'SNL' writer Michael Che says he was 'stunned' by backlash against his 'Gen Z Hospital' sketch: 'I meant no offense'

• Michael Che responded to criticism surrounding the "Gen Z Hospital" sketch he wrote for "SNL."
• Social-media users said the show passed off African American Vernacular English as Gen Z slang.
• On Monday, Che said he was "stunned" and had to look up "AAVE," adding that he "meant no offense."

On Monday, Michael Che addressed the backlash surrounding the "Gen Z Hospital" sketch he wrote for the May 8 episode of NBC's "Saturday Night Live."

In the sketch, Elon Musk, who made his hosting debut on Saturday, played a doctor delivering grave news to a group of Gen Zers, or those born after 1996. "SNL" cast members Kate McKinnon, Mikey Day, Heidi Gardner, Ego Nwodim, and Bowen Yang posed as the teens, rattling off terms such as "stan," "bruh," "bestie," and "no cap."

As Insider's Moises Mendez II reported, critics took issue with the show's attribution of the terms to Gen Z or internet culture as, critics said, such terms are used in and were popularized by African American Vernacular English, a dialect of English created in Black communities.

Social-media users circulated tweets accusing the comedy-sketch series of appropriating AAVE.

Che, a cohead writer on "SNL" and a coanchor on the show's "Weekend Update" segment, identified himself as the writer behind the "Gen Z Hospital" sketch in a statement responding to the criticism on Monday.

Che wrote on Instagram: "I've been reading about how my 'gen z' sketch was misappropriating AAVE and I was stunned cause what the f--- is 'AAVE'? I had to look it up," Deadline reported. It appears that the post has since been deleted.

Che continued: "Turns out it's an acronym for 'African American vernacular english.' You know, AAVE! That ol' saying that actual black people use in conversation all the time."

"Look, the sketch bombed. I'm used to that. I meant no offense to the 'aave' community. I love aave. Aave to the moon!" he concluded.

Che is no stranger to stirring controversy on the popular comedy-sketch series, particularly while telling jokes alongside coanchor and cohead writer Colin Jost on the "Weekend Update" segment.

While some viewers brush off the at times exaggerated news updates as mere satire, others have taken offense at Che's statements and argued that he's punching down in his comedy.

In 2019, Che faced scrutiny for misgendering Caitlyn Jenner, who had come out as transgender four years earlier, and deadnaming her on live TV.

He was accused of transphobia again this year when he made light of President Joe Biden's decision to lift the ban on transgender people serving in the military enacted during the Trump administration. He referred to the new policy as "Don't Ask, Don't Tuck."

Less than a month later, Che ignited a debate about antisemitism after making a controversial joke about Israel's vaccination rollout, saying, "Israel is reporting that they've vaccinated half of their population, and I'm gonna guess it's the Jewish half."