This is no laughing matter.
Nikki Glaser is facing backlash for making jokes about sex trafficking, rape and molestation while she hosted โSaturday Night Liveโ for the first time this weekend.
During her nearly 10-minute opening monologue, the stand-up comedian said that sheโs become โobsessed with slavery recentlyโ because she keeps seeing sex trafficking warnings in womenโs public bathrooms.
โTheyโre in every stall. Theyโre in every world language,โ she said. โThe English is really tiny and itโs like, โYou wish.โโ
โMenโs restrooms do not have these signs,โ Glaser continued. โI donโt know what signs you have? You have signs that are like, โWant a slave? Text Traffick to 69-69.โโ
The โTrainwreckโ actress explained that being trafficked is โa big fearโ for her Gen Z girlfriends.
โI donโt relate. Iโm 41. That was not a fear of mine ever in my 20s,โ she said. โIn my 20s, I just feared good old-fashioned rape. I didnโt think it would be a career. We didnโt think it was anything more than a โtemp jobโ on a frat house futon.โ
โItโs real, though. Iโm getting scared. I was out with them and I was like, โWhat if we get trafficked?โ And they were like, โYouโre good,โโ Glaser shared. โTheyโre like, โWeโre safer when youโre with us because they think youโre our madam.โโ
Glaser also said her friends told her she has โresting Ghislaine face,โ referring to late pedophile Jeffrey Epsteinโs right-hand woman Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison on sex-trafficking charges.
Earlier in her monologue, Glaser called New York City โEpsteinโs original island.โ Epstein, who died at age 66 in 2019, owned aย private island, Little Saint James, that acted as his base of operations for underage sex trafficking.
In another part of her act, Glaser talked about when her 4-year-old nephew asked her to shower with him.
โMy sister was like, โHe can take a shower with you. Itโs fine. He does it with us,โโ she said. โIโm like, โThatโs fine for you guys but are you really okay with an adult showering with your child?โ Maybe itโs okay if you come and supervise.โ
โWhat if I molest him?โ She was like, โWould you?!โ I was like, โLike, no! Never. Thatโs disgusting!โโ Glaser went on. โBut thatโs what Iโd say if I was gonna [do it]. [Abusers] lie. Donโt trust anyone! I donโt even trust myself.โ
Glaserโs monologue divided viewers, many of whom called out the comic for taking her jokes too far.
โokay nikki glaser lost me cause why are we talking about molestation and pedophilia!???โ one fan wrote on X.
โNikki Glaser isnโt funny at all tonight,โ another fan said.
โnikki glaser bombed,โ someone else tweeted.
A fourth viewer agreed, โNikki Glaser, disastrous monologue, what an absolute horrible performance.โ
โNikki Glaser on SNL= worst host ever. Not one joke in that painful monologue hit,โ another viewer stated.
But other fans defended Glaserโs monologue.
โNikki Glaser just had the best SNL monologue since like idk Chappelle maybe,โ one viewer declared.
โFor those offended by Nikki Glaser, turn off your TV, put on Ms. Rachel or something, get your pacifier and go to bed,โ a different defender of Glaserโs tweeted.
โNikki Glaser killed it. That monologue was dark,โ another supporter wrote.
Glaser appeared in multiple sketches during her โSNLโ hosting debut. She played Princess Belle in aย โBeauty and Mr. Beastโย sketch and an anxious guest in a โThe Jennifer Hudson Showโ sketch.
Sombr was the episodeโs musical guest. He performed โ12 to 12โ and โBack to Friends.โ