Saturday Night Live handed out awards for sexual misconduct ranging from "Handsiest Actor" to "Most Open Robe" to "Best Non-Apology" as it parodied the Oscars with their own awards show, the Grabbies.
Cecily Strong hosted red carpet interviews in the sketch, with the help of an ever-changing lineup of male co-hosts who are each replaced for misconduct. She has been front and center this season when it comes to Saturday Night Live confronting and commenting on sexual misconduct in the entertainment industry and beyond.
"This is such a huge moment for you, you must be so ashamed," Strong said to Pete Davidson, playing a Grabbie nominee. "You’d think so but no," he replied. His bluntness is laughable until you remember that there are many men in the entertainment industry who share those sentiments unironically.
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This week's host, Charles Barkley, played a nominee for "Best Non-Apology" who sincerely believed that women should be vocal and come forward with their stories – unless they are about him. "I called her a lying troll and had my lawyer post her home address," he said as he explained how he handled his own accusers.
For the first time on SNL, they included a woman in their line up of offenders. Aidy Bryant walks the red carpet as the "First Woman" nominee. While it is statistically far less common for women to be the ones in the position of power to harassment men, bringing Bryant into the mix avoids the "not all men" response to the discussion.
The variety of awards being handed aren't just clever wordplay; they remind us that there are multiple ways to harass someone and cross the line of professional and appropriate behavior. "That sounds like award-winning behavior to me," comments Strong to Alex Moffat playing the "Handsiest Actor" nominee. He responds by saying, "You'd think so, but it's such a tough category this year," underscoring the pervasiveness of the problem.
"I'd like to thank guns for pivoting the national conversation away from harassment," said Pete Davidson's character. The news has felt more like a fire hose than a steady stream of stories when it comes to stories of harassment, equality, and gun violence. With so many important conversations going on, it can feel like we have to choose one or the other. We don't.
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