O.J. Simpson has been an object of ridicule on Saturday Night Live for years, and the 50th-anniversary special was no exception. The late football star and controversial public figure was the focus of yet another joke during the milestone broadcast, proving that his presence in pop culture remains alive and well.
Attorney Malcolm LaVergne responds to SNL’s joke about O.J. Simpson’s murder allegations
Former SNL writer and comedian John Mulaney appeared during the anniversary celebration on February 16 and wasted no time during the Steve Martin monologue to make fun of Simpson. The 42-year-old reflected on the legal history of SNL hosts from its first airing in 1975 and casually mentioned Simpson's infamous past.
The joke immediately attracted attention from fans and general audiences, adding to the noble tradition of SNL casting aspersions against controversial people. The moment truly exemplified the way SNL has continued its tradition of intertwining real-life happenings and historical scandals in its comedic fodder, thus keeping the viewing public ever interested for the last 50 years.
"894 people have hosted Saturday Night Live, and it amazes me that only two of them have committed murder,” Mulaney said, referring to Simpson and Robert Blake. Simpson, who passed away in 2024, hosted an episode of SNL in 1978, while Blake, who died in 2023, hosted in 1982.
Malcolm LaVergne, Simpson's attorney, praised Martin and Mulaney's monologue and Mulaney's joke as "great" and "very funny." Simpson was found not guilty in his criminal trial for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, but later liable in a civil suit. The monologue caused laughter among viewers.
Blake was arrested in 2002 for murdering his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, but was acquitted. Similar to Simpson, he was later found liable in a civil suit. “He knew his place in society and didn't fight against it, good or bad,” LaVergne said of Simpson. “He just lived his life: golf, friends (rich ones or Joe Blue Collar), good food and hot young women. And then it was over. The end."
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Did O.J. Simpson confessed to the double murders? The former NFL star’s "If I Did It" sparked controversy over hypothetical murder confessionThe attorney argues that if Simpson were alive, he would have been "indifferent" to the joke. He also mentions Alec Baldwin, who holds the record for most appearances on SNL as a host, having done so 17 times. Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter following the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of his movie Rust.
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