Finn Wolfhard’s long-awaited debut as host of Saturday Night Live (Season 51, Episode 10) was meant to be a victory lap following the series finale of Stranger Things. Instead, the 23-year-old actor finds himself at the center of a social media firestorm.
While the episode featured surprise cameos from co-stars Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin, the celebration was quickly overshadowed by jokes that fans have labeled “misogynistic” and “homophobic.”
The “Demogorgon” Monologue Controversy
The most significant backlash stems from a joke during Wolfhard’s opening monologue. Reflecting on his decade-long journey of hitting puberty on camera, Wolfhard quipped:
“The first time I learned what a woman looks like down there—was on camera as well.”
The punchline featured a cutaway to a clip of a shrieking, petal-mouthed Demogorgon. While intended as a self-deprecating nod to his life in Hawkins, the “vagina monster” comparison ignited fury on X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok. Critics accused the show of “heinous misogyny,” arguing that comparing female anatomy to a horrific monster reinforces archaic tropes of body shame and disgust.
Mocking Will Byers’ Coming Out
The controversy didn’t stop at the monologue. A pre-taped sketch parodying Stranger Things finale theories took aim at one of the show’s most sensitive emotional beats: Will Byers’ coming out scene.
In the parody, the narrator jokes that Will (played by cast member Jeremy Culhane) isn’t present because “his coming out scene is still going on,” mocking the length and slow pacing of the Season 5 confession. Fans of the “Byler” ship and LGBTQ+ advocates were quick to call the bit “unnecessary” and “disrespectful,” noting that parodying a heartfelt moment of queer identity felt mean-spirited rather than satirical.
A Divided Fanbase: Satire or Cruelty?
The backlash highlights a growing divide between traditional late-night satire and modern audience expectations. While some fans defended Wolfhard—noting that he likely didn’t write the sketches himself—others pointed out that as host, he becomes the face of the content.
- The Defense: Longtime SNL viewers argue that the show has always pushed boundaries and that “dark comedy” is its staple.
- The Criticism: Modern critics argue that punchlines targeting marginalized identities or degrading women’s bodies are “lazy writing” that belongs in the past, especially following a Stranger Things finale that already left many fans feeling protective of these characters.
As of Monday, January 19, neither NBC nor Wolfhard’s representatives have issued a formal response to the trending #CancelFinn and #SNLMisogyny hashtags.
