‘SNL’: Jason Bateman’s Chimpanzee Story Is Causing Controversy

Jason Bateman returned to host SNL for the first time in fifteen years on Saturday, bringing a little controversy with him. While some would think the outrage would surround musical guest Morgan Wallen due to his ignorance surrounding coronavirus rules, that is not the case.

Instead, Bateman’s monologue dug up a controversial moment from the Arrested Development star’s initial hosting appearance. During the show, Bateman took part in a sketch titled, “Monkeys Throwing Poop at Celebrities.” It isn’t a sketch that is memorable off the top of fans’ heads, but it was notable for its use of a real chimpanzee as the titular “monkey.”

As Bateman explains, the chimp returned for the closing moments of the show and had a close encounter with the host. Not only does the animal look upset on stage, but it also seems to almost take a swipe at Bateman’s lips, causing the Ozark star to start to jump back, startled.

He notes that if the sketch happened today, the animal would likely be replaced by a puppet. However, many live animals still make hilarious appearances on the show. But the chimp is a problem given their nature and history of incidents. It is also a problem because Bateman referred to the chimpanzee as a “monkey” and joked about having it killed, stirring some outrage with those watching at home.

Many comments on social media were upset at the chimp’s mislabeling, while others used it as another excuse to attack SNL over its quality compared to the old days. A few pointed out the frightening reality of the moment, including former castmember Rachel Dratch who was next to Bateman and seemed to be terrified by the moment.

Scroll down to see some of the responses the trip down memory lane spawned. Luckily the chimp is reportedly fine, so we don’t have to worry about the extreme.

Enjoyment

Animal Defenders

Bad Monologue

Where’s Mikey

Difference of Opinion!

Blame the Show