Apr 18, 2016 | By Dannie Marden

“Saturday Night Live” Crosses The Line

Addiction & Recovery News Pop Culture Recovery

Heroin AM
image source: The Washington Post

“Saturday Night Live” has been known to take on some pretty controversial issues and bring a little levity to the situation. Whether it be political debates, jokes surrounding presidential candidates or racial stereotypes—even ISIS, it seemed the producers knew where to draw the line between crass and petty jokes and what is considered downright inappropriate, until now. For anyone who tuned into Saturday Night Live this weekend and saw the skit regarding the growing heroin epidemic in the United States, I’m sure laughter is the last thing you thought of.

Setting the Stage:

The SNL cast members depicted normal everyday people—mothers, fathers, parents and soccer coaches. In the beginning it seemed like they were selling some sort of medication, which was cleverly made to look like Vicks Dayquil. But something wasn’t right, in fact, about 20 seconds into their staged infomercial for an over the counter medication, something went terribly wrong.

They were advertising Heroin AM, stating that while heroin use is on the rise, productivity of heroin users “has remained stagnant.”

“That’s why Heroin AM combines heroin with five milligrams of caffeine and a small pile of cocaine,” said SNL cast member Kate McKinnon, inferring the use of a depressant and a stimulant in the same drug. Throughout the commercial, statements are made making heroin use and abuse look like a joke. Julie Louis-Dreyfus, star of Seinfeld, even went as far to say “Now I can chase the dragon while I chase this little guy…Now available in gummy bears! Which you can melt down and inject!” I’m sure you get the picture.

The SNL cast members even went as far as to make fun of heroin withdrawals, a particularly dangerous and painful process that is most definitely not a laughing matter.  Just minutes after the skit aired, many began to take their outrage to Twitter and other social media outlets berating everyone from producers to cast members for using such a serious issue as a comedic punchline.

Sheriff Dale Schmidt of Dodge County Sheriff’s Office in Wisconsin wrote on the departments Facebook “I am angered and frustrated that a national television network would allow SNL to use humor and diminish the importance of something that has been legitimately called an epidemic in our country.”

So What Do Addicts Think?

After the show aired, I took a moment to ask a few recovering heroin addicts what they thought:

John L: “I never saw heroin addiction as a funny thing… when you’ve lived it, its not something you look back on and think, ‘Oh hey, I fell asleep at my daughters soccer game ha!’ like the episode showed.  It was disgusting, and more degrading than entertaining.  We already get such a bad stigma, this stuff just makes it worse.”  John has been battling heroin addiction for years and now has 5 months clean.

Carly: “I don’t know why people think that’s ok..my cousin died from this drug.  I overdosed numerous times from this drug, it’s not funny.  My parents, my family, everyone I know has been affected by heroin in some way, [I] don’t think they would think it was funny either.”

10 responses to ““Saturday Night Live” Crosses The Line”

  • Melanie

    8 years ago

    Reply

    I can think of a hundred worse skits they’ve done. It WAS funny. I think y’all are being too sensitve. They clearly weren’t endorsing heroin, nor drug abuse of any kind. Lighten up!! This coming from a meth addict with 13 years clean.

  • Pam

    8 years ago

    Reply

    Yeah, they went too far. Especially considering that one of the main founding comic of this show, John Belushi, died from an overdose of heroin and crystal, what was called a speedball, I believ. No good folks.

  • Holly smith

    8 years ago

    Reply

    I am in recovery been off herion almost 90 days. Herion isnt a laughing matter at all. But i tried to sit back and think why snl would think this would be funny but i just didnt see anything that was funny at all. If anything the video just made me feel like crap and become less hopeful for helping addicts all over the world because honestly if people think its a laughing matter or a joke to use as a punch line it makes me wonder how many people in this country actually think its just that a joke and not a epidemic and a disease. So guys im gonna have to agree to disagree with you. Use better judgement next time you wanna use somethimg to joke about, think about how it hits so close to home for so many of us who battle addiction but not only the addict but he families of addicts suffer as well. But we all make mistakes so lets learn from this!

    • Rae

      8 years ago

      Reply

      Umm no!!! Learn what that now we have to censor what we find humorous because some people can’t handle it. No it’s America that’s why people live here and come here in high numbers yearly….. Even daily because here were allowed to express how we feel what we like and who we are with no prosecution from people. I’m so sick of everything being censored now it Saturday Night Live for adults not Nickelodeon maybe you should change the station……

  • Bill

    8 years ago

    Reply

    I believe the object of the humor is not heroin or its abuse, but the American culture of everyday pharmacological solutions depicted constantly in tv commercials. Also, I’ve been in many many AA meetings meetings where we laughed hysterically at appalling stories from our drug/drunk a logs. Laughter and dark humor are an essential part of our recovery! It is one of the most delightfully startling things about our community.

  • Alicia

    8 years ago

    Reply

    How is this funny? Heroine is killing people at an alarming rate. This was beyond insensitive to the possibly thousands of people watching who lost someone to a heroine over dose. Shameful.

  • Gary

    8 years ago

    Reply

    I am a recovering heroin addict for over one year and I didn’t see any harm in the commercial for SNL..I thought it was entertaining.. Let it go people..it wasn’t meant to offend anyone..it was a skit..and if it was about beer or liquor would everyone be making such a big deal? I think NOT!!!

  • Sam

    8 years ago

    Reply

    SNL is for adults. Sometimes adults like dark humor. If you can’t handle dark humor, SNL is not a show you should watch. SNL was never for kids or for the easily offensed. Ever watched “Weekend at Bernie’s”, “Very Bad Things”, etc? Dark humor. Get over it.

  • Mike

    8 years ago

    Reply

    I’m just glad everyone is talking about it… Awareness is a great thing. Keep talking people ; )

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