Welcome to watch mojo and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 controversial SNL monologues, You can't say this, you can't say that.

I'm like, well how am I going to talk about the world?

You know for this list?

We're looking at opening monologues from saturday night live that touched on controversial issues, crossed a line or were considered shocking.

Did you find any of these monologues offensive let us know in the comments number 20 Lindsay Lohan.

The themes behind this monologue from 2012 probably wouldn't be SNL's first choice.

Today, it leans heavily into self referential humor about the hosts, substance use disorder and mental health.

I forgot how beautiful your eyes are.

Thanks kenan, can I see them?

Ok?

Yeah, can I see your eyes please?

You know, she's good Lindsay Lohan had hosted the show thrice before.

Too much better effect.

But in her fourth time hosting in March of 2012, she arguably appears uncomfortable.

Her onstage demeanor is starkly different from her other appearances on the show as she glances at cue cards and struggles to make the material work.

I do get the feeling that everybody thinks I'm gonna screw something up.

Number 19 Milton.

Berle, the comedy icon was banned from the show as a result of this 1979 performance.

Berle had a reputation for being controlling and was reportedly a terror behind the scenes with the SNL cast and crew.

Here's another one, you may not care for.

I have a lot of these audience, I'm really thrilled really, during his hosting stint, he mugged for the camera and tried to upstage the rest of the cast.

He also had a closing monologue where he rambled on about his career and performed a self indulgent rendition of the american standard september song, oh the days dwindle down to a precious fuel september know them friends of Burl planted in the SnL audience, gave him a standing ovation, a move that was unplanned and unapproved by Showrunner Lorne Michaels number 18.

Kristen Stewart, sometimes all it takes is a brief slip to make a monologue controversial.

That's what happened with Kristen Stewart back in 2017 when she hosted saturday night Live.

Um, I'm a little nervous to be hosting because I know that the President's probably watching and I don't think he likes me that much.

The actual open was relatively innocuous and funny with some commentary on then President trump's weird twitter habits.

However, it fell off the rails near the end when Stewart accidentally dropped an f bomb on live tv, the actress laughed it off, but the floods still made headlines the next day we've got a great show and I totally care that I'm here because it's the coolest unless your car is also here and I'll never come back calling pop culture super fans everywhere, do you love to argue with watch mojo is top 10 ranks, introducing, watch mojo first and very own party game, bring your superpowers to the table and fight for your pick to be at the top of the list.

It's all the fun of the comment section, but in real life, number 17, Tom Green, saturday Night Live has always tried to keep its finger on the pulse of what's funny, trendy and current.

Well what was considered trendy back in 2000 was Tom Green whose absurdist style of shock comedy endeared him to a small but very vocal audience.

In an episode, long prank he pretended he was going to marry.

Then fiance drew Barrymore on stage.

But in his closing monologue, she left him at the altar, leaving him screaming about his heartbreak.

Don't go guys Drew, I love you my God, you love me.

If that sounds like a punchline to you, hey Tom Green is your guy, the couple would later marry and divorce In real life.

In Green's words though, this comedic choice quote ruined his saturday night live experience number 16 frank zappa fans of saturday night Live have grown to expect the unexpected, but they also expect a show that's going to make them laugh.

Thank you and remember I'm reading this off these cards underneath this camera here, thank you.

It's an awesome responsibility being selected out of millions of people to become the banner of NBC's New look, Never a fan of convention musician frank Zappa, poked fun at his Snl hosting gig, Breaking the fourth wall during his monologue and referencing the show's production.

The musician even said that he was quote reading off cue cards and that he quote, hoped he was good.

It didn't appear funny to anyone, but Zappa, needless to say Showrunner Lauren Michaels was not happy, but hey at least frank got to sing his anti disco song, right?

Number 15 Louise Lasser.

Younger viewers may not recognize the name Louise Lasser, but her satirical sitcom mary Hartman, mary Hartman was a smart parody of soap operas during an age when meta commentary wasn't the norm, the whole family, all five of them plus two goats and eight chickens, I can't believe that, What kind of a Madman would you?

two goats and eat chickens and the people.

The show was exhausting for Lasser however, and she had also just been in the headlines after being arrested for $6 worth of cocaine.

SNL star Chevy Chase remembers the comedian as being quote spacey during dress rehearsal.

Her opening monologue was a rambling and panicked mess.

