When Hollywood actor Woody Harrelson informed a joke about an anti-vaccine conspiracy principle on Saturday Evening Reside this week, the viewers was not sure methods to react.
The joke, which has since created controversy on-line, was a part of Harrelson’s SNL opening monologue. Harrelson, 61, informed the viewers he’d been despatched a film script with a transparent, real-world metaphor.
“So, the film goes like this: the largest drug cartels on this planet get collectively and purchase up all of the media and all of the politicians and pressure all of the folks on this planet to remain locked of their houses, and other people can solely come out in the event that they take the cartel’s medicine and maintain taking them again and again,” mentioned Harrelson.
The punchline: “I threw the script away. I imply, who’s gonna consider that loopy concept! Being compelled to do medicine? I do them voluntarily all day lengthy.”
The New York viewers launched a spherical of tense laughter, clearly not sure methods to reply.
Neither SNL nor Harrelson has commented publicly on the monologue.
Harrelson, who obtained his begin on Cheers, has been recognized to sometimes share conspiracy theories. Up to now, Harrelson has publicly questioned the legitimacy of 9/11 as a terrorist assault, claimed there could also be a connection between 5G networks and COVID-19 and has known as carrying masks throughout the pandemic “absurd.”
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Harrelson hosted SNL for the fifth time on Saturday and was honoured as a part of the 5-Timers Membership.
Nearly instantly after the episode aired, Harrelson’s joke grew to become the topic of fierce debate on-line. Many social media customers with anti-vaccine beliefs praised Harrelson. Others felt the joke was a dangerous technique of spreading false, anti-science rhetoric concerning the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Re Woody Harrelson and #SNL, every time anybody spews anti-vax stupidity, I all the time consider the numerous movies of traumatized/crying medical doctors, nurses and hospital employees who have been climbing over our bodies in Covid’s early days,” wrote Twitter person Ballark. “So yeah, f**okay Woody Harrelson.”
In Canada, over 80 per cent of the inhabitants (excluding Quebec) is totally vaccinated, based on statistics offered by the Canadian authorities. Over 83 per cent of Canadians have been administered at the least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccination is hottest amongst Canadians over the age of 60.
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