NEW YORK CITY, N.Y., Nov. 2 (UPI) -- Chris Rock returned to Saturday Night Live for the first time since last hosting in 1996 and delivered a monologue with riffs on the Boston Marathon Bombing and 9/11.
In other words, Chris Rock did what he does best: Pushing boundaries. The 7-plus minute monologue has touched off debate on social media and entertainment websites.
Some are asking if the edgy material went too far and posing the question whether it is ever okay to joke about terrorism. Others have declared the monologue hilarious and the best part of the show this week.
After noting the NYC Marathon would be run on Sunday, Rock wondered "What could go wrong there, right?"
He then talked about the Boston Marathon being probably the most sadistic terrorist attack ever.
"Twenty-six miles,'' he said. "Twenty-six miles is a long drive.'' He described the strain on runners, the aching knees and feet, the year-long training runs. And then the payoff: "You finally get to the finish line, and somebody screams: 'Run!'"
That segued into New York bouncing back after 9/11 and building One World Trade Center, formerly the Freedom Tower, at the NYC attack site.
"They should change the name from the Freedom Tower to the 'Never Going in There' Tower. Because I'm never going in there...Are you kidding me?...Does this building duck? What are they thinking? Who's the corporate sponsor, Target? Stop it. In the same spot?"
Rock apparently anticipated possible controversy, saying during the monologue that he wasn't joking about 9-11. But he added, in America there are no sacred days.
"We commercialize everything," he said. "We're only five years away from 9/11 sales. That's right, you're gonna hear it: 'Come on down to Red Lobster, these shrimp are 9 dollars and 11 cents!'"
