On the latest episode of Saturday Night Live, "Weekend Update" anchor Michael Che weighed in on the controversy surrounding Kevin Hart and the Oscars, using jokes to expose the Academy's hypocrisy.
"Didn’t the Academy nominate Mel Gibson for an award just last year?" Che asked, referring how the Hacksaw Ridge director caught heat in 1991 for using racist and homophobic slurs for which refused to apologize. Gibson was nominated for Best Director.
Che then went on to solidify Hart's recent general audience-style of comedy stating: "If Kevin Hart isn't clean enough to host the Oscars, then no black comic is. The only black comic I know that’s cleaner than Kevin Hart is booked for the next three to 10 years." The punchline was accompanied by a picture of Bill Cosby. Watch the bit above starting at the 35-second mark.
Two days after being confirmed as the host of the upcoming Academy Awards, Kevin Hart decided to step away from the gig once old homophobic tweets and routines resurfaced. The tweets' age and Hart's initial refusal to apologize for offending were at the center of the week's debate.
Michael Che isn't the only person to come to Hart's defense. Popular comedians like Nick Cannon, D.L. Hughley, and Andrew Schulz have all put in their two cents.
