourette's fault.' Armie Hammer was also parodied, with a line about cannibalism being a side effect.
Tourettes Action CEO Emma McNally said: 'Mocking a disability is never acceptable. It would not be tolerated for any other condition.' She noted that Tourette's is a complex neurological condition, not a joke or personality trait. 'Videos that sensationalise tics set us back years,' she added.
The sketch referenced the February incident at the Baftas where John Davidson, who has Tourette's, was heard shouting a racial slur. Davidson later said his tics were not intentional. Comedian Al Murray called the SNL sketch 'vile', while disability campaigner Adam Pearson said it was 'punching down'. Former MSP Joan McAlpine questioned why mocking Tourette's was acceptable when mocking a disabled person was condemned.
The NAACP Image Awards also made jokes about the Bafta incident, prompting Piers Morgan to call it 'despicable'. McNally urged empathy for the Tourette's community, which has faced harassment since the incident.