Lasser claimed it was a creative decision, but whatever the case, it was not well received, it's a relief to be here because right now in my show, I'm having a nervous breakdown, I'm some of you watched it, I've just been committed to an institution.

So tonight I'm here committed to you.

Number 14, George Steinbrenner, the SNL writing room has always featured incredible talent, but businessman George Steinbrenner seemed to think he was a lot funnier on his own when he hosted in 1990.

I'm a really excited tonight.

I want you all to be the first to know at 11 15 tonight I bought the Cincinnati reds.

He clearly thought he knew what he was doing as he dove headfirst into a monologue about all the things that he wasn't before describing himself as a beloved american from another walk of life.

The way I see it, If I'm not an entertainer, I must fall into that other category, beloved americans from another walk of life.

The whole experience wasn't remembered fondly by SNL writers like Conan O'brien who recalled being berated by Steinbrenner after pitching a different original monologue idea.

One that was soundly rejected by the Yankees owner.

Um, yeah, so this is the idea for the monologue where you like come out and you lost the keys to the car and you think maybe you know, and he said, I told you, I told you don't wanna do that idea.

I already said I don't want to do that idea.

Number 13.

Andrew dice clay.

The dice man was a hit in the eighties climbing to fame with a provocative style of humor, focused on sexist, racist and homophobic jokes, some of which seemed to celebrate violence against his targets.

It's about all I could say tonight, you know what I'm saying.

Unsurprisingly his snl hosting gig in 1990 was controversial for all the same reasons.

There were protests and boycotts including from SNL cast member Nora Dunn probably could have weathered the critical storm had he done something besides his usual stick.

Unbelievable.

I try to be a good guy.

I know you do how can't you instead dices?

Monologue was ripped right from his sexist and boorish stage act, referencing his privates, his MTV ban and the SNL controversy itself.

Number 12 Kumail nan johnny.

His 2007 monologue wasn't controversial except perhaps in extreme circles but it did touch on controversial issues so we're including it.

I remember since I was a little kid in Pakistan saturday night my whole family would get together and watch star trek we didn't get saturday night in a brilliant seven minutes Kumail nan johnny lampooned racism and the ignorance and strange logic often involved the Pakistani american comedian called out racist remarks, telling him to quote go back to India and targeted islamophobia in the U.

S.

In particular.

Islamophobia is kind of like Will and grace.

You know it was huge a while ago and then we thought it was gone and done it now it's back and bigger than ever Thursdays on NBC his monologue was packed with biting and relevant commentary and managed to be hilarious to boot.

Number 11 Sam Kinison Sam Kinison was no stranger to controversy during his 19 eighties heyday with his jokes accused of being sexist and homophobic man.

Do you believe this?

Huh?

I'm back on Saturday night live.

His opening snl monologue from 1986 featured jokes about the United States attack on Libya and the Chernobyl disaster.

I think I speak for all Americans when I say, But the jokes that were cut were actually about the crucifixion of Jesus and the legalization of marijuana.

Not really topics that were ripe for discussion.

In the 1980s networks decided to censor the monologue awkwardly editing it for TV Number 10 Donald Trump.

Donald Trump was just a presidential candidate when he hosted Saturday night live back in 2015.

But there was still a lot of criticism in advance of his hosting gig.

It's wonderful to be here.

I will tell you this is going to be something special.

Many of the great Have hosted as you know, this show like me in 2004 giving him a platform to showcase his comedic chops.

Certainly didn't do him any favors though.

Much of the monologue is spent with Trump telling the audience how great he is.

While some other snl cast members dropped their impressions on him.

I gotta say you're doing a great job.

In fact, I think this show just got better by about two billion%.

Taran.

Killam even calls it quote the best monologue in SNL history.

Meanwhile, Larry David's call out from the audience references the allegations of racism that had dogged the candidate.

It's Larry David.

What are you doing?

Larry heard if I yelled that they'd give me $5000.

Number nine Aziz Ansari.

Aziz Ansari was the first performer of South asian descent to land a hosting gig on saturday night Live.

His monologue was even more historic thanks to the controversy around it the day before.

Donald trump had been inaugurated as president the day after trump's inauguration.

Mm Pretty cool to know though he's probably at home right now watching a brown guy make fun of him though, right.

Ansari took aim at Racists who had been emboldened by this turn of events.

Unafraid to ruffle feathers.

