A former “Saturday Evening Stay” solid member is asking out Chevy Chase for a merciless and tasteless joke the comic stated to him 40 years in the past.
The 82-year-old comic, who grew to become a star throughout the present’s first season in 1975, is the topic of a brand new CNN documentary, “I’m Chevy Chase And You’re Not,” that recounts numerous elements of his life.
The documentary examines his lengthy historical past of offending his co-stars, however one explicit comment he made to a solid member whereas guest-hosting throughout the 1985-86 season nonetheless stands out for its pointless viciousness.
The comment was an trade Chase had with Terry Sweeney, the present’s first overtly homosexual solid member, and it looms so giant in “SNL” historical past that Marina Zenovich, the documentary’s director, was obliged to convey it up whereas interviewing Chase.
“You stated one thing to Sweeney like, ‘Oh, you’re the homosexual man. Why don’t we ask when you’ve got AIDS? And each week, we weigh you,’” she reminded Chase, who responded, “Terry Sweeney, he was very humorous, this man. I don’t assume he’s alive anymore.”
Within the documentary, “SNL” creator Lorne Michaels tried to downplay the offensiveness of creating AIDS jokes to a homosexual man on the peak of the AIDS disaster.
“I believe Chevy was simply being Chevy. He would say issues that had been humorous, and he would assume you had been comedy individuals, and he may converse that approach,” Michaels stated. “, we’d say horrible issues, as a result of that’s what would make us snigger.”
However the 75-year-old Sweeney had a distinct opinion when requested to remark by The Hollywood Reporter.
Sweeney didn’t maintain again, telling the publication, “Don’t you assume he’s saying this and making himself look extra just like the ass he’s!!!”
In response to the “SNL” oral historical past guide “Stay From New York: The Full, Uncensored Historical past of Saturday Evening Stay as Informed by Its Stars, Writers, and Company,” Sweeney stated Chase later got here to his dressing room to apologize for the joke, however was “livid that he needed to apologize to me.”
Within the documentary, Chase insisted that Sweeney was mendacity concerning the incident.
“My reminiscence is that he’s mendacity, is my reminiscence. He’s not telling the reality,” he stated. “That isn’t me. That’s not who I’m. And if I’m that approach, my life has modified, as a result of I’ve to dwell with that now for the remainder of my fucking life.”
The documentary additionally means that Chase’s rudeness has its roots in abuse he confronted in his childhood, however Sweeney wasn’t shopping for that excuse.
“Boohoo … poor screwed up child … so THAT’s why he’s so rotten!!!!!!!”
You’ll be able to see the trailer for the documentary, which debuts Thursday, under.