Trigger Warning: Discussion of sexual violence.
SNL’s Michael Che has gone too far. He shared a joke on his Instagram (and claimed he got hacked despite this not being the first time he’s made questionable jokes) that made light of Simone Biles and the sexual assault that young women like her have experienced at the hands of the monster known as Larry Nassar. And before you try and jump down my throat about how it was a joke, sit down, listen, and understand that if your only way of making people laugh is to minimize them and their experiences, then maybe you aren’t as funny as you think you are. Period.
Sharing this Larry Nassar joke is Che contributing to making serious situations like abuse into something that can or should be laughed at. It’s cruel and encourages others like him to do the same. And it’s a cycle that needs to stop now. Not tomorrow, or the day after. It needs to end now. And if that means that comedians have to dig a little deeper for their content, then so be it. Because Simone Biles and her life experiences pertaining to the abuse she experienced aren’t up for grabs.
Also, it’s jokes like this that perpetuate a damaging narrative that encourages other comedians, creators, and people to not believe women when they say that they’re experiencing issues or want to come forward when it comes to their abuse. Because if Che could make fun of it, is it really real? It is. In turn, that makes survivors hesitant to come forward because people like Michael Che and those who worship him will make things hard for them. And it shouldn’t be like that. We should believe survivors.
On another note, I feel like these comedians are stealing the power of survivors to boost themselves up and label themselves as a person who pushes boundaries. And sure, you pushed them, Che. And now, everything that happens from this point forward is the consequences of your actions. Yes, you deleted what you said and shared. But the internet is scrappy and people know how to take screenshots and share them all over social media.
Another thing that pisses me off about Michael Che and the sharing of that Larry Nassar joke that connected him and Simone Biles, was that it minimizes the experiences of women of color. It normalizes making fun of them, setting them aside, and acting like their experiences aren’t worthy of respect. Newsflash, they absolutely are worth respecting and someone like you has no right and no comedic talent to pull the stuff that you do.
So, keep burying yourself, Che. Keep on being reprehensible and disrespecting women of color. Keep pushing the boundaries and making vile jokes about a survivors experience. Because we’ve got the side of these survivors, not yours. And that isn’t changing anytime soon because we know what it means to respect the bodies, experiences, and lives of women. Che obviously doesn’t know that or how to achieve it without being absolutely sick and twisted in his comedic performances.
I’m not the only one who thinks Michael Che is garbage either!
Simone Biles is the GOAT. Michael Che is garbage. That is all.
