Nicole Brown Simpson’s Sister Thought Kim Kardashian’s “Saturday Night Live” Monologue Jokes About OJ Simpson Were Gross
As Michael K wrote a few days ago, Kim Kardashian hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time. Kim had a challenging task ahead of her: trying to remember what day and time the show aired. No! It was to tell the jokes that were written for her with enough success that people wouldn’t be writing the next day about how Kim bombed as a host. But while some found Kim boring, and others were mildly amused by watching Kim read cue cards, some were offended. Kim referenced OJ Simpson for laughs in two separate sketches, which didn’t sit well with the late Nicole Brown Simpson’s sister Tanya Brown.
Of course, we only know the name “Kim Kardashian” because we knew the name of her father, “Robert Kardashian,” aka one of OJ Simpson’s best friends-turned-one of his defense lawyers. OJ Simpson’s former wife Nicole Brown Simpson was good friends with Kim’s mom Kris Jenner. And if we’ve learned anything from Ryan Murphy’s FX series, or Kris Jenner’s interview with Oprah, or Kris Jenner’s cookbook, it’s that the Kardashians were torn apart during OJ Simpson’s murder trial. This is something Kim joked about during her monologue, saying:
“Now, you know, my father was and still is such an influence and inspiration to me, and I credit him with really opening up my eyes to racial injustice. It’s because of him that I met my first Black person. Want to take a stab in the dark at who it was? I know it’s sort of weird to remember the first Black person you met but O.J. does leave a mark – or several. Or none at all. I still don’t know.”
Later in the show, during a sketch called “The People’s Kourt” (Kim played her sister Kourtney Kardashian), Kenan Thompson as OJ Simpson showed up at the end, asking why the Kardashian family doesn’t talk to him anymore.
Welcome to The People’s Kourt pic.twitter.com/yaG8is2kIX
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) October 10, 2021
TMZ spoke to Tanya Brown about Kim’s SNL appearance. Not surprisingly, the sister of a murdered woman who might have been a victim of OJ Simpson thought Kim’s choice to participate in OJ jokes was tacky and gross. via Us Weekly:
The motivational speaker told TMZ that she and her family found the monologue “beyond inappropriate and insensitive,” claiming that it was in “poor taste” to joke at her late sister’s expense.
Kim had previously noted the topic of OJ Simpson wasn’t really something she wanted to talk about, out of respect for Nicole Brown Simpson’s children, Sydney and Justin Simpson.
“I just respect his children,” Kim said on Netflix’s My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman. “So if I were to say something that would hurt someone’s feelings publicly – unless they’re coming for me and I have to defend myself or a family member – then I’m aware.”
Sorry kids, I know Kimmy said she wasn’t going to exploit her connection to your dad, but Kimmy had a live audience to make groan and cringe! Plus, Kim reportedly got SNL some decent ratings. According to The Hollywood Reporter:
SNL drew 5.27 million viewers and a 1.04 rating among adults 18-49 on Saturday, up from 4.94 million and 0.92 for the season 47 premiere on Oct. 2. The bump marked the first time in several years that episode two has outdrawn the season premiere of the long-running NBC late night show.
It goes without saying that Kim didn’t write her jokes; the SNL writing team did that. But Kim was likely given approval over all jokes and could ask for anything to be cut. You know what, that’s got to be why there wasn’t a Twilight Zone parody about Kim waking up with her old face. “I’ll participate in several tasteless OJ jokes, but that’s too far, that’s not funny.”
Pic: NBC