The Most Controversial SNL Skits Of All Time

It was 2008, and political skits on "Saturday Night Live" understandably focused mostly on the elections and the financial crisis: "The Bailout" was about the latter. It featured so-called average Americans who were presented as victims of the financial crisis, but were actually partially responsible for it (via "Saturday Night Live"). Among them were Herb and Marion Sandler, the real-life former owners of Golden West Financial. The two were considered pioneers of the predatory lending tactics that led to the housing market collapse, notes Forbes. The sketch introduced them, played by Darrell Hammond and Casey Wilson, as "people who should be shot," details Deadline. Of course, that's icky for various legal reasons.

The sketch was quickly taken down by NBC after it was aired, and then reposted to the "SNL" website with the Sandler appearances taken down. The Sandlers themselves were angry by the sketch and said the accusations against them were unfair, reports the Los Angeles Times. But the scandal surrounding the sketch went further.

Because the sketch laid blame against Democrats for the crisis, while crediting the Bush administration for sounding the alarm against the risky mortgage loans, it found favor with some conservative voices. And when the sketch was taken down, some conspiracies started floating in right-wing circles: Influential commentator Michelle Malkin wrote a blog on The Unz Review, saying the Sandlers and Democratic donor George Soros, who was also featured in the sketch, were responsible for its temporary disappearance.

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