The 2018 Academy Awards take place on Sunday, March 4, but the Saturday, March 3 episode of Saturday Night Live parodied the red carpet shows of awards season. SNL's 2018 Oscar Parody "The Grabbies" gave Twitter a lot of mixed emotions. The sketch was a satire of the presence of the #MeToo movement and Time's Up at awards shows this winter. Some fans thought it was a timely and brilliant satire, but others thought SNL was making jokes about a topic that is no laughing matter.
The sketch begins with an introduction of the award show, which is held by the fictional Academy of Sexual Harassment and Misconduct In Hollywood. Two hosts (cast members Cecily Strong and Beck Bennett) bring viewers along the red carpet and interview various fictional celebrities at the award show, which is "celebrating the worst behavior in entertainment." We even get a look at the trophy, which is a statue of two hands grabbing at the air.
The hosts give us a preview of the categories of the show, which include "Handsiest Actor," "Most Open Robe," "Best Non-Apology," and the "Best Animated Grope." The fictional actors on the red carpet rehearse their "acceptance speeches," and even speak in innuendo. Strong's has a revolving set of male fictional co-hosts, because allegations keep coming to light about them. And there's even a "first woman to be nominated" who makes an appearance at the awards show.
It's way too real. While the inspiration for the sketch is clear, Twitter had many mixed feelings about the execution of the SNL episode.
Some Fans Thought It Was Brilliant
These fans really appreciated the social commentary and satire from "The Grabbies" sketch.
Some Viewers Thought It Was Hilarious
Many fans found the sketch to be hilarious and enjoyed the 2018 Oscar parody.
Some Viewers Thought It Was Offensive
Several viewers took offense at "The Grabbies" sketch and thought it was making fun of a very serious topic in Hollywood and beyond.
Some Fans Just Didn't Like The Sketch
For a few fans, the skit wasn't to their liking, no matter what topic was involved.
Some Viewers Didn't Like The Use Of Fictional Celebs In The Skit
"The Grabbies" sketch used fictional celebrity names for its stars on the red carpet, such as Tom Sturgeon and Lenny Martin. These SNL fans seemed to be expecting more from the sketch comedy series.
A Few Fans Thought It Could Work As A Real Show
Yikes.
Many Fans Couldn't Believe The Sketch Went There
Satire sometimes goes some expected places with humor and "The Grabbies" is definitely evidence of that. It really did go there.
A Few Fans Could Only Describe Their Thoughts In GIFs
Sometimes the only way to truly express your feelings about an SNL sketch requires tweeting a GIF or two. And for "The Grabbies," these people on Twitter preferred to GIFs to words.
One Fan Created A Poll To See If The Sketch Was Funny Or Not
A poll: the best way to see what your friends and the rest of the internet is thinking about anything — including SNL sketches.
On the one hand, "The Grabbies" was clearly a satire about the many Hollywood sexual harassment and assault allegations that have come to light during this awards season. On the other hand, sexual harassment and assault are no laughing matter and it's a very serious topic.
You can watch some of the sketch below for yourself and form your own opinion about "The Grabbies."
There did seem to be one clear consensus: The 2018 Oscars will hopefully be nothing like "The Grabbies."