He eviscerated common forms of racism but also offered some thoughtful commentary.

Is that the plan, by the way, we're all gonna move all the minorities, 40 something percent of the country, every minority is gonna move Beyonce is gonna move Beyonce ain't moving, I ain't moving on, sorry, didn't back down a bit and it made his monologue both controversial and very, very funny.

Number eight norm Macdonald, it seems absurd to think that norm Macdonald was fired from saturday night live for supposedly not being funny enough, but stranger things have happened.

People here asked me to do the show, you know, I gotta say, I felt kind of weird, you know, I don't know if you remember this, but I used to actually be on this show.

This is why the moment when?

Mcdonald returned to host less than two years after his dismissal, felt like such sweet revenge norm proved during his monologue that he wasn't just scathingly funny but also a sore loser Macdonald openly called out SNL for being quote bad and didn't shy away from referencing his dismissal from the show with a sardonic wit.

I haven't gotten funnier.

The show has gotten really bad, so yeah, I'm funny compared to, you know.

Well, you'll see later.

True poetic justice.

Number seven Larry David, the co creator of Seinfeld, has never been one to tone down his style of observational comedy.

Larry.

David started off strong during his monologue with observations about new york and dating.

I didn't date much at that time and I was very desperate yet.

I was also very particular.

It's an odd combination.

It started to veer into questionable territory.

However, when he claimed that many sexual predators in the news happened to be jewish, which being jewish, he didn't like when people see me, I want them to say, oh, there goes a fine jew for you Margaret, Come here, come here, I want you to meet this wonderful ju nothing stereotypical about him going all in.

He followed this up with his thoughts on checking out girls in concentration camps was certainly dark humor and many viewers found it insensitive number six Adrien brody, the 2003 hosting gig from the pianist star, maybe most infamous for the incident when brody put on a fake wig and Jamaican accent to introduce me.

Guest Sean paul.

However, let's not forget that the actors opening monologue was also something to behold at the Oscars.

That year, he had kissed Halle berry as she presented the award for best actor, shocking.

The actress, his monologue saw him kiss women in the audience, then deliver an awkward and unfunny mother's day gag between himself and his real life mom guys guys, please please only get one chance here, don't you?

People have mothers, You know what mom, I love you, happy mother's day.

He was reportedly difficult to work with behind the scenes and that awkwardness was on full display during the show.

# five, Bill Burr.

The opening monologue for Saturday night live often takes on familiar templates.

A song and dance number is common because it gives the host and the cast time to shine.

Other times a comedian will just be allowed to do a bit in order to warm up the crowd.

I'm so excited to be here.

I have been doing stand up forever and this has always been a lifelong dream of mine to come here and host saturday night Live.

Wilbur's abrasive style isn't for everyone and he definitely didn't hold back on the SNL stage.

Burns jokes about white women and pride Month appeared tone deaf and insensitive to some viewers.

That's what I learned.

The month of june is gay pride Month, That's a little long, don't you think it's the risk a comedian takes when they bring a divisive style to a wider home audience.

Number four chris rock chris rock has always been a fearless comedian and that was reflected in the subjects he chose to joke about in his opening monologue in 2014, it's great to be back.

Great to be in new york, great to be at saturday night live.

His criticisms of the commercialization of christmas weren't controversial and they provoked quite a few laughs.

I don't know, jesus from what I've read, jesus is the least materialistic person the earth no bling on jesus.

However, his other jokes touched on not only the then recent boston marathon attacks, but also 9 11 was a risky move and it upset some viewers who voiced their displeasure on social media.

Number three Dave chappelle chappelle has hosted saturday night live three times each time injecting his own brand of raw humor into his opening monologue.

In 2016, he targeted the newly elected donald trump for his boasts about sexually assaulting women, but also suggested that americans give trump a chance in that spirit, I'm wishing donald trump luck and I'm gonna give him a chance and we the historically disenfranchised demand that he give us one to his 2020 monologue lacked teeth, but he returned to his usual provocative style.

In 2022.

The controversy began beforehand.

However, as many protested his selection as host, given his previous jokes about transgender people during his monologue, he addressed Kanye West's anti Semitic comments.

But his statement stirred considerable debate over whether they encouraged anti Semitic tropes got into some scrapes before.

Normally when he was in trouble, I pull up pull up immediately, but this time I was like, you know what, let me see what's gonna happen first.