‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ Star Dakota Johnson Getting Blasted for ‘Saturday Night Live's’ ISIS Skit
Poor Dakota Johnson. She just gamely took part in a Saturday Night Live (SNL) scripted sketch parodying Toyota's "My Bold Dad" commercial, where a dad gets tearful after he drops his daughter off to join the army, and now she's getting the brunt of the blast from social media. In the sketch, SNL's Taran Killam, playing the dad, drops off Dakota as his daughter, who said: "Dad, it's just ISIS." She boards a truck with actors dressed as Islamic State members, one of whom yells: "Death to America," as the father asks them to take care of his little girl, much like in the Toyota Camry ad.
The SNL skit triggered outrage in the social media. Among the tweets, read: "Actually offended by the ISIS sketch... Is that seriously all you could come up with?"; "Dear #SNL, jokes about Isis are not funny."; "See how much you laugh when you have to see your loved one(s) being slaughtered. No respect."; "Like going to college? When so many people are being kidnapped and killed? Depraved."; and, "I think it's safe to say I will never watch SNL or any of Dakota Johnson's movies ever again." According to TMZ, Taram Killam defended their skit, saying, "Proud of this. Freedom to mock is our greatest weapon."
Of course, the ISIS/Toyota commercial spoof was just one of the skits that Dakota did that Saturday night with the SNL cast. She also played parts in the sketches on Cinderella, her own Fifty Shades of Grey, the Weekend Update, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and a panel discussion on the subject of net neutrality.
Dakota was also the designated host for that night's episode of SNL. In opening the show, the 25-year-old actress went on a scripted spiel. She said: "For those of you who don't know me I am currently starring in Fifty Shades Of Grey, which is based on the best-selling novel and made you never want to touch your mother's Kindle again. For instance my dry cleaner won't look me in the eyes anymore and my dog walker gives me a little wink every time he takes the leash down off the wall - it is so great. This movie is a ton of fun and I am really proud of it. I don't want to speak too soon but I have a funny feeling that at next year's Oscars it is....not going to be anywhere. But who cares right? I don't care about things like that, it has already made like $500m and the fans really love it.... Great, and now I understand why my parents will not be seeing my movie... You may not know this but my parents are Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson. It is incredible that I am standing on this stage right now because in December 1988 my mother stood in this exact spot and hosted SNL. This is true, right after the show my father got down on one knee and proposed to her for the second time - and exactly nine months later I was born. So I must have been conceived that night after the show, or even during the show. Isn't that right you guys?" The cameras then panned to Melanie and Don at the audience who were seen trying to shield their faces in embarrassment.