On Saturday, March 5, Actor Oscar Isaac (Dune, Moon Knight) hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time. As is tradition, the episode’s host starred in most of the sketches. In one of these skits, SNL dealt with sexual harassment in the workplace by having Isaac and Cecily Strong act as hilariously bad HR representatives giving an annual harassment seminar to the company’s employees.
Donald (Isaac) and Maria (Strong) begin by introducing themselves very enthusiastically as if the seminar was a joyful occasion, which it’s obviously not for the employees. However, things soon derail when Donald reveals some of the workers’ anonymous complaints, thus making them not so anonymous anymore. Kevin, who is played by SNL regular Kenan Thompson, seems to be the target of most of those complaints, so much so that Maria says: “Guys, we’re not here to lecture Kevin again.”
The seminar’s bad start is only the beginning of the absurd derailment that ensues. The class’s objective seems straightforward enough: go over a couple of scenarios and say whether they are appropriate or not. According to most people, the difference between what’s socially acceptable and what isn’t is not difficult to tell, and the employees in the skit manage to make that distinction every time. However, from the mildest to the most blatant offenses, the two HR representatives keep defending that the phrases they are showing are not inappropriate, including their most offensive example: “Hey N-word, are you going to the gym later? Or am I gonna have to drag your thick ass there myself?” Later, Maria defends the example saying that the obvious problematic slur was intended to mean ‘nice’ instead.
Towards the end of the sketch, the employees start asking the right questions: “Why are all of these examples about the two of you?” Instead of being straightforward, Donald and Maria act as if they are offended by the line of inquiry which somehow leads to the phrase “raw intercourse” being used way too many times.
As the skit comes to a close, Isaac and Strong reveal that they are not real HR representatives but actors for a group called ‘It Could Be Worse,’ which aims at proving to employees that things could be worse at their company. Admittedly, it’s a twisted way to find a silver lining where they shouldn’t be one. Finally, the skit ends with the revelation that it was all part of a sitcom where the protagonist is Thompson’s character, Kevin.
Check out SNL’s hilarious take on mandatory company seminars below!
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