Michael Che Defends Online Engagement with Critics Following New Comedy Special

Saturday Night Live comedian Michael Che confirmed that he has no plans to stop engaging with online critics of his work, according to reports from the AV Club and Yahoo. Speaking in an interview with Vanity Fair published on Wednesday, Che explained that he comes from a generation that engages directly and speaks its mind. The AV Club reported that Che remains eager to address public reactions, including recent backlash over controversial Weekend Update material. [1][4][6]

The comments follow the release of Che's latest Netflix comedy special, Michael Che: Shot in Minnesota, which was reported by NPR, the Los Angeles Times, and MPR News. In the special, Che addresses culture war topics and includes controversial jokes regarding Charlie Kirk and daycares, according to the Los Angeles Times and MPR News. [2][3][5]

Che has served as a co-anchor on the Saturday Night Live Weekend Update segment alongside Colin Jost since 2014. The pair also served as co-head writers for the NBC series from 2017 until 2022 and co-hosted the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2018. Before joining the cast of Saturday Night Live, Che worked as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. [7][8]

His previous stand-up projects for Netflix include the comedy specials Michael Che Matters in 2016 and Shame the Devil in 2021. He also contributed to the writing for SNL50: The Anniversary Special, which won an Emmy Award in 2025. [8]